The original Halloween was 'The Night He Came Home', but Halloween III; Season of the Witch was 'The Night No One Came Home'. This movie has been unfairly maligned for over three decades by pissy snobs who can't stop asking, "Where's Michael..?" Who cares? This movie is a classic and one of my favorite Halloween holiday films. Does it fit with the rest of the franchise, no and I don't care. If it had not been called Halloween III no one would have complained. Maybe no one would have complained if Michael never returned to the franchise? At any rate, go and bring Season up on social media and you'll have an army of Halloween fans ranting about what a piece of shit it is. Lies. All lies. If you skipped Season because of it's reputation then you need to take an evening this October to rectify this dire situation.
Season opens with a man on the run, he makes it to a hospital clutching a Halloween mask and later gets murdered, followed shortly by the murderer's apparent suicide. This leads the great Tom Atkins and the lovely Stacey Nelkin into a mystery that involves Stonehenge, ancient rituals, an insane toy maker, some freaky deaths, and a jingle you will never, never, get out of your head.
There has been a general warming to Season in the last few years, I'd assume it's younger horror fans who have less reverence for the original or fans who feel burned by the later sequels and/or remakes and now see the value in this underrated gem. Director Tommy Lee Wallace
creates a tense and unusual fright flick with more than a few surprises. Season is a heady cocktail of ancient Halloween lore, sci-fi, mystery, and even a touch of Giallo with an ending that'll take your breath away.
The first time I saw this was on TV when I was about 12. I knew nothing about the story going in, which is still the most fun way to watch a horror movie. As I've noted in previous chapters; late night TV was a haven and an education for me. Sleeping was always a problem for me as a kid and when I discovered there was programming on after the 11 O'clock News I started sneaking to tune in as often as possible and the 80's were quite a golden age for that. Probably half of my favorite movies I first saw on Fox or TBS or USA.
Halloween III Season of the Witch still holds up and deserves as much respect as the first two Halloween films. It will definitely be playing in my house this October and I hope it becomes a Halloween tradition at yours well.
The Theatrical Version and the Television Cut with added footage not seen in the theatrical version
Audio commentary with director Rick Rosenthal
Audio commentary with stunt co-ordinator/actor Dick Warlock
The Nightmare Isn’t Over – The Making Of Halloween II, featuring Rick Rosenthal, Lance Guest, Dick Warlock, Alan Howarth, Dean Cundey and more..
Horror’s Hallowed Grounds: Revisiting the original shooting locations
Still Gallery
Theatrical Trailer, TV and Radio Spots
Audio Commentaries — In the first track, director Tommy Lee Wallace is joined by fans Robert V. Galluzzo from Icons of Fright and Sean Clark of Horror Hound magazine. The discussion is mostly a Q&A commentary as Rob and Sean keep instigating Wallace to keep talking while also interjecting a few choice remarks in between by Rob and Sean. Although not very engaging with a few pockets of silence, there is a very good deal of insightful information being related, mostly on the cast, origins of several ideas and locations.
In the second audio track, documentary filmmaker and producer of the DVD Michael Felsher sits down with actor Tom Atkins. More entertaining and lighthearted than the first, the two men clearly enjoy each other's company while talking about the movie's legacy and a bit on its history. There's nary a moment of silence as Atkins shares lots of great memories and his eventual involvement with this production. Of the two, this is arguably the better, but they're both honestly good commentaries with a great fan-made appeal to them.
Stand Alone: The Making of Halloween III: Season of the Witch (HD, 33 min) — Presented in a 2.35:1 aspect ratio, the new retrospective documentary is a surprisingly frank discussion on the plot and the production. With several recent interviews of key players, everyone involved shares a wealth of great memories and anecdotes of the cast & crew while also giving honest critiques of the movie and characters. Comments of the finished product and its legacy towards the end are the highlight of the doc.
Horror's Hallowed Grounds: The Locations of Halloween III (HD, 20 minutes) — Sean Clark of Horror Hound magazine takes fans on an awesome tour of the various locations where the movie was filmed as they appear today with a great unexpected appearance from Wallace.
Still Gallery (HD) — A large collection of promotional pictures and production stills.
Publicity (1080i/60, HD) — Two TV spots, one commercial for the television premiere, a cool teaser and the original theatrical preview.
