Tommy Lee Wallace’s 1982 science-fiction horror film Halloween III: Season Of The Witch received a majority of negative reviews from audiences and critics for its absence of the franchise’s signature character Michael Myers, yet has developed a cult following in recent years. The Halloween franchise began with John Carpenter’s 1978 film, since then twelve installments in total have been produced with a thirteenth in the making. It has been remade and rebooted several times with prequels and sequels to accompany the story of Michael Myers.
Unlike any of the Halloween installments, Wallace chose to abandon Michael Myers completely and explore witchcraft. The film follows Dr. Dan Challis (Tom Atkins) and Ellie Grimbridge (Stacey Nelkin) as they discover that a company named Silver Shamrock Novelties is utilizing the supernatural powers of Stonehenge to create a killer commercial. On Halloween, the company plans to broadcast their commercial onto every TV channel and reach every child wearing their masks in order to kill them all.
Initially, the Halloween franchise was created by John Carpenter with the intent of being an anthology series such as Trick ‘R’ Treat (2009) that would tell different horror stories which all happen on the night of Halloween. Carpenter intended for some of the installments to have sequels, such as the original Halloween and Halloween II. Therefore, the first two movies were meant to be solely focused on Michael Myers; he was never originally intended to come back for more. Halloween III: Season Of The Witch proved to them that fans were not interested in an anthology and rather wanted more of the now iconic slasher. However, it has finally gained a massive cult following.
Why Season Of The Witch FINALLY Has A Cult Following
After years of hate towards Halloween III: Season Of The Witch, fans of the franchise are beginning to show a new appreciation for the seemingly ill-fit installment. It is now considered to be a very well-done stand-alone film that only received the negative feedback it did because of the expectation of seeing Michael Myers. If it were not attached to the Halloween franchise, it could have been given better reviews upon release. The concept of the film is original and well thought out, with stylized cinematography that creates the feeling of an amateur movie about the holiday.
The film is so deeply entrenched in nostalgic 1980s imagery that fans are drawn back to it time and time again. The 1980s aesthetic and decade has also become more popular in recent years, and has lent to the success of shows like Stranger Things. The cult following the film has finally received after several decades has also become a part of the theory behind whether or not Michael Myers is actually human; while they’re not connected directly, they’re still a part of the same universe. Silver Shamrock Novelties also builds androids, and some recent fan theories have speculated that Michael Myers is a cyborg based on this fact. Its popularity could also be attributed, at least in part, to a potential answer for why the slasher icon is unkillable.
Wallace’s movie is creative and unique, with a plot that continues to draw horror fans in. Halloween III: Season Of The Witch deserves its newfound fan following for both of these merits. Regardless of whether the film completely fits into the franchise or not, over time, it has proven to be an entertaining horror film with or without its ties to Halloween and Michael Myers.
