HALLOWEEN III: SEASON OF THE WITCH

Stacey Nelkin and Tom Atkins

HALLOWEEN III: SEASON OF THE WITCH (1982). Written and directed by Tommy Lee Wallace. 

When her father is murdered under very strange circumstances, Ellie Grimbridge (Stacey Nelkin) teams up with Dr. Daniel Chalis (Tom Atkins) to discover the truth. Their investigation takes them to the town of Santa Mira -- a reference to Invasion of the Body Snatchers -- where the elder Grimbridge bought Halloween masks from the Silver Shamrock company, a firm run by one Conal Cochran (Dan O'Herlihy). What the couple uncover is a bizarre plot that encompasses a stolen slab from Stonehenge, a bunch of homicidal, super-strong robots, and colorful masks with highly unusual  -- and deadly -- properties. 

Dan O'Herlihy

The third installment in the Halloween franchise did away with Michael Myers and Jamie Lee Curtis and brought in British sci-fi author Nigel Kneale (and others) for something entirely different and possibly bleaker than a mere slasher film. True, there have been other films with sinister conspiracies, strange small towns, weird corporations and the like but it still adds up to something more interesting than Michael Myers on a rampage. One could argue that Halloween III is not the most logical of films, but it is creepy and entertaining, with a decidedly downbeat conclusion. The actors are all good, and O'Herlihy is simply superb. There are some gruesome make-up effects in this and some ghoulish bits of business as well. 

NOTE: Tommy Lee Wallace has just come out with a book entitled Halloween 3:"Where the Hell is Michael Myers?" The Definitive History of Horror's Most Misunderstood Film from BearManor Media. 

Verdict: Another fine O'Herlihy performance in a notably odd horror film. ***. 

SWORD OF VENUS

"catfight" at the Black Cat tavern: Clarke, Stapp, De Marco

SWORD OF VENUS (1953). Director: Harold Daniels.

Robert Dantes (Robert Clarke) is the gal-and-life loving son of Alexander Dumas' famous Count of Monte Cristo, who got revenge on those who had him falsely convicted and confined. Now some of these enemies, especially Baron Danglars (Dan O'Herlihy), want to get even with the Count via a diabolical plot to frame his son and steal the family fortune. At first Claire (Catherine McLeod) goes along with the scheme to entrap Robert, but later her conscience gets the better of her. Nevertheless Danglars forces her to continue, along with certain associates, such as the drunken lawyer Valmont (William Schallert). Sentenced to hard labor in a rock quarry, how can Robert get his life back?  

Robert Clarke and Marjorie Stapp

Robert Clarke is best-known for a number of low-budget sci fi films, but he did work in other genres, including this sequel to "The Count of Monte Cristo." It has many of the diabolical twists and turns of Dumas' original book, but the film itself is only moderately successful. Both Clarke and especially Dan O'Herlihy, marvelously underplaying in a most sinister fashion, give good performances, along with the rest of the cast, but a certain intensity and panache is missing. The liveliest sequence is when Robert takes the married Countess Lily (Marjorie Stapp) to the notorious Black Cat tavern, where she gets into a catfight with the dancer Suzette (Renee De Marco). The two really give each other some good whacks! 

Verdict: Minor-league historical melodrama with some good performances and a zesty "catfight." **1/2. 

SCIENCE FICTION CONFIDENTIAL: Interviews with 23 Monster Stars and Filmmakers. Tom Weaver. McFarland; 2002. 

Tom Weaver has assembled another crop of interviews with old time actors, producers etc. who at one point or another were involved with genre films, especially science fiction. Many of the names in this book are really obscure: Phoebe Dorin, who did a nightclub act and appeared on The Wild, Wild West with diminutive Michael Dunn; Russ Doughton, who produced The Blob, but there are a couple of more familiar names such as Dan O'Herlihy (who doesn't quite seem to belong in this book), David Hedison of The Fly and Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea, and Warren Stevens of Forbidden Planet fame. Not to mention prolific producers Richard and Alex Gordon. Speaking of The Blob, people involved with that production don't seem to be aware of earlier "blob" films such as The Creeping Unknown and Caltiki, the Immortal Monster (or just didn't want to admit it was a rip-off). Some of these people had genuine careers while others had only a brief flirtation with crazy "show biz." Some, like the very talented Jacqueline Scott [Macabre], have long careers without ever becoming quite famous. In any case, their stories are almost always interesting. 

Verdict: More interviews with a couple of greats and many not-so-great. ***.