tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5497928641398322495.post8358309877248494840..comments2024-03-23T12:33:33.918-04:00Comments on Junta Juleil's Culture Shock: Film Review: HALLOWEEN III- SEASON OF THE WITCH (1982, Tommy Lee Wallace)Sean Gillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00537515557596273876noreply@blogger.comBlogger9125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5497928641398322495.post-32314094371719130882011-11-18T15:50:44.776-05:002011-11-18T15:50:44.776-05:00Mike B.,
No excuses necessary– I relish the oppor...Mike B.,<br /><br />No excuses necessary– I relish the opportunity to talk about HALLOWEEN III 24/7, 365! You make some delightful observations: I never really thought about Atkins' skeevy switcheroo before- that is truly amazing. I've always loved the factory tour, too, and a Buddy/Atkins spin-off would be damned welcome. And that is strange about the scenes that seem to be missing, though I doubt we'll ever get a comprehensive HALLOWEEN III special edition director's cut, at least not until Rob Zombie remakes it or whatever- yikes!Sean Gillhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00537515557596273876noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5497928641398322495.post-4128029900894295582011-11-17T03:08:30.734-05:002011-11-17T03:08:30.734-05:00Excuse me once again for commenting on something f...Excuse me once again for commenting on something from long ago, but I've been using Halloween 3 as my go-to "background" movie pretty much since its last namesake holiday, and I felt the need to weigh in on a couple things. First, great review, I love this film so much that even the gigantic plot hole near the end (i.e. the evil robot Miss Grimbridge standing by and allowing Atkins to kill Cochran and blow up the factory) doesn't bother be in the least. Second, you've gotta love the skeevy way that Atkins tells Ellie that they'll pose as "buyers" and get "a couple rooms in that hotel," but when the innkeeper approaches, he's already switched his story to "my wife and I need a room," to better set up his seduction plans. Third, I absolutely love the factory tour scene. Notice how when Cochran says he'll give them a free replacement order, you hear Buddy Kupfer in the background say a delighted "ha!" and then Atkins mirrors it with a "ha!" of his own; it just seems like a wonderful acting choice. The factory tour makes me wish that the movie would just spin off into a complete non-sequitur in which Buddy Kupfer and Atkins become drinking buddies and everyone lives happily ever after. Which brings me to my only complaint about the film. I feel like I need about 20 minutes more "snooping around" after the factory tour and before Ellie gets captured. The whole sense of uncovering something sinister would be so sweet if it lingered a bit longer. The last act just comes so quick, notice that when Atkins tells Ellie to "pack" (their one bag) and runs to call the cops, it's still daylight, but when he comes back from the office, it's dark out. I wonder if there actually were a couple scenes cut out there. Anyway, that was way too long of a comment, and it's getting late and I could use a drink, but hot damn is this a fun film! Thanks for another great review!Mike B.https://www.blogger.com/profile/10402206874230820940noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5497928641398322495.post-14210778949521385432010-07-27T16:27:29.509-04:002010-07-27T16:27:29.509-04:00J.D.,
Agreed. I'm kind of wondering what Kib...J.D.,<br /><br />Agreed. I'm kind of wondering what Kibbe's been up to though- all he's done since GHOSTS OF MARS is a single episode of C.S.I. And Carpenter has worked since with Attila Szalay (basically the staff MASTERS OF HORROR cinematographer) and David Wain crony Yaron Orbach (THE WARD).<br /><br />Guy,<br />Glad you enjoyed it! It really feels like a lost Carpenter flick to me, too- and of course the ending has the same abrupt, quasi-existential, apocalyptic connotations of so many classic Carpenter finales.Sean Gillhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00537515557596273876noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5497928641398322495.post-67357363823244898732010-07-27T12:43:52.191-04:002010-07-27T12:43:52.191-04:00I was pretty skeptical about this film before read...I was pretty skeptical about this film before reading your review.<br />You know : mass peer pressure.<br />But now that I've seen it, I gotta thank you, it was great!<br />It oozes Carpenter from every pore, it almost seems like a lost movie of his. Dan O'Herlihy is great, Tom Atkins uses disdain to the max, Stacey Nelkin is a real stunner!<br /><br />And what an ending! (now who could have written that...seriously?)GuyRhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06420079652050250323noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5497928641398322495.post-61414980515592446652010-07-27T09:08:48.447-04:002010-07-27T09:08:48.447-04:00Agreed on Cundey and THE FOG. His compositions in ...Agreed on Cundey and THE FOG. His compositions in that film are simply sublime. Good observation about Kibbe's work on THEY LIVE and how it evokes THE KILLERS. Hah, I hadn't thought of that! But I would say that his work on MOUTH OF MADNESS may just edge it out slightly. The use of color is incredible in that film - esp. towards the end, like when Sam Neil is being chased by that Lovecraftian whatsis.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08164105442273577128noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5497928641398322495.post-69577410219856006662010-07-26T18:03:23.527-04:002010-07-26T18:03:23.527-04:00Sci-Fi Fanatic,
Ah, thank you! You kind of have ...Sci-Fi Fanatic,<br /><br />Ah, thank you! You kind of have to wonder what would have happened if Carpenter/Hill/Wallace et al had succeeded in 'rebranding' the franchise before HALLOWEEN III's release, because I really believe that with different (non-Myers) expectations, it could have been a success. I stand by it as a solid film. It probably would have evolved into an intriguing little franchise with Carpenter stepping in to direct/write/produce every once in a while instead of the grim, uninspired, Carpenter-free HALLOWEENS 4 thru H20 or RESURRECTION... I think I've lost track.<br /><br />J.D.,<br /><br />The BODY SNATCHERS nods were very welcome and likely lost on the "Where's Michael Myers!?" grunting throngs. <br /><br />Totally agree re: Cundey. Kibbe's work is great but it lacks that extra touch of artistry that must've come so naturally to Cundey. Cundey's best shots just might be in THE FOG, though THE THING is certainly a close second. Kibbe's finest hour is probably IN THE MOUTH OF MADNESS, though his THEY LIVE work reminded me a lot of that great bland/prefab construction/deliberately overlit look like in Siegel's THE KILLERS.Sean Gillhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00537515557596273876noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5497928641398322495.post-53254305289863284622010-07-26T12:37:46.021-04:002010-07-26T12:37:46.021-04:00Awesome review and a fantastic defense of its meri...Awesome review and a fantastic defense of its merits!<br /><br />Also, I love how the town's name is Santa Mira, a little nod to the original INVASION OF THE BODY SNATCHERS where all the action is set. And, let's not forget Atkins' frantic declarations at film's end that more than a little invoke Kevin McCarthy's equally sweaty desperate pleas.<br /><br />Time has been kind to this film and over the years horror fans have come to embrace this film as the misunderstood gem that it is. There might not have been as big a backlash back in the day if this had been HALLOWEEN II but since there were already two Myers films peole were expecting more of the same and not this weird trip of a film.<br /><br />I also couldn't agree more on Cundey's awesome cinematography. As much as I love Carpenter, his films took a major hit, visually, when he stopped working with Cundey. Alto, Gary Kibbe's camerawork for later Carpy films is pretty decent.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08164105442273577128noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5497928641398322495.post-21521121667889541322010-07-25T16:19:47.197-04:002010-07-25T16:19:47.197-04:00Great revisit. Say what you want about this film....Great revisit. Say what you want about this film. Despite being completely detached from the original two Halloween films I recall being absolutely terrified as child. The film did its job for me and the neighborhood kids. You'd never see me put a pumpkin costume on for the rest of my life.<br />Cheers Sean.SFFhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04256589316922398158noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5497928641398322495.post-6417924756241625622010-07-25T15:33:44.531-04:002010-07-25T15:33:44.531-04:00Eight more days till Halloween, Halloween, Hallowe...Eight more days till Halloween, Halloween, Halloween, eight more days till Halloween Sil-ver Sham-rock!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com