I feel I must defend this movie, even though I'm sure mine isn't the popular opinion in this case. I fondly recall seeing it in the theater when I was 7 years old, in 1982, and remember loving it even then. Sure, the plot has nothing to do with the original Halloween and its many sequels (as has been repeated here ad nauseum), but it's a charming little standalone film and deserves better reviews than it's been getting here! If this movie was not called "Halloween III" and had nothing to do with the Halloween franchise, would the reviews still be so bad? Possibly, but looking at the movie on its own, I can honestly say I've seen a thousand times worse than this. Half the complaints I see are that there's no Michael Meyers, Laurie Strode or Dr. Loomis in it… so what? The movie makes up for that with a decently creepy and unique plot, some rather disgusting scenes if you're even halfway squeamish, and some good old fashioned scenes where the not-so-jaded viewer might even jump.
The movie is classic – "Eight more days till Halloween, Halloween, Halloween… Eight more days till Halloween, Silver Shamrock!" That song is incredibly catchy, memorable to the point where you might find yourself singing it a week later, and is horrific in itself, because it's basically a sugar-coated countdown to mass murder! Don't forget the scarily amusing kids on TV, bopping to the beat, in special masks… Not to mention the bugs – perhaps I'm biased, as the only things that EVER affect me in horror movies are bugs… ugh. At any rate, I tend to think of this movie as at least one of my top 25 favorite horror movies of the 1980′s. It can be cheesy, but in the best way possible, and I know I'd certainly choose to watch this over some of the rather dismal, trendy 90′s "horror" movies, which have unfortunately gotten MUCH better reviews. I guess it's really all a matter of taste.
The movie never claimed to have Michael Meyers in it, so try not to feel so ripped off because you just assumed he'd be in it. If you watch the movie with an open mind, dim the lights and pop some popcorn, you might find that you'll actually enjoy it.
