Halloween III: Season of the Witch (1982)

User Rating:

3.7/10   

Director:

Tommy Lee Wallace

Writer:

Tommy Lee Wallace (written by)

Release Date:

22 October 1982 (USA)

Genre:

Horror | Mystery | Sci-Fi | Thriller

Tagline:

...and now the earth will run with blood again!

Plot:

A large Halloween mask-making company has plans to kill millions of American children with something sinister hidden in Halloween masks.

Plot Keywords:

Mask | Halloween | Stonehenge | Hospital | Doctor

Awards:

1 nomination

Cast

Tom Atkins	...	Dr. Daniel 'Dan' Challis
Stacey Nelkin	...	Ellie Grimbridge
Dan O'Herlihy	...	Conal Cochran
Michael Currie	...	Rafferty
Ralph Strait	...	Buddy Kupfer
Jadeen Barbor	...	Betty Kupfer
Brad Schacter	...	'Little' Buddy Kupfer Jr. (as Bradley Schachter)
Garn Stephens	...	Marge Guttman
Nancy Kyes	...	Linda Challis
Jonathan Terry	...	Starker (as Jon Terry)
Al Berry	...	Harry Grimbridge
Wendy Wessberg	...	Teddy
Essex Smith	...	Walter Jones
Maidie Norman	...	Nurse Agnes
John MacBride	...	Sheriff

Also Known As:

The Last Halloween (Philippines: English title)

Runtime:

98 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Canada:13+ (Quebec) | Canada:R (Manitoba/Nova Scotia) | Singapore:NC-16 | Iceland:16 | Finland:K-15 (uncut) (DVD rating) | Finland:K-16 (uncut) (VHS rating) (1998) | Finland:K-18 (1983) (cut) | Finland:K-18 (cut) (1988) | Australia:M | Austria:16 | France:-12 | Netherlands:16 | Norway:15 | Norway:16 (original rating) | Spain:18 | Sweden:15 | USA:R | West Germany:18 | UK:15 (theatrical release) (uncut) | UK:15 (video rating) (1986) (cut) | UK:15 (video rating) (2002) (uncut) | UK:15 (original rating)

Filming Locations:

Domino's Pizza - 17 Kersting Court, Sierra Madre, California, USA

Company:

Dino De Laurentiis Company

Trivia:

Dick Warlock, the stunt man who played Michael Myers in Halloween II (1981), is credited under 'assassin' in the credits.

Goofs:

Continuity: As Ellie Grimbridge meets and talks to Marge Guttman outside the motel: Ellie's jacket is open. In the following shot when Marge shows Ellie the displaced Silver Shamrock trademark, her jacket is nearly closed. Yet, in the next shot, Ellie's jacket is once again open.

Quotes:

Daniel Challis: This place is a zoo.
Ellie Grimbridge: I saw Cochrane, his car anyway.
Daniel Challis: And your old man stayed here on the 20th.
Ellie Grimbridge: I was right. We'll go down to the factory, we'll find out exactly...
Daniel Challis: Whoa, slow down! It's getting late. I could use a drink! Let's take our time.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Psychos in Love (1987)

Soundtrack:

Time Goes By

I don't care what anybody says, I liked it!

Boy, this poor film has gotten all but burned at the stake (pun intended) here. I first saw Season of the Witch when it came on cable in the early 80s when I was maybe 12 and it scared me as much as the other Halloween films (just two at the time). Though I was somewhat perplexed that it didn't have Sinjoro Myers. But even at age 12, I was more intrigued by this change then outraged.

I still watch it when it comes on and though it hasn't aged well overall, the scene where the family is tested on is still one of the most horrific moments in film history and makes Donal Cochran one of the most dispicable villians EVER!

I love the idea that Carpenter wanted to do a different story for each one and I think it's a shame people hated this one so much that such an inspired idea was pulverized by ecomonic realities.

A lot of people complain about how stagnant the imagination of Hollywood is, but I think all these outraged comments here I've seen show that those people are actually a minority. Most people see nothing wrong with creative bankruptcy. So I guess we can look forward to a 5th (or is it 6th now) film with a guy in a Shatner mask eviscerating horny teens. I'd be happier though if they at least stuck a different mask on him. Maybe one from Silver Shamrock?:) God forbid! That's different!