It Came From the ‘80s is a series that pays homage to the monstrous, deadly, and often slimy creatures that made the ‘80s such a fantastic decade in horror.
Thirty-seven years ago, the release of Halloween III: Season of the Witch was a gamble that didn’t pay off. What could’ve kicked off a series of unrelated Halloween horror tales instead left critics and fans cold by the lack of Michael Myers. Something that was course corrected in all subsequent installments. In the decades since, however, fans have grown to embrace this sci-fi standalone sequel. An earworm commercial jingle, Tom Atkins once again kicking horror butt (sort of), and a trio of now iconic masks that prove to be literal face-melters all present solid reasons as to why Season of the Witch is an enjoyable installment in the franchise.
When approached to do a sequel, John Carpenter and Debra Hill weren’t interested. At least not until it was determined that this sequel would be a completely separate, unrelated movie. So, the butcher knife was traded for sci-fi, with Quatermass and the Pit writer Nigel Kneale writing the original screenplay. His version of the story was more cerebral and extremely grim; director Tommy Lee Wallace (Fright Night Part 2, 1990’s It) and Carpenter felt it needed a bit more commercial appeal. They reworked the script, and Kneale removed his name from the project. With Carpenter tied up on The Thing, Wallace was given full autonomy to execute his vision.
For the uninitiated, the setup is simple: Silver Shamrock masks are in high demand for the Halloween season. Kids all across the nation are clamoring to get their hands on one. The only problem? Silver Shamrock’s owner, Conal Cochran (Dan O’Herlihy), has crafted a very nefarious plot involving those masks that will cause mass destruction on Halloween night. Doctor Daniel Challis (Tom Atkins) seeks to uncover that plot and stop him.
One of the biggest influences on this film was 1956’s Invasion of the Body Snatchers. Fittingly, it was Invasion of the Body Snatchers 1978’s special makeup effects artist Tom Burman (My Bloody Valentine, Cat People) that was in charge of this film’s special makeup effects. Considering not just the nature of the Silver Shamrock masks, but the robotic army Cochran has assembled to prevent anyone from getting in his way, Season of the Witch has a whole lot of special effects employed.
The standout scene, of course, is the gruesome demise of Little Buddy (Brad Schacter), a TV-loving kid and Silver Shamrock test subject. Little Buddy and his parents are ushered in to Test Room A, made to look like a normal living room, and instructed to wait. Buddy’s dad thinks they’re there to give opinions. Instead, Cochran has the Silver Shamrock commercial broadcast to the TV in the room, which instructs Little Buddy to put on his mask. Cue the subliminal signal, which in turn activates the chip on the back of the mask. Little Buddy’s head melts, and insects spew forth.
For this effect, the actor was replaced with a stand-in urethane dummy with a fairly large plastic tube that ran up through its torso to the mouth. A Silver Shamrock mask made out of gelatin was put over it, and targeted heat was blasted on it to melt it down. As the mask melted away, insects and snakes were pumped up through the tube by wranglers. Most of the insects were crickets, and a large chunk of them proved too wily for their handlers. Many of them escaped into the sound stage, never to be recovered.
The designs for the masks were done by Don Post Studios and Wallace, though. The company also provided the setting for the Silver Shamrock plant. Between their designs, that every so catchy jingle, the cool effects by Burman and his team, and Atkins delivering another memorable horror character, there’s a lot of great elements that makes it easy to see why discourse has turned around on this outlier. Season of the Witch is a strange, sci-fi twist on Halloween-set horror. Had it been successful, it would’ve been interesting to see how this entry would’ve influenced the rest of the franchise.