[Archived] Halloween 3: Season of the Witch (1982) [Project: Celluloid — Regrade]

[LucasGodzilla]

So, it's been a while since I last did a regrade project, but since I've yet to receive hard drives for some other projects of mine to progress on those, I decided to rewind back to something from a while back that I stumbled on, which was an odd rip of a pan & scan transfer of Halloween 3 that showcased some very unique color timing that has never left my mind since I first stumbled onto it. As such, with a fair bit of time and effort in Resolve, Photoshop & Dr. Dre's, I would like to present you all...

PROJECT CELLULOID: Halloween III: Season Of The Witch

Now you all can experience the movie as how it was likely intended to have been presented back in the day with all of its heavy Cundey blues and darker, contrasty photochemical color scheme (though with the benefits of the 4K OCN transfer the Shout! BD). Still not 100% sure, but the only way to know for sure is to check out a 35mm print I guess, but I'm betting it'll look pretty much like this.

Keep in mind though, I wouldn't say it's perfect as there are some flaws that were sort of resultant of the shot-by-shot nature of the SD source's color timing, and since I decided to go at this scene-by-scene more often than not, I thought it was good enough to capture the atmosphere and intent. Furtherly, you will likely see some inconsistencies between environments at times (such as the motel nighttime exterior for example) as well as some off-looking skin tones as that's just how they looked on the SD source. Overall though, there shouldn't be anything that's deal-breaking and should provide you a fun, spooky watch—and in my opinion, it easily supercedes Shout! Factory blu-ray's vanilla flat and neutral color scheme.

In regards to what's included, I have only included subtitles and the dual-mono track provided by the Shout! Factory blu-ray. If you want to add in any of the commentary tracks or something, you're perfectly welcome to on your own as a sign of validation as to whether or not you own a legal copy of the movie since nothing has been altered runtime-wise. I did originally want to include some laserdisc track but it seems no one got to it yet unfortunately, but odds are the day one does get released, it'd probably easily sync up with this regrade as well.

If you would like a copy, shoot me a PM and I'll see what I can do! I'm not sure how long I can keep it uploaded since I will have to eventually make room for other projects, so if you want it, I recommend you get it now.

On a brief tangential note though, cause I'm curious about this possibly loaded question: How do y'all even feel about this black-sheep of a movie?

[pipefan413]

On a brief tangential note though, cause I'm curious about this possibly loaded question: How do y'all even feel about this black-sheep of a movie?

Well, the fact I'm rather excited about you doing this probably goes some way to answering that question.

It's my favourite Halloween film that isn't Halloween (1978)... although now that I'm saying that, I realise how low a bar that is, because they're more or less all terrible.

The main point of discomfort for me is the presentation of the sexual dynamic between two of the characters, which is a very "modern" worry to have. All the gratuitous splattery horror stuff and the fact it's probably an objectively pretty terrible film? No problem with any of that! It's schlock, but it's the sort of schlock that I love.

[PDB]

Very cool looking LG. Definitely want to give this one a look.

I’m a fan of it as the black sheep but still probably favor the original, 2 and 4 over it. I simply view it as a good, quirky horror film more than a Halloween series film if you catch my drift.

The color timing of this project looks much better than the official ones. Accurate or not it’s more interesting.

[pipefan413]

Accurate or not it’s more interesting.

EXACTLY.

And I can appreciate Halloween II as well but it always felt crippled by trying to be two different films at once. I actually rather like the heavily censored TV cut, purely on the basis of it not containing all the gore, which always felt like it was shoehorned in because it was... they hauled Carpenter in to reshoot a bunch of stuff because the success of Halloween had spawned a bunch of imitators that were all trying to one-up one another, so in order to "compete" HII had to go full pelt on the gore as well, even though the original film had been nothing like that to begin with (and that's one of the main things I admire about it, no matter what Carpenter says about that never being his intention from the outset). But Halloween III: Season of the Witch (which I still to this day think might have fared better had they just called it Halloween: Season of the Witch, without the III) feels like it has a clearly defined identity, even if that identity is wacky as hell.

But, y'know, that bit where "The Shape" lifts a nurse up by the knife handle and her clogs drop off is comedy gold, so that's a big tick in the "good" column.

[XanaxTheGreat]

Great project! I really like this movie. An underrated gem with an "Invasion of body snatchers" vibe.

[PDB]

Accurate or not it’s more interesting.

EXACTLY.

I've become more magnanimous in recent years. I use the put a lot of primacy on how 35mm prints look over anything else. That is how the film should look. Now we kind of know from things like TN1's Star Wars prints, that there is a lot of variation source to source.

35mm scans are still the most important color source we can hope for but now I just like any interesting or well thought regrade. A good example, is that my primary watching version of Halloween is still spoRv's THX regrade. I think we are pretty sure that its autumnal oranges and nightly dark blues are likely inaccurate but it just works better for the mood of the film.

With that said, I watch your H3 project last night LG and I thought it was great. Both an interesting and well thought regrade. Definitely, the best way to watch this film and my new default. Much like spoRv's THX, this color grade really "fits" the movie better. Its much more cinematic than the Shout releases. The blues did feel more Cundey but I will add the greens were strangely appropriate for a horror movie with Irish/Celtic roots.

And I can appreciate Halloween II as well but it always felt crippled by trying to be two different films at once. I actually rather like the heavily censored TV cut, purely on the basis of it not containing all the gore, which always felt like it was shoehorned in because it was... they hauled Carpenter in to reshoot a bunch of stuff because the success of Halloween had spawned a bunch of imitators that were all trying to one-up one another, so in order to "compete" HII had to go full pelt on the gore as well, even though the original film had been nothing like that to begin with (and that's one of the main things I admire about it, no matter what Carpenter says about that never being his intention from the outset).

I think we all can agree the original is the best and is just a great movie as is. It always been more Hitchcockian in feel than the slashers that it bore.

I'm trying to remember where I heard it but there was an interview with Rosenthal about how he tried to eschew the gore to keep the level of violence akin to the original. And the story about Carpenter's level of involvement changes, depending on who tells it. Sometimes he was very reluctant to film those additions, other times he was pushing for the gore. More in keeping with the times.

I've always viewed Carpenter as more active in the experience since that scenario does seem to run parallel to what he did on the Fog. Where by Carpenter's own account, the original cut of The Fog was slow and ponderous until he went and reshot the zombie inserts, "gore" and the campfire story.  H2 seems to be the exact same situation. Regardless, the gore scenes do stick out like a sore thumb, so I can understand your preference for the TV cut. But lets be honest, I'm going to lean towards in his prime Carpenter. Carpenter has directed some amazing films and Rosenthal directed Halloween: Resurrection...

All-in-all I still like H2. There are a lot of beautiful, interesting shots. The (almost vacant) hospital is an interesting location. Novel for the time at least. But most important, when I'm watching the original, its super easy just to keep going to H2 since it flows right into it.

I've always like H4 also. It's grossly inferior by every measure but its a good horror film to just sit down and watch on a cold, fall day. That needs a regrade of some sort. The 35mm pics I've seen are much more vibrate and punchy than any video transfer.

5, 6, Resurrection are just garbage. H20 isn't without charm but is saddled with that Dimension/Scream era look and feel. Not a bad thing but not always good. Anyway 2018 was much more effective in the revisit the past story.

But, y'know, that bit where "The Shape" lifts a nurse up by the knife handle and her clogs drop off is comedy gold, so that's a big tick in the "good" column.

I do laugh at the slipping on the blood scene but I have a gallows sense of humor.

But Halloween III: Season of the Witch (which I still to this day think might have fared better had they just called it Halloween: Season of the Witch, without the III) feels like it has a clearly defined identity, even if that identity is wacky as hell.

Season of the Witch really doesn't even work as there isn't really a witch. Hell with Stonehenge, lasers, computer chips, bugs, Irish myths, robots and Tom Atkins, Halloween is the only title that seems to work . It's more Halloween than Halloween.

[Tylerdurden389]

- Halloween 3: The mystery of Stonehendge
- Halloween 3: Stonehedge's Silver Shamrock
- Halloween 3: Stonehedge, Shamrock, and the 'stache.

[PDB]

- Halloween 3: Stonehedge's Silver Shamrock
- Halloween 3: Stonehedge, Shamrock, and the 'stache.

I indoctrinated my kids with them singing that song every Halloween and they don't even know the source. That's either the best parenting around or the worst. You decide

[pipefan413]

the gore scenes do stick out like a sore thumb, so I can understand your preference for the TV cut. But lets be honest, I'm going to lean towards in his prime Carpenter. Carpenter has directed some amazing films and Rosenthal directed Halloween: Resurrection...

Hahaha... yeeeeeah.

True story: first (and possibly last) time I saw Resurrection was on TV at like 4 in the morning or something on Halloween night. I had missed the very start but caught the rest of it and this was before I had any kind of modern TV system that showed you what was on, so I had no idea it was Halloween: Resurrection and juts assumed it was a Scary Movie sequel or something like that. As the film progressed I was increasingly confused that it was focusing so much on the one baddie, and it was only when the credits rolled that I found out it was actually meant to be a genuine Halloween series instalment. I was horrified for a moment then had to exert considerable physical effort to stifle that very specific sort of hysterical laughter that only comes as a result of genuinely astonished disbelief, because it was just about sunrise by that point and I didn't want to wake everybody up laughing at a bad film.

I do laugh at the slipping on the blood scene but I have a gallows sense of humor.

That's a belter, yes. Incidentally, that's one of the things changed in the TV cut! They try to pass the blood skid off as him falling over because of an explosion, instead of that he slipped on blood. Because it was too much blood for TV, I guess...

Season of the Witch really doesn't even work as there isn't really a witch. Hell with Stonehenge, lasers, computer chips, bugs, Irish myths, robots and Tom Akins, Halloween is the only title that seems to work . It's more Halloween than Halloween.

True. Although more often than anybody probably should, I wonder how different the horror landscape might be today if they had stuck with "The Babysitter Murders" for the first one... we probably wouldn't have a Friday the 13th, or a Scream, or any number of other things, hahah.


Anyway, sorry, I digress. I'm excited to watch the HIII regrade, it looks great.

[Xyberfaust]

I absolutely love this movie.  It's my favorite of the original Halloween series next to Halloween 5 (The Revenge Of Michael Myers).