10 Film Sequels That Went In Wildly Different Directions

10. Halloween III: Season Of The Witch

Universal Pictures
Universal Pictures

Let's start with a clear cut case of a weird, wacked-out wild card of a movie. Up to 1982 John Carpenter's Halloween series was all about masked maniac Michael Myers and his vendetta against sister Laurie Strode. A second chapter picked up directly from where the first one left off. The results were about as rapturously received as a pumpkin pie full of maggots.

For Part III writer/director Tommy Lee Wallace worked under a whole other remit. Carpenter and co wanted the franchise to become a series of self-contained horror stories that would scare the world's pants off during broomstick season. So instead of returning to Myers a scenario was devised involving a factory of malevolent toys and living stones.

Despite the script being worked on by Nigel Kneale (Quatermass) and the showcasing of some genuine chills - such as the slaughter of a family during a bizarre experiment - the film got massacred by critics and gained cult status in later years. Too late for the money machine's liking: it's still spewing out Myers-heavy sequels today.

Contributor
Contributor

I am a journalist and comedian who enjoys American movies of the 70s, Amicus horror compendiums, Doctor Who, Twin Peaks, Naomi Watts and sitting down. My short fiction has been published as part of the Iris Wildthyme range from Obverse Books.