As a seasoned movie buff who’s been around long enough to remember the VHS era, I must say that revisiting Halloween III: Season of the Witch on Peacock is like unearthing a forgotten gem from the past. This film, often maligned for not featuring Michael Myers, has grown on me over the years, much like a pumpkin left out in the rain.
The film “Halloween III: Season of the Witch” is currently available for streaming on Peacock. Although it’s the only movie in the “Halloween” series without Michael Myers, it has often been considered an outlier within the franchise. However, with its new availability, it now has the chance to reach a wider audience and gain the recognition that many think it deserves.
1982 saw the debut of Halloween III: Season of the Witch, which unfortunately underperformed at the box office due to misunderstandings about the direction of the Halloween series. The first two films focused on Michael Myers, Laurie Strode, and Dr. Loomis, but fans anticipated a continuation of these characters when they heard the Halloween title. However, they were taken aback to find that this third installment was an entirely unrelated standalone story, distinct from John Carpenter’s initial narrative.
The filmmakers intended this new installment as part of an anthology series, following the conclusion of Michael Myers’ and Loomis’ deaths in Halloween II. However, it seems that audiences misunderstood or expected a continuous storyline due to the franchise name. Consequently, the idea of a Halloween series without Michael Myers was not favorably received.
What is Halloween III: Season of the Witch About?
In contrast to Halloween’s usual setting in Haddonfield, the events of Halloween III unfold in Santa Mira, California. The protagonist here is Dr. Dan Challis, portrayed by Tom Atkins. The story follows Challis as he investigates the mysterious death of one of his patients. Along with the deceased patient’s daughter, they unwittingly become entangled in a chilling plot orchestrated by Silver Shamrock Novelties. This company is planning to harness ancient powers to revive the magic of witchcraft on Halloween night. The film offers some shocking and gory scenes, particularly involving certain novelty masks that linger in your memory even after the movie has ended. Unfortunately for its initial audience, it wasn’t the slasher flick they had anticipated.
Although Carpenter and Debra Hill initially envisioned the Halloween series as a collection of distinct stories set on Halloween Night, the direction shifted dramatically following the release of Halloween III. For a period, the franchise remained inactive, but it resurfaced in 1988 with the studio emphasizing the return of their iconic Shatner mask-wearing slasher by titling the movie Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers.
Even after undergoing three separate reboots, the Halloween series has consistently focused on Michael Myers as its main character, fulfilling fan expectations. However, the 1998 soft-reboot of H20: 20 Years Later, which featured Jamie Lee Curtis’ return to the franchise, and its sequel Halloween: Resurrection, along with Rob Zombie’s remakes of the original films and David Gordon Green’s trilogy (including Curtis’ second appearance) did not come close to matching the quality of John Carpenter’s original movie. This raises the question of how things might have turned out if the studio had persisted with their anthology concept, despite Halloween III‘s negative response.
It’s uncertain if the initial strong debut of Michael Myers in Halloween would have kept him a memorable character for moviegoers, or if he would have faded into cinematic history. However, what has been established is that Halloween III: Season of the Witch, despite being a commercial flop, was never the poorest Halloween film.
Halloween III: Season of the Witch
is now available to stream on Peacock.
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2024-09-01 21:42