You know what’s weird? I have always loved Halloween III: Season of the Witch ever since I first saw it back in high school when I was going through every Halloween movie, one by one.
The weird part, though, was that every time I ever told this to fans of the Halloween series, they would always give me this weird look and say, “That one? Why? That’s the one that sucks.”
However, nowadays, it’s cool to like Halloween III: Season of the Witch. In fact, I’ve even seen recent articles about how Halloween III is “the best Halloween sequel.” Well, I’ll take it one step further and proclaim that Halloween III: Season of the Witch is my favorite Halloween movie, period. Haters be damned!
I Actually Like That Michael Myers Isn’t In It
CinemaBlend’s own Alexandra Ramos said it best about why a lot of Halloween fans don’t like Halloween III in her ranking of every Halloween movie, and the reason is because there is no Michael Myers in it. To that, I say GOOD. Look, I do enjoy the Halloween series, and when I ranked the 14 best horror franchises, I put the Halloween series at number eight.
However, if I’m being completely honest, a lot of the Halloween movies are pretty damn terrible, and it doesn’t even matter whose hands these movies are in. Rob Zombie’s very worst movie is probably Halloween II, and while my colleague Mike Reyes really enjoyed Halloween Ends, and I appreciate his take, I thought Halloween Ends was absolutely horrendous.
My point is that I don’t necessarily see Halloween movies for Michael Myers in the first place. I mean, he’s in every single one of them besides Halloween III: Season of the Witch, but the thing I actually like about some (not all) of the Halloween movies is the tone. For example, I love my Halloween movies when they’re slow-paced and moody.
While I’m well aware that the first Halloween is arguably the best in the series, that doesn’t necessarily make it my favorite. The reason why I really like Michael Myers in that movie is because he serves that particular story. The same goes for Michael in Halloween II, which directly follows the events of the first flick.
But Halloween III: Season of the Witch is a different animal entirely. Its story centers around Stonehenge, Halloween masks, a TV commercial and ANDROIDS. It’s such a weird and wonderful movie, and that's mostly because of my next point.
It Feels The Most Like Its Namesake
Every Halloween fan knows this by now, but after Halloween II, John Carpenter and Debra Hill didn’t really want to focus on Michael Myers anymore. Instead, they thought the best direction for the franchise was to make it more of an anthology series that centered around the actual holiday.
For this reason, Halloween III: Season of the Witch goes hard into the Halloween season, as the whole plot centers around it–mostly when it comes to children.
We get some awesome shots of kids going trick-or-treating, and wearing those creepy masks, and it actually feels like the season. The closest, somewhat modern example I can make is the 2007 movie Trick ‘r Treat, as you really can’t have that film without the season of Halloween itself. (That movie is also somewhat of an anthology movie, which is why I picked it as a reference point.)
For a lot of the other Halloween movies, I feel like the actual season of Halloween gets mostly forgotten, even though that’s the day that Michael Myers comes out to kill. Halloween III: Season of the Witch doesn’t have to focus on Michael Myers, though, which is why the flick distinctly feels like its own thing.
And even though the movie doesn’t actually feature a witch as its main antagonist or anything like that, the idea of Halloween actually going back to its pagan roots somehow makes the story even creepier.
For That Reason, I Watch It Every Halloween Season, Unlike The Other Halloween Films In The Series
When I pitted Freddy vs. Jason vs. Michael Myers against each other, Freddy came out on top, and it’s because I think he has the best movies out of the bunch. I watch at least two or three A Nightmare on Elm Street movies every Halloween season.
The same goes for the Friday the 13th series. When October rolls around, I have to watch at least two or three flicks in the franchise. Those two horror icons always remind me of my love of horror movies and the holiday.
But strangely enough, when it comes to the Halloween series, the only movie in the whole franchise that I always make sure to watch is Halloween III: Season of the Witch, which is bizarre given that the franchise is literally called Halloween.
That said, it’s the only film that actually feels like Halloween to me. The Silver Shamrock theme alone (which I’ll post here, but with a warning that there are flashing lights) is something I play every October 1st to get me in the Halloween spirit. The atmospheric tone always makes me feel like it’s time to get out the costumes and celebrate that time of the year.
Again, I might watch other movies in the Halloween series around Halloween, (I’m kind of a sucker for the super campy Halloween: Resurrection with Busta Rhymes), but I always watch Halloween III: Season of the Witch this time of year. It’s a given.
The Plot Is Genuinely Unique
You know what’s also kind of weird? I’ve gone through this entire article so far and haven’t even gone over the plot of the film. That said, if you’ve gotten this far, I’m sure you’ve probably already seen the movie.
But if you haven’t, the flick, which is labeled as a science fiction horror film, is about a mask maker who wants to basically sacrifice children by implanting pieces of Stonehenge in a bunch of masks, and then triggering their deaths when the Silver Shamrock song plays in commercials.
I mean... what?! On paper, this plot sounds absolutely bonkers, and it is. But add in the fact that there are actually androids in the movie, and you couldn’t get any further away from the first Halloween movies if you tried, and try they did.
Written and directed by Tommy Lee Wallace, who is probably most known for directing the TV miniseries version of Stephen King’s IT, Halloween III: Season of the Witch is an excellent horror movie, and most people agree that if it didn’t have the Halloween III label attached to it, then it would probably be seen as a worthy cult classic horror film.
But I love that it’s a part of the Halloween franchise, and it just makes me wonder what could have been if this movie had actually been a success.
It Actually Might Be The Most Gruesome Movie In The Series
Lastly, Halloween III: Season of the Witch might be the most gruesome movie in the entire series. Sure, most people want to focus on all the brutal Michael Myers moments in the Halloween series, but there is honestly nothing more distressing to me than watching a child grab their head and then collapse to the floor as bugs and snakes squirm out of their eyeholes.
And do you want to know the most disturbing thing about Halloween III: Season of the Witch? The ending, as it’s not a happy one. I mean, none of the Halloween movies really end on a happy note, per se, but the fact that this movie ends on such a bleak note (and again, because it features children as victims) is what really leaves an impression on me. Again, who cares about Michael Myers when you can have a horror movie that is entirely more effective without him? That’s what I want to know.
What I also want to know is what you think. Do you also feel like Halloween III: Season of the Witch is the best movie in the series? I know that it’s finally finding its audience, which is good, but has it found you? For more news on all things spooky, make sure to swing around CinemaBlend often!
