Halloween III: Season of the Witch 1982
5.1 / 10
Halloween III: Season of the Witch
A terrified toy salesman is mysteriously attacked, and at the hospital, babbles and clutches the year's most popular Halloween costume, an eerie pumpkin mask. Suddenly, Doctor Daniel Challis finds himself thrust into a terrifying nightmare.
A terrified toy salesman is mysteriously attacked, and at the hospital, babbles and clutches the year's most popular Halloween costume, an eerie pumpkin mask. Suddenly, Doctor Daniel Challis finds himself thrust into a terrifying nightmare.
Videos & Photos
All 1 Videos & 136 Photos
cast
Full Cast & Crew
... Dr. Daniel 'Dan' Challis
... Ellie Grimbridge
... Conal Cochran
... Rafferty
... Buddy Kupfer
... Betty Kupfer
User reviews
See All 4 Reviews23 Jun 2021 by John Chard
Conglomerate Carnage. A different animal to the Halloween films that preceded and followed it, Season of the Witch is slowly but surely gaining an appreciation as a standalone horror film. Gone is Michael Myers’ indestructible killing machine, in his place is the nefarious Conal Cochran (Dan O’Herlihy), the owner of the Silver Shamrock corporation that specialises in Halloween masks. Cochran has a sinister plan this year - and it’s deadly - Dr. Daniel Challis (Tom Atkins) and Ellie Grimbridge (Stacey Nelkin) are caught in the middle of the vile plot and may just be the only salvation to Americana. With Nigel Kneale involved in the writing process Season of the Witch is delightfully fiendish. There’s definite barbs being stung here about the commercialisation of holiday occasions, Cochran is intent on restoring Halloween to the true meaning of its origins, creating a Silver Shamrock world order in the process. Kneale would take his name off the credits when the studio tampered with his vision, a shame because his core essence remains - even if Cochran as a Warlock Wicker Man type could well have been genius. With John Carpenter and Debrah Hill over seeing things from their production chairs, the picture had supervision of some standing. Tommy Lee Wallace maybe directing but it feels like a Carpenter movie, from Dean Cundey’s photography - Carpenter’s foreboding synth musical score – and the sharpness of the horror scenes (which are excellent), it’s not hard to see the “non Michael Myers” Halloween series that Carpenter had envisaged after part 2 had been and gone. Boosted by an irritatingly potent advertisement jingle (a Silver Shamrock variation on London Bridge is Falling Down) that counts down the days to Halloween and the day of carnage, Season of the Witch is consistently gnawing away at the senses. Having Atkins and O’Herlihy propping up the acting helps, both are reliable performers for this material, while the race against time finale has edge of the seat credentials. It doesn’t all work of course, there’s some drag and the narrative feels schizophrenic at times, while if it wasn’t for Cundey’s camera work then Wallace’s inept direction of scenes would be over exposed. Yet as it asks Halloween franchise fans some forgiveness for not actually being part of the franchise, it delivers a smart sci-fi horror hybrid that’s not without shock and awe. 7/10
Genres:
Release Date:
Oct 22, 1982 (United States)
Run Time:
1hr 39`
MMPA Rating:
R
Original Language:
English
Production Countries:
United States
Status:
Released
Plot Keywords:
Related Movies To
Halloween III: Season of the Witch
Conglomerate Carnage. A different animal to the Halloween films that preceded and followed it, Season of the Witch is slowly but surely gaining an appreciation as a standalone horror film. Gone is Michael Myers’ indestructible killing machine, in his place is the nefarious Conal Cochran (Dan O’Herlihy), the owner of the Silver Shamrock corporation that specialises in Halloween masks. Cochran has a sinister plan this year - and it’s deadly - Dr. Daniel Challis (Tom Atkins) and Ellie Grimbridge (Stacey Nelkin) are caught in the middle of the vile plot and may just be the only salvation to Americana. With Nigel Kneale involved in the writing process Season of the Witch is delightfully fiendish. There’s definite barbs being stung here about the commercialisation of holiday occasions, Cochran is intent on restoring Halloween to the true meaning of its origins, creating a Silver Shamrock world order in the process. Kneale would take his name off the credits when the studio tampered with his vision, a shame because his core essence remains - even if Cochran as a Warlock Wicker Man type could well have been genius. With John Carpenter and Debrah Hill over seeing things from their production chairs, the picture had supervision of some standing. Tommy Lee Wallace maybe directing but it feels like a Carpenter movie, from Dean Cundey’s photography - Carpenter’s foreboding synth musical score – and the sharpness of the horror scenes (which are excellent), it’s not hard to see the “non Michael Myers” Halloween series that Carpenter had envisaged after part 2 had been and gone. Boosted by an irritatingly potent advertisement jingle (a Silver Shamrock variation on London Bridge is Falling Down) that counts down the days to Halloween and the day of carnage, Season of the Witch is consistently gnawing away at the senses. Having Atkins and O’Herlihy propping up the acting helps, both are reliable performers for this material, while the race against time finale has edge of the seat credentials. It doesn’t all work of course, there’s some drag and the narrative feels schizophrenic at times, while if it wasn’t for Cundey’s camera work then Wallace’s inept direction of scenes would be over exposed. Yet as it asks Halloween franchise fans some forgiveness for not actually being part of the franchise, it delivers a smart sci-fi horror hybrid that’s not without shock and awe. 7/10
I distinctly remember being in Grade 8 when the film came out, and for four major reasons: 1) The excellent TV commercial, with John Carpenter's spooky music and the spider crawling out of the mouth of the mask; 2) The decent book adaptation written for young adults, that I read at the time, and thoroughly enjoyed; 3) Karen Carpenter died of a heart attack from anorexia nervosa; and 4) Major songs on the radio around that time were 'Centerfold' by The J. Geils Band and 'Bette Davis Eyes' by Kim Carnes. Though I had not yet seen the previous two films and wasn't old enough (the R-rating, and my parents were somewhat strict about that kind of thing), I really wanted to see it, but over the years, I never really got around to it, until recently I found used the entire 'Halloween' franchise on a 10-blu ray pack, and no longer have any sort of excuse, really. I loved Wallace's work in 'Stephen King's It' (except for the last half-hour, but that's probably the book's fault and not the director's) and I thought his 'Vampires: Los Muertos' was rather underrated, so an added attraction for me was to watch his directorial debut here. He impressed me. I enjoyed the film and all of the extras on its blu ray very much. If you like horror films at all, you should watch this. Protagonists Tom Atkins and Stacey Nelkin are very good here, and I liked Dan O'Herlihy even better than when I had previously seen him in 'The Virgin Queen', 'Imitation of Life', 'The Cabinet of Caligari', 'Good Against Evil' and the first two 'RoboCop' films, and, as always, Dean Cundey provides excellent cinematographical work and the soundtrack by Carpenter and Alan Hogarth is dependably solid. Don't bother with the negative reviews that came out at the time the film was released: Most people were upset that the film didn't have Michael Myers in it, and didn't give it a chance. Find out for yourself--in my humble opinion, it's worth both purchasing and at least a rewatch.
A Halloween movie with no Michael Meyers? Given most of the sequels were dreck, the third outing is an entertaining watch as a Halloween-themed thriller.
Wait, what? Halloween? I guess Carpenter had the grandiose idea of expanding the franchise to one movie released around Halloween that was kind of about Halloween...the holiday not the movies. Mike did die in Halloween II. It was a good idea, one year, one horror movie, all under the same anthology franchise. Except the audience, after two stellar slasher films wanted Mike, so best laid plans of mice and men and all that. What we got instead of Mike was a movie that would have been a halfway decent stand alone end of the 70s horror film, one that was atmospheric, moody, and though it was too flawed to be big, it would have been a fair enough start to the franchise...it would have made a bit of money for the seasonal scare fair. Except....it was called "Halloween III" and all the publicity in the world wouldn't have stopped the public from expecting Mike. So, "robbed" would be the best phrase to describe how one feels whilst watching this film. Even now after knowing what it was intended to be...still feel a little robbed. And I am a fan of anthology series, I feel it lets writers and directors tell unique little stories that wouldn't otherwise be made. Still, Mike was a slasher and after Fred and Jason, you want to see him keep coming back until you vomit.
Cast & Crew of
Halloween III: Season of the Witch
Directors & Credit Writers
Cast
... Dr. Daniel 'Dan' Challis
... Ellie Grimbridge
... Conal Cochran
... Rafferty
... Buddy Kupfer
... Betty Kupfer
... 'Little' Buddy Kupfer Jr.
... Marge Guttman
... Linda Challis
... Starker
AB
Al Berry... Harry Grimbridge
... Teddy
ES
Essex Smith... Walter Jones
... Nurse Agnes
... Sheriff
... Assassin
... Willie Challis
... Bella Challis
... Secretary
... Red
Produced By
Videos & Photos of
Halloween III: Season of the Witch
Videos ( 1)
Official Trailer
YouTube
Photos ( 136 )
Related Movies To
Halloween III: Season of the Witch
Sonic the Hedgehog 3 (2024)
0 /10
Sonic, Knuckles, and Tails reunite against a powerful new adversary, Shadow, a mysterious villain with powers unlike anything they have faced before. With their abilities outmatched in every way, Team Sonic must seek out an unlikely alliance in hopes of stopping Shadow and protecting the planet.
Run Time: 1hr 50` . MMPA: PG . Release: 19 Dec 2024
Director: Ged Wright , Julija Mickėnaitė , Joey Coughlin
Producer: Tricia Wood , Ólafur Ásgeir Jónsson , Toru Nakahara
Stars: Ben Schwartz , Keanu Reeves , Colleen O'Shaughnessey , Idris Elba , James Marsden , Hayden Christensen
Kraven the Hunter (2024)
0 /10
Kraven Kravinoff's complex relationship with his ruthless gangster father, Nikolai, starts him down a path of vengeance with brutal consequences, motivating him to become not only the greatest hunter in the world, but also one of its most feared.
Run Time: 2hr 7` . MMPA: R . Release: 11 Dec 2024
Director: Helena Henry , Martina Vazzoler , Andrea Trigo
Producer: Raylin Sabo , Palak Patel , Tinna Aðalbjörnsdóttir
Stars: Aaron Taylor-Johnson , Russell Crowe , Ariana DeBose , Fred Hechinger , Alessandro Nivola , Christopher Abbott
Nosferatu (2024)
0 /10
A gothic tale of obsession between a haunted young woman and the terrifying vampire infatuated with her, causing untold horror in its wake.
Run Time: 2hr 13` . MMPA: R . Release: 25 Dec 2024
Director: Max Horn , Matus Kukuca , Josh Robertson
Producer: Pavel Mrkous , Jeff Robinov , Dan Kuska
Stars: Bill Skarsgård , Lily-Rose Depp , Nicholas Hoult , Aaron Taylor-Johnson , Emma Corrin , Willem Dafoe
Venom: The Last Dance (2024)
0 /10
Eddie and Venom are on the run. Hunted by both of their worlds and with the net closing in, the duo are forced into a devastating decision that will bring the curtains down on Venom and Eddie's last dance.
Run Time: 1hr 49` . MMPA: PG-13 . Release: 22 Oct 2024
Director: Kelly Marcel
Producer: Amy Pascal , Kelly Marcel , Avi Arad
Stars: Tom Hardy , Juno Temple , Chiwetel Ejiofor , Rhys Ifans , Michelle Williams , Norman Reedus
Werewolves (2024)
0 /10
A year after a supermoon’s light activated a dormant gene, transforming humans into bloodthirsty werewolves and causing nearly a billion deaths, the nightmare resurfaces as the supermoon rises again. Two scientists attempt to stop the mutation but fail and must now struggle to reach one of their family homes.
Run Time: 1hr 34` . MMPA: R . Release: 04 Dec 2024
Director: Steven C. Miller
Producer: Amanda Kiely , Craig Chapman , Sevier Crespo
Stars: Frank Grillo , Katrina Law , Ilfenesh Hadera , Sam Daly , James Kyson , Lou Diamond Phillips
The Substance (2024)
0 /10
A fading celebrity decides to use a black market drug, a cell-replicating substance that temporarily creates a younger, better version of herself.
Run Time: 2hr 21` . MMPA: R . Release: 07 Sep 2024
Director: Mateo Cejoco , Anne Juin , Matthieu de la Mortière
Producer: Raphaëlle Beck , Katia Sourzac , Honorine Sutter
Stars: Demi Moore , Margaret Qualley , Dennis Quaid , Gore Abrams , Edward Hamilton-Clark , Hugo Diego Garcia
Star Trek: Section 31 (2025)
0 /10
Emperor Philippa Georgiou joins a secret division of Starfleet tasked with protecting the United Federation of Planets and faces the sins of her past.
Run Time: 1hr 36` . MMPA: PG-13 . Release: 15 Jan 2025
Director: Steve Gottfried , Olatunde Osunsanmi , Lisa Burling
Producer: Margery Simkin , John Weber , Ted Miller
Stars: Michelle Yeoh , Omari Hardwick , Kacey Rohl , Sam Richardson , Sven Ruygrok , Robert Kazinsky
Elevation (2024)
0 /10
A single father and two women venture from the safety of their homes to face monstrous creatures to save the life of a young boy.
Run Time: 1hr 31` . MMPA: R . Release: 07 Nov 2024
Director: George Nolfi
Producer: Kenny Ryan , Joel Viertel , Warren T. Goz
Stars: Anthony Mackie , Morena Baccarin , Maddie Hasson , Danny Boyd Jr. , Rachel Nicks , Shauna Earp
River of Blood (2024)
0 /10
Four kayakers take the wrong river into a jungle inhabited by a tribe of merciless cannibals.
Run Time: 1hr 26` . MMPA: . Release: 29 Aug 2024
Director: Howard J. Ford
Producer: Frederik Nelsson , Tom Boyle , Rikke Ennis
Stars: Joseph Millson , Sarah Alexandra Marks , David Wayman , Ella Starbuck , Louis James , Tiffany Hannam-Daniels
Deadpool & Wolverine (2024)
0 /10
A listless Wade Wilson toils away in civilian life with his days as the morally flexible mercenary, Deadpool, behind him. But when his homeworld faces an existential threat, Wade must reluctantly suit-up again with an even more reluctant Wolverine.
Run Time: 2hr 8` . MMPA: R . Release: 24 Jul 2024
Director: Zoé Denis , Simeon Jones , George Cottle
Producer: Wendy Jacobson , Melissa Scicluna , Molly Simmons
Stars: Ryan Reynolds , Hugh Jackman , Morena Baccarin , Emma Corrin , Aaron Stanford , Matthew Macfadyen
The Wild Robot (2024)
0 /10
After a shipwreck, an intelligent robot called Roz is stranded on an uninhabited island. To survive the harsh environment, Roz bonds with the island's animals and cares for an orphaned baby goose.
Run Time: 1hr 42` . MMPA: PG . Release: 12 Sep 2024
Director: Chris Sanders
Producer: Jeff Hermann , Heather Lanza , Dean DeBlois
Stars: Lupita Nyong'o , Pedro Pascal , Bill Nighy , Catherine O'Hara , Kit Connor , Stephanie Hsu
Despicable Me 4 (2024)
0 /10
Gru and Lucy and their girls—Margo, Edith and Agnes—welcome a new member to the Gru family, Gru Jr., who is intent on tormenting his dad. Gru also faces a new nemesis in Maxime Le Mal and his femme fatale girlfriend Valentina, forcing the family to go on the run.
Run Time: 1hr 34` . MMPA: PG . Release: 20 Jun 2024
Director: Patrick Delage , Chris Renaud
Producer: Barbara Harris , Sean Lawrence , Brett Hoffman
Stars: Steve Carell , Kristen Wiig , Will Ferrell , Pierre Coffin , Miranda Cosgrove , Sofía Vergara