"Halloween 3: Season of the Witch"

I feel like this movie has an unfair reputation. I didn't love it, but I certainly had an an enjoyable time singing along to the silly "Silver Shamrock" jingle. I can understand why so many people detest this movie. You see "Halloween" on a movie title, you expect Michael Myers. That's fair, but what isn't fair is how quick people are to jump to the conclusion that this movie is nothing more than garbage.

The premise is actually pretty cool. Innocent kids are obliviously buying "Silver Shamrock" Halloween masks--which are, in fact, pretty damn cool. After a guy mysteriously dies in his hospital, Dr. Tom Adkins goes on a quest to uncover what the reasoning was behind the homicide, and why the dead man had a Silver Shamrock Halloween mask clasped in his hand. Tom Adkins and the dead guy's daughter travel to a small Northern California town to find out the dark secrets of "Silver Shamrock."

You might have noticed I name "Silver Shamrock" several times. The company has the catchiest damn jingle ever to exist on the face of the planet. Zach connected it to the "Willy Wonka, Willy Wonka, the Amazing Chocolatier" song from the 2005 version of "Charlie and the Chocolate Fatory." To be fair, it does have a similar rhythm, but the Silver Shamrock song is more fun. You might think that I am going off on an irrelevant tangent, but actually the song plays a major role in the film.

The acting is standard for a mediocre horror movie, and Tom Adkins has a truly impressive mustache. I think what might be the biggest criticism of this movie is just that it was never scary. We watched "Candyman" the other night and that movie has some legitimate scares. This film felt like a movie they would riff on MST3K. But, to be fair, I liked it. I thought it was fun. So many of the movies we review turn out to be boring. This movie, however, is just another 80s horror movie. I think it would have received a better reception from the general public had the producers not stamped "Halloween" into its title, invoking preconceived expectations from its audience.

I like the original theory behind the "Halloween" series. The idea of various Halloween-themed stories is a neat idea. But, of all the franchises, this has always been my least favorite. I love Freddy and Jason, Michael Myers has always been third on my list. Had the producers done something more in the vein of an anthology movie, like "Creepshow," "The Twilight Zone Movie," and more recently "Trick or Treat," I think I would have been more receptive to Michael Myers. So is this film really the worst of the franchise?

No.

The award for worst "Halloween" film goes to those god-awful Rob Zombie remakes. However, is this the worst of the original franchise?

Maybe.

I have an appreciation for the first "Halloween" film, I like that it is slightly smarter than the sex and gore fest that riddles the Freddy and Jason movies. I love "Halloween" for what it pioneered. However, having said that, I can't sit down and watch "Halloween" the way I can "Friday the 13th" or "Nightmare on Elm Street."

Halloween III isn't bad, it just isn't what the audience wanted. The story is ridiculous, but every horror movie story is ridiculous.

Overall, I think this movie was fun, and I will probably watch it again. After all:



How is that not the most amazing song ever?