HALLOWEEN III: SEASON OF THE WITCH

US, 1982, 98 minutes, Colour.
Tom Atkens, Stacey Nelkin, Dan O'Herlihy.
Directed by Tommy Lee Wallace.

Halloween III is not exactly a sequel to the former Halloween films. However, it is produced by John Carpenter and Deborah Hill, with John Carpenter co-writing the music. There is a reference to the original film on the TV screen as a cinema classic.

The film is a mixture of witchcraft and The Invasion of the Body-Snatchers? - with the touch of the robot. While the basic ingredients are intriguing, especially for the thought that witchcraft can be updated by technology and especially by the TV commercial, the derivative nature of the film is obvious. The screenplay, while ingenious at times, is full of loopholes. The rather non-charismatic acting of the leads highlights the inconsistencies - and even suggests that some of the devices of the screenplay indicate that conquering such universal evil is not too difficult a feat. Dan O'Herlihy does what he can as the sinister equivalent of Dr. No - this time in the town of Santa Mira (from The Invasion of the Body Snatchers) who is going to destroy the world by splinters of Stonehenge stone inserted into the trademarks of his Halloween masks. While there is a lot of reference to practical joke, the film is tongue-in-cheek - but is not well-done enough to sustain itself as an excellent horror joke.

1. The film as the third in the series? The impact of the originals? The use of the name rather than the story plot? The spirit of the original? The work of the producers? Was it worth continuing the series?
2. The quality of the imagination in the screenplay? The inconsistencies in plotting? The uncharismatic stars and their lack of persuasiveness? Atmosphere, suspense, shocks? The grisly murders? Excessive or not? The quality of this film as a horror film?

3. American nightmares and superstitions? The Halloween tradition? Children? Masks and the grotesque? Evil and jokes?

4. The background of witchcraft: Gaelic traditions, Stonehenge - and its images on the television news, the stone in Santa Mira? The background of paganism, rituals, the moon, the coinciding of the planets? The laser power in the splinters of stone? The updating of witchcraft by technology - commercialism and television commercials?

5. Cochrane as a practical joker? The film as a horror joke?

6. The focus on television during the credits? The television commercial and its content, design, the masks, the skulls, the jingle, the melody, the firm and its slogans? The recurring ad? Its brain-washing people? The irony of its useful witchcraft and such gross destruction - especially of children?

7. The world of computers and science fiction, robots? Business dressed robots as murderers - murdering multinationals? Lasers and Stonehenge? The factory and the explosive finale?

8. The importance of the deaths: the initial atmosphere, the chase, the crushing of the robot, the breaking of Harry's face in the hospital, the ripping off of the head, the laser death in the motel, the murder by drill, the destruction of the family - with insects and snakes? The robots and their deaths and their yellow ooze? Ellie and the long destruction? Too grisly for this film?

9. Daniel as hero: doctor, ex-wife? His unlikely appearance? Help, Harry's death, Ellie's visit, his preoccupation? His wife - and the hostile telephone calls later, the kids in the masks? The result of the inquest? Friendship with Ellie, detective work, Santa Mira? The contact with the lab. research assistant and her information? The motel - the sexual relationship? The factory and Cochrane's tour? Being captured? Tied up, escaping, rescuing Ellie? Destroying Cochrane and the robots by the trademarks? The desperate escape? The phone call and the television stations? A stolid hero?

10. Ellie: the attractive young type, reaction to her father's death, detective work, sexual liaison with the doctor. the inquiries, her becoming the heroine, being turned into a robot after her seeming to be safe? Her trying to destroy Dan?

11. The ordinary people: the garage man and his appearance at beginning and end, the nurse in the hospital, the factory workers and the salespeople, the lab assistant?

12. The different people: Harry and the chase, his warnings and death, the robots, the wisecracking father and his bored wife, the precocious child - and the ugliness of their destruction by experiment?

13. Cochran, in himself, his handling of the death of the laser woman, smooth talk, the tour, reputation, being a practical joker? His taking the doctor and Ellie? His telling the story to the doctor? Old witchcraft, Irish traditions, his madness? The set-up to destroy the children after showing the experiment with the family? The confrontation with the doctor? His waving his defeat? Death? A Dr. No type world power-hungry villain? Credible or not?

14. The village of Santa Mira - the invasion of new body snatchers?

15. Atmosphere and suspense: dates, the build-up to Halloween? The visuals of Halloween? The masks? The commercial? Human values, fears? Heroism and the stopping of evil - or not? The poor drama with the uncertainty of the ending? A Halloween tall story?