History Film / HalloweenIIISeasonOfTheWitch

* AdultFear: The entire evil plot aims to kill millions of perfectly innocent children across the United States, in just about as grotesque a way imaginable, using the very masks their parents have bought for them to enjoy. Talk about a lifetime of seriously messed-up, misplaced guilt and truly horrific nightmares.

* HumanSacrifice: Make that sacrifice'''s'''. [[spoiler:'''Millions''' of them... almost all children.]]

* WhatHappenedToTheMouse: Was Ellie [[spoiler:always a robot, or captured and replaced by one in Cochran's factory? If the latter, what happened to the ''real'' Ellie -- did Cochran kill her, was she killed when the factory burned down, or did she escape? Evidence makes it seems more likely that it was the latter; the real robots weren't very talkative, but Ellie early on was quite animated, and was bound to go to the factory. It's probable that Ellie was real until she saw her father's car, and was seen being forced into the factory by other robots shortly thereafter. Notice how Ellie never spoke from the moment that she was "rescued"? The ''ad hoc'' robot Ellie was Cochran's last little joke - and assurance that Challis would die no matter what happened in the factory. Ellie was most likely... disposed of.]]

'''Cochran:''' To us, it was a way of controlling our environment. It's not so different now! ... In the end, we don't decide these things, you know. The planets do. They're in alignment...and it's time again. The world's going to change tonight, Doctor. I'm glad you'll be able to watch it...

* CruelAndUnusualDeath: Several. [[spoiler:Cochran's robots]] have several very nasty and creative ways of killing their targets, including [[ThisIsADrill power drills]], crushing their nasal passages to suffocate, and simply [[OffWithHisHead ripping people's heads off]]. Plus what happens to Marge when [[spoiler:one of Cochran's magic mask seals misfires]] in her face. The ultimate has to be Buddy and his family, though, when [[spoiler:a test mask executes its MagiTek spell and slowly destroys his kid before his eyes...then releases venomous snakes to do the same to him and his wife.]]

* DarkerAndEdgier: Until the [[Film/Halloween2007 Rob Zombie reboot of Halloween]], this was the only film in the ''Halloween'' series where the stakes were raised which involves the plot to murder of all of the children of the United States because the stars were in alignment, being very BloodierAndGorier (surpassing its [[Film/HalloweenII1981 predecessor]] in violence), and all the deaths fell under a cruel and unusual level of brutality.
* DeathOfAChild: Conal Cochran plans to murder children on Halloween night. [[spoiler: A kid dies onscreen when Conal activates the curse on the mask]].

* EarWorm: The Silver Shamrock song. It plays all throughout the film on television and radio, and kids sing along to it. Dr. Challis complains about it, saying "It just won't stop", proving it's intended to be seen as this InUniverse.

* FakeShemp: Garn Stephens refused to wear the prosthetic mask during the misfire scene. So a body double was used to complete the scene.

* FieryCoverup: Cochran's agent, [[spoiler:an android]], kills Harry Grimbridge and then strolls into the parking lot, douses himself in gasoline in his car, and explodes. That brings in a lot of police attention beyond the single murder and sets Harry's daughter Ellie and Dr. Challis on the case to follow up on the Silver Shamrock mask harry was clutching when he came into the hospital.

-->'''Challis:''' Why, Cochran... why?\\
'''Cochran:''' Mr. Kupfer was right, you know. I do love a good joke, and this is the best ever, [[spoiler:a joke on the ''children'']]. But there's a better reason! ... It was the start of the year in our old Celtic lands and we'd be waiting...the barriers would be down, you see, between the real and the unreal. And the dead might be looking in, to sit by our fires of turf. Halloween - the festival of ''Samhain.'' The last great one was three thousand years ago and the hills ran ''red'' with the blood of animals [[spoiler:and children]].

* CoversAlwaysLie: Are you wondering what that freaky demonic face is on the cover? We have no idea, either, because it doesn't show up in the movie.

* AdultFear: The entire evil plot aims to kill millions of perfectly innocent children across the United States, in just about as grotesque a way imaginable, using the very masks their parents have bought for them to enjoy. Talk about a lifetime of seriously messed-up, misplaced guilt.

* AdultFear: The entire evil plot aims to kill millions of perfectly innocent children across the United States, in just about as grotesque a way imaginable, using the very masks their parents have bought for them. Talk about a lifetime of seriously messed-up, misplaced guilt.

* AdultFear: The entire evil plot aims to kill hundreds if not thousands of perfectly innocent children, in just about as grotesque a way imaginable, using the very masks their parents have bought for them. Talk about a lifetime of seriously messed-up, misplaced guilt.

* AdultFear: The entire evil plot aims to kill hundreds if not thousands of perfectly innocent children, in just about as grotesque a way imaginable.

* KarmaHoudini: Conal Cochran. [[spoiler:Challis triggers the block of Stonehenge; Cochran is caught in the middle of the detonation and disappears; the factory burns down around him. His ultimate fate is uncertain, but even if the Stonehenge blast vaporizes him, his plan still goes off and his fate was far kinder than those of his victims.]]

* LaserGuidedKarma: Quite literally. Starker the town drunk gets murdered by Cochran's goons after ranting that he's going to burn the factory down. Later on, Challis destroys the henchmen with their laser chips, before the stonehenge Cochran pilfered roars to life and obliterates him. And ''then'' the factory burns down. Seems Starker got his own "good joke."

A week before Halloween, Dr. Dan Challis (Creator/TomAtkins) gets called in to treat Harry Grimbridge, a horribly beaten toy salesman with a Halloween mask in a death grip who mumbles ominous warnings in Challis' presence. It gets stranger from there -- one of the salesman's assailants breaks in, murders Harry, then sets himself on fire. Challis teams up with the man's daughter, Ellie (Creator/StaceyNelkin), to unravel the mystery; the trail leads them to the town of Santa Mira, which serves as the home of the Silver Shamrock Novelty Company. Ellie's father had recently visited the company to pick up a shipment of their popular Halloween masks -- masks like the one Harry had in his hands the night he died. While investigating the town, Dan and Ellie discover that Silver Shamrock's CEO, Conal Cochran (Creator/DanOHerlihy), has nefarious plans in the works... and that Harry's death served as a warning of things to come this Halloween season.

[[caption-width-right:300: ''"It's almost time kids. The clock is ticking. Be in front of your TV sets for the Horror-Thon. And do remember the big giveaway at 9. Don't miss it, and don't forget to wear your masks. The clock is ticking. It's almost time..."'']]

* DownerEnding: [[spoiler:Challis succeeds in getting the commercial pulled from two channels, but it plays on a third. Thus, [[TheBadGuyWins Cochran's plan ultimately succeeds,]] resulting in the probable deaths of millions of children.

* DownerEnding: [[spoiler:Challis succeeds in getting the commercial pulled from two channels, but it plays on a third. Thus, [[TheBadGuyWins Cochran's plan ultimately succeeds,]] resulting in the probable deaths of millions of children. Worse, he was in the Pacific Time Zone (see FridgeLogic) so the commercial likely already had played in three other time zones while he was still battling Cochran in his factory.]]

[[TheOneWith The one]] without Michael Myers.

* GoOutWithASmile: [[spoiler:Cochran]] still smiles despite being tricked by the protagonist.

[[caption-width-right:300: ''It's almost time kids. The clock is ticking. Be in front of your TV sets for the Horror-Thon. And do remember the big giveaway at 9. Don't miss it, and don't forget to wear your masks. The clock is ticking. It's almost time...'']]

[[caption-width-right:300: ''It's almost time kids. The clock is ticking. Be in front of your TV sets for the Horror-Thon. And do remember the big giveaway at 9. Don't miss it, and don't forget to wear your masks. The clock is ticking. It’s almost time...'']]

A week before Halloween, Dr. Dan Challis (Creator/TomAtkins) gets called in to treat Harry Grimbridge, a horribly beaten toy salesman with a Halloween mask in a death grip who mumbles ominous warnings in Challis' presence. It gets stranger from there -- one of the salesman's assailants breaks in, murders Harry, then sets himself on fire. Challis teams up with the man's daughter, Ellie (Stacey Nelkin), to unravel the mystery; the trail leads them to the town of Santa Mira, which serves as the home of the Silver Shamrock Novelty Company. Ellie's father had recently visited the company to pick up a shipment of their popular Halloween masks -- masks like the one Harry had in his hands the night he died. While investigating the town, Dan and Ellie discover that Silver Shamrock's CEO, Conal Cochran (Creator/DanOHerlihy), has nefarious plans in the works... and that Harry's death served as a warning of things to come this Halloween season.

''Halloween III: Season of the Witch'' -- the red-headed stepchild of the ''Franchise/{{Halloween}}'' franchise -- came about when producer Creator/JohnCarpenter decided to transform the series into a yearly {{anthology}} of films centered around various aspects of [[UsefulNotes/AllHallowsEve Halloween]]. This installment, released in 1982, attempted to accomplish the task, but ended up meeting with a massive backlash from a fanbase hungry for more Michael Myers following the success of ''Film/{{Halloween II|1981}}''.

A week before Halloween, Dr. Dan Challis (Tom Atkins) gets called in to treat Harry Grimbridge, a horribly beaten toy salesman with a Halloween mask in a death grip who mumbles ominous warnings in Challis' presence. It gets stranger from there -- one of the salesman's assailants breaks in, murders Harry, then sets himself on fire. Challis teams up with the man's daughter, Ellie (Stacey Nelkin), to unravel the mystery; the trail leads them to the town of Santa Mira, which serves as the home of the Silver Shamrock Novelty Company. Ellie's father had recently visited the company to pick up a shipment of their popular Halloween masks -- masks like the one Harry had in his hands the night he died. While investigating the town, Dan and Ellie discover that Silver Shamrock's CEO, Conal Cochran (Creator/DanOHerlihy), has nefarious plans in the works... and that Harry's death served as a warning of things to come this Halloween season.

* {{Fanservice}}: After Challis and Ellie begin a relationship upon arriving at Santa Mira, Ellie at one point dons a revealing black nightie. Challis and Ellie also have a brief sex scene in which he pulls her nightie down, although nothing explicit is shown.

** Santa Mira is the name of the town in ''Film/InvasionOfTheBodySnatchers1956''. Fitting, no?

* WhatDoYouMeanItsForKids: [[InUniverse In-Universe]] example. Despite Cochran intending for his horror marathon to be watched by children, the original ''Film/{{Halloween|1978}}'' is stated to be in their lineup. Even if it is [[{{Bowdlerization}} edited for television]], how many parents would allow their kids to watch an R-rated movie?
* WhatHappenedToTheMouse: Was Ellie [[spoiler:always a robot, or captured and replaced by one in Cochran's factory? If the latter, what happened to the ''real'' Ellie -- did Cochran kill her, was she killed when the factory burned down, or did she escape?]]
** [[spoiler:The real robots weren't very talkative, but Ellie early on was quite animated, and was bound to go to the factory. It's probable that Ellie was real until she saw her father's car, and was seen being forced into the factory by other robots shortly thereafter. Notice how Ellie never spoke from the moment that she was "rescued"? The ''ad hoc'' robot Ellie was Cochran's last little joke - and assurance that Challis would die no matter what happened in the factory. Ellie was most likely... disposed of.]]