Halloween III: Season of the Witch (1982)
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Part of the A Nightmare on Franklin Street 2026 series
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1h 38m / R / Horror, Mystery, Thriller
So, first things first: forget the title. The only thing that Halloween III: Season of the Witch is less concerned with than witches is the Halloween series of films. It would literally be closer to the truth to call this movie Leprechaun in the Hood, but nobody would be brave enough to use that title for nearly two decades. No, instead Season of the Witch is the story of an evil costume company executive who seeks to murder as many children as possible through the distribution of unaccountably popular Halloween masks, which will activate when the kids view a commercial with a hauntingly catchy jingle.
After the success of Halloween, John Carpenter and producer Debra Hill considered turning the franchise into an anthology series, featuring unconnected stories all taking place on Halloween night. Then they wrote Halloween II, which was a direct sequel, and instantly threw their own idea under a bus. So this movie is a vestige of a dead project. But weirdly it’s more prescient than ever: a video ad that’s magnetic to kids but also destroys their brains might not make a lot of sense as a Halloween movie, but it sure sounds like a successful Black Mirror pitch (note to self: pursue Spirit Halloween product placement). There’s even an army of robots! It’s practically ripped from the headlines. Not that it’s perfect: reviewer Vincent Canby said “Halloween III manages the not easy feat of being anti-children, anti-capitalism, anti-television and anti-Irish all at the same time” so, okay, it’s got its problems. But two out of four ain’t bad!
Before the screening, Film Historian Rob Kelly will provide a brief introduction to the film.
**********************************************************
A Nightmare on Franklin Street series is presented by Bank of America. View the full series at https://tampatheatre.org/nightmare
**********************************************************
1h 38m / R / Horror, Mystery, Thriller
So, first things first: forget the title. The only thing that Halloween III: Season of the Witch is less concerned with than witches is the Halloween series of films. It would literally be closer to the truth to call this movie Leprechaun in the Hood, but nobody would be brave enough to use that title for nearly two decades. No, instead Season of the Witch is the story of an evil costume company executive who seeks to murder as many children as possible through the distribution of unaccountably popular Halloween masks, which will activate when the kids view a commercial with a hauntingly catchy jingle.
After the success of Halloween, John Carpenter and producer Debra Hill considered turning the franchise into an anthology series, featuring unconnected stories all taking place on Halloween night. Then they wrote Halloween II, which was a direct sequel, and instantly threw their own idea under a bus. So this movie is a vestige of a dead project. But weirdly it’s more prescient than ever: a video ad that’s magnetic to kids but also destroys their brains might not make a lot of sense as a Halloween movie, but it sure sounds like a successful Black Mirror pitch (note to self: pursue Spirit Halloween product placement). There’s even an army of robots! It’s practically ripped from the headlines. Not that it’s perfect: reviewer Vincent Canby said “Halloween III manages the not easy feat of being anti-children, anti-capitalism, anti-television and anti-Irish all at the same time” so, okay, it’s got its problems. But two out of four ain’t bad!
Before the screening, Film Historian Rob Kelly will provide a brief introduction to the film.
**********************************************************
A Nightmare on Franklin Street series is presented by Bank of America. View the full series at https://tampatheatre.org/nightmare
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Where is it happening?
Tampa Theatre, 707 N Franklin St, Tampa, FL 33602-4400, United States
Event Location & Nearby Stays:
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Host or PublisherTampa Theatre
