VHS Vault: Halloween III: Season of the Witch (1982)

"The night no one comes home." 

Just when you thought you knew what Halloween meant, you pull this tape off the shelf and realize, wait, where’s Michael Myers? 

Halloween III: Season of the Witch is the black sheep of the franchise, the one that traded butcher knives for killer masks and ancient tech-magic mayhem. 

It’s pure early-80s weirdness: flashing pumpkins, sinister jingles, and a dash of sci-fi conspiracy that could only come from a VHS horror shelf in 1982.

Vault Fact File

• Title: Halloween III: Season of the Witch
• Year: 1982
• Director: Tommy Lee Wallace
• Runtime: 98 minutes
• Rating: R
• Tagline(s): “The night no one comes home.”
• Studio / Distribution: Universal Pictures
• Cast: Tom Atkins, Stacey Nelkin, Dan O’Herlihy
• Fun Fact: This was the only entry in the Halloween series without Michael Myers — producer John Carpenter wanted to turn the franchise into an anthology series of unrelated Halloween tales.
• Extra Trivia: The Silver Shamrock jingle was inspired by “London Bridge Is Falling Down” and intentionally made to be maddeningly catchy — mission accomplished.
• Legacy: Once booed for ditching the Shape, it’s now a cult favorite for fans of retro tech-horror and synth soundtracks.

⏪ Rewind or Fast Forward?

Rewind. It’s the Halloween sequel that dared to be different — and while it confused fans in 1982, it’s aged into one of the most bizarrely lovable cult films in horror history. Between the factory robots, exploding pumpkin masks, and that hypnotic TV broadcast, this one’s worth a spooky season rewatch. Just… don’t put on the mask.

⚡ Watch It

Currently streaming on Peacock and available to rent or buy on Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV, and Vudu. Also part of several Halloween Collection Blu-ray box sets for the hardcore collectors.

Official Trailer for Halloween III: Season of the Witch

Back to the Vault: Still humming that Silver Shamrock tune? Check out our last tape, The Fly (1986), and keep the weirdness going in the VHS Vault.