Halloween III: Season of the Witch (1982, Tom Atkins)

Here it is, finally. The black sheep of the beloved Halloween series. Definitely one of those movies that you either love or hate. This film disappointed a lot of unsuspecting viewers when it was released because it had nothing to do with Michael Myers. Which is understandable, but disappointing this film is definitely not.

Halloween III, as I stated before, is a departure from the story of the first two. There is no Michael Myers, Laurie Strode or Dr. Loomis. Instead, the film centers around a Halloween mask company called Silver Shamrock. After a man is found dead clutching a Silver Shamrock mask and his killer blows himself up, Dr. Dan Challis (Tom Atkins) starts to believe something is fishy. He, along with Ellie Grimbridge, the daughter of the man found dead, decide to go undercover as Halloween mask retailers to investigate how Silver Shamrock plays into this man's murder. They eventually meet up with Conal Cochran (Dan O'Herlihy), the owner of Silver Shamrock and discover an evil plot beyond their wildest imaginations.

Halloween III is plain and simply brilliant. The way the story develops, the characters, the suspense, the music ("3 more days 'til Halloween/Silver Shamrock"), the gore (courtesy of makeup master Tom Burman) and most importantly, one of the greatest endings in cinematic history, all add up to an incredible film. Pundits may look down on some of the over the top plot elements, but the real reason this film is hated is because there is no Michael Myers. The producers decided to carry on the name of Halloween but feature different stories which took place around Halloween. After the disappointment of Halloween III, the idea was scrapped and soon Michael Myers returned from the grave to kill again. My only gripe about this film was the fact it was called Halloween III. I'm sure it would have gained far more appreciation if fans looked beyond the fact Myers' was absent and focused on how great this film stands on its own.

RATING: 5/5