Halloween III: Season Of The Witch may have been reviled upon release for not featuring Michael Myers, but the film has gained a steady cult following in the years since – let’s look at the Silver Shamrock easter eggs found in other Halloween movies and beyond. Halloween creator John Carpenter never wanted to make a sequel to the original, so he made sure to burn Michael Myers to a crisp in the finale of Halloween II. The studio still wanted to continue the series, so Carpenter decided to turn it into an annual anthology instead, with each entry telling a new story.
This led to Halloween III, where a doctor arrives in a creepy small town to investigate the death of a patient in the days leading up to Halloween. The story involves witchcraft, androids, and a genocidal warlock, but despite being a genuinely creepy and unique horror tale, it was hated upon release. Audiences walking into the sequel expected to see Michael again and railed against Halloween III’s oddness. The movie underperformed and the series brought back its slasher icon six years later with Halloween 4: The Return Of Michael Myers.
The Halloween series is famous for its twisty timeline and semi-regular reboots, so most fans agreed to ignore Halloween III. The movie started to build a fanbase years after its release, however, with viewers starting to recognize it was a true gem that tried something original. The movie’s infectious Silver Shamrock jingle, ambiguous ending, and creepy Halloween masks stuck with viewers long after the credits rolled. Let’s look at some of the later Halloween sequels and other projects that have paid homage to Silver Shamrock.
Knight Rider – “Halloween Knight” (1984)
Halloween III must have made an impression on the producers behind Knight Rider since it was one of the first shows to reference the film in 1984. The pumpkin mask from the film is worn during a Halloween party in the episode “Halloween Knight.” The mask even comes with the famous Silver Shamrock logo, so hopefully, the infamous flashing logo didn’t play that night.
Halloween: The Curse Of Michael Myers (1995)
Halloween: The Curse Of Michael Myers tried to explain Michael’s powers away by revealing he was cursed by an ancient cult – the rest of the series ignores this. The film also introduced Minnie Blankenship, Michael’s former babysitter and member of the cult. The character’s name is also mentioned in passing during Halloween III, though given the separate timelines, it’s not intended as a canon link.
Livid (2011)
Livid is a French horror film from Julien Maury and Alexandre Bustillo, who would later direct horror sequel Leatherface. The movie also contains a nice Halloween III reference, when the main characters are approached by trick or treaters wearing the Silver Shamrock pumpkin, witch and skull masks and singing the jingle.
The Guest (2014)
Adam Wingard (Godzilla Vs Kong) is a self-confessed huge fan of Halloween III, with The Guest itself being something of a riff on the original Halloween. In The Guest’s finale, Dan Steven’s villain is hunting down victims in a high school, with the famous Silver Shamrock masks seen hung in the background.
Goosebumps 2: Haunted Halloween (2018)
Goosebumps 2: Haunted Halloween’s main characters Sarah, Sonny and Sam dress up as a witch, pumpkin and skeleton, which is a clear nod to Halloween III’s Silver Shamrock line-up.
The Goldbergs – “The Goldberg Girls” (2018)
The Goldbergs is a sitcom famously littered with references to 1980s pop culture, most famously bringing back Robert Englund as Freddy Krueger in one episode. During the season 5 episode “The Goldberg Girls” Adam Goldberg references a bunch of movies for romantic inspiration, including holding up a figure from Halloween III of the pumpkin mask figure.
Halloween (2018)
Prior to the release of 2018’s Halloween, the filmmakers promised to include easter eggs to every sequel in the franchise, and they didn’t disappoint. The Halloween III: Season Of The Witch reference is one of the easiest to spot, with a gang of children dressed up in the iconic Silver Shamrock masks during Halloween night.
