Without a doubt the black sheep of the Halloween franchise, Season of the Witch keeps its threat in plain sight, shying far and away from the shadows of ordinary Haddonfield homes.
The intention of Halloween 3 is not to make anyone forget about the first two films, nor is it an
insult to fans of the original. It is solely meant to be a standalone picture, with no relevance to what has come before and what could have come afterward. The team behind the original realized the title ‘Halloween’ doesn’t necessarily limit them to one story – rather, it opens the door for an ostensibly endless slew of autumnal tales of terror. Hill and Carpenter produced, Tommy Lee Wallace (co-editor and production designer on the first film) wrote and directed. John Carpenter regulars can be found in this film, with Nancy Kyes (then, Wallace) and Tom Atkins. Jamie Lee Curtis lent her voice, warning Santa Mira of its curfew.
The antagonist this time around doesn’t wear a mask – he distributes them. Conal Cochran, played by Dan O’Herlihy, is excellently written. He has spent years marketing toys, games and masks to children the world over. Whilst he’s not given any sort of background, Cochran utilizes his fortune and business savvy to make sacrifices out of his customers. The delivery of his dialogue – especially the explanation he gives Atkins’s Dr. Challis in the third act, is right up there with Donald Pleasence’s monologue in Halloween 2, regarding sacrifices and witchcraft.
Halloween 3 is by no means a perfect film, nor are the characters particularly sympathetic – not even Dr. Challis or Stacey Nelkin’s Ellie Grimbridge. In an ostensibly desperate attempt at escaping both a tedious routine and an unsatisfying home life, Dr. Dan doesn’t procrastinate with the decision to play detective with a determined Ellie. She adamantly traces her father’s whereabouts, which leads them to Santa Mira, where they must get answers from the Silver Shamrock manufacturing facility. Initially, her character seems surprised about “Irish Halloween masks,” as she puts it. The incredible thing is, it makes total sense.
Fun fact: Due to the potato famine in the mid 1840s, the Irish came to a primarily Protestant America and with them, brought traditions and sacraments – some of which predate Christianity. As a result, Halloween has long since become a part of our culture in a plethora of ways.
Among the flaws of this film, right after the town is shown locking their doors and closing their businesses for the town-wide curfew, there’s transition to a nighttime exterior. We see Dr. Challis exit a store after having purchased alcohol. There are about two sex scenes between Ellie and Challis before he asks her how old she is, to which she responds, vaguely.
There are fans who believe Ellie was a robot all along, which makes absolutely no sense. What would Cochran gain by having a robot pose as a client’s daughter, convince a doctor to stalwartly follow her and go trekking to Santa Mira, solely to investigate the strange circumstances surrounding a murder? Absolutely nothing. Challis is amorously infatuated by Ellie, which is likely what’s driven him to join her cause. Sure, the first “sex dolls” date back to around the seventeenth century, and Cochran has had years of experience perfecting the look and feel of humans for his robots, so it’s not exactly out of the realm of plausibility. It’s just too far-fetched — and gross.
The score (again by John Carpenter and Alan Howarth) fits perfectly with the unsettling tone of the film. Despite Halloween 3’s vitriolic opprobrium, the film managed to make $14 million from a budget of $2.5 million. In recent years, Season of the Witch has gained a fanbase.
It’s fun to consider what this film might have been like, had it only recently been made. People constantly use the internet, so Cochran wouldn’t necessarily have to rely on month-long marketing. He can upload viruses or lure people in with pointless apps and ads on YouTube. Picture this: a montage of trick or treaters from all walks of life, everywhere. Crowded streets filled with people in costumes. Phones begin to ring, alerts, texts, etcetera. They get their phones out. Suddenly, masks begin to melt, bodies collapses. There’s panic. Screams and cries echo near and far. The streets, covered in blood, vomit, bugs, insects and snakes; resulting in an eerie silence. Leaves descending off tree limbs, scattering and scraping across the asphalt. Total confusion of the few that survive around the world. The government believes it to be a terrorist attack. It could be incredibly dark and efficacious.
A remake could touch upon several major issues, and it could do so without necessarily identifying with any one specific political agenda. You’ve got these greedy children that obligatorily give into the timeless and universal societal pressures of bullshit standards, longing to fit in; so they beg and plead – perhaps even demand their parents buy them the mask that all the cool kids will be wearing. There’s this lack of awareness of what dangers could come from modern technology and the lack of responsibility that comes with it. The story for Halloween 3 is dark, and the uncertainty of the ending gives it just a hint of tragedy that leaves you wanting more.
That all put into perspective, was Season of the Witch ahead of its time? Would a remake appeal to moviegoers? The problem with this movie is calling it a part three. That alone surely gave way to expectations of Michael Myers. Just by that, sadly not many can separate their anger and confusion for this film, which leaves them feeling disappointed and betrayed, without actually focusing on the story and investing in the characters. It is, at the very least, a movie worthy of its cult status.
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