John Carpenter explains why he wishes Halloween III: Season of the Witch was a hit with the public. Carpenter is the director who started the Halloween franchise, director Halloween in 1978. Na HalloweenCarpenter stopped directing other films in the franchise but went on to direct other classic films such as The thing. in next Halloween movies, including Halloween II, Halloween III: Season of the Witchand this year Halloween endsCarpenter acted in a producer role.
Halloween introduced the audience to a man who would become a classic horror villain: Michael Myers. Michael Myers is a masked killer who primarily kills his victims by stabbing them with a knife, cementing them Halloween in the horror subgenre of the slasher movie. Michael Myers was curiously absent in one Halloween film though. Halloween III departs from the franchise’s typical slasher film style and instead explores an angle that strays the side of science-fiction, introducing witchcraft. Unlike its predecessors, Halloween III performed poorly at the box office, and as a result, Myers made his triumphant franchise back when he was reintroduced in Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers. Subsequently, Myers has been featured in every other Halloween movie.
Carpenter himself wishes that Halloween III: Season of the Witch had seen a better lot at the till, as he tells Vulture. During his interview, Carpenter was asked how the Halloween franchise would have changed if Halloween III had been a success. According to Carpenter, good luck for Halloween III would have meant that he and the other drivers behind the Halloween franchise”could start telling other stories.” Carpenter also noted that it was his choice not to direct the sequels and that his favorite Halloween movie is still the one he”made in 1978.” View the full quote:
Interviewer: I don’t think Halloween III is getting the love it deserves. Would you do something completely different if it got off the ground?
Carpenter: That’s right. It didn’t, but I wish it had, because we could start telling other stories. People wanted to see Michael Myers one more time. There you go. The Halloween movie I love the most is the movie I made in 1978, the movie I directed. Others are the visions of other people. That’s how it goes. That’s what happens when you give up. I didn’t want to direct sequels. I thought there was no more story about it. Boy, was I wrong?
Can the Halloween franchise work without Michael Myers?
As Carpenter points out, the Halloween franchise eventually gave people what they wanted. Michael Myers was brought back and he has stayed for every following since Halloween movie including the revivals. While Carpenter is right that Halloween III took a turn from the rest of the franchise and its success could have made the rest of the series look different, in one respect he is wrong. Halloween IIIthe difference of Halloween and Halloween II didn’t just come down to the absence of Michael Myers. Rather, Halloween III: Season of the Witch strayed from what Halloween was the basis: a slasher film. Halloween put the low-budget slasher horror on the map and paved the way for subsequent films such as Texas Chainsaw Massacre and countless others.
So maybe one can Halloween franchise without Michael Myers, but one cannot de Halloween franchise without a few stab wounds that populate the scenes. Perhaps the franchise could introduce another primary villain inspired by Myers or something similar. But by taking the witchcraft route, Halloween III: Season of the Witch not only explored a new story, but completely let go of the foundation they had laid. Luckily the Halloween franchise returned to its roots, retaining the qualities that made the horror movie an instant classic. The franchise even managed to bring back Laurie Strode for the revivals, who will face her final showdown with Michael Myers this year. Halloween ends.
Source: Vulture
