Halloween III: Season of the Witch (1982)

 "Stop it! Stop it! Stop it!"

This is a very unusual curiosity. For one thing, it's the only film in the Halloween franchise not to star Michael Myers- very much part of John Carpenter's original conception; he wanted each film to be an original story- and that this is a Hollywood film written by Nigel Kneale.

Naturally, Kneale took his name off the script. It was butchered by committee, as is the Hollywood way. And yet- minus the creepy crawlies, bizarre besuited robots and the drill up Teddy's ear (uurgh!), this is basically his story, only with the dialogue altered to be more rubbish. Oddly enough, cdespite its profoundly Irish California-ness, it's utterly Kneale.

We have the dark view of human nature, not only in the concept but the fact the hero is a drunked divorced father whois constantly, and not always reasonably, finding reasons not to see his kids. We also have the hero being a stentorian man of science- in this case a medical doctor. And again we have acient evil in the form of the murky pagan origins of Halloween.

I rather enjoyed this. It's flawed, but ultimately rather engaging. Even the bits Kneale didn't envisage- the spiders and snakes, the bizarre besuited robots, the motel setting- work, and add to the atmosphere. Even the gore is more subtle and off-screen- mostly- than its reputation.

And Dan O'Herlihy, '80s Hollywood baddie per excellence, puts in a careeer best, scenery-chewing in the best possible eway, performance.

Forget Michael Myers. Just enjoy this film for what it is. It's flawed, but Kneale's ideas still define it.