Halloween III: Season of the Witch has nothing to do with any of the other films in the Halloween series, which may predispose fans to dislike it. But this schlock is plenty bad enough to be disliked all on its own.

A quick plot synopsis is all I need to substantiate myself. It seems a megalomaniac has stolen Stonehenge so he and his android minions can put pieces of it into microchips which can be hidden in Halloween masks. Then, on Halloween, the chips will be activated by a television commercial, which will cause lasers to shoot through people's heads, which, in turn, cause spiders and snakes to crawl out of their mouths. Sound stupid? Pay close attention to your first impression.

The scheme is uncovered via giant leaps in logic. The story's progression alternates between absurdity and exploitation; the gore is unnecessary and sickening. The hero's battle with an android is laughable. The open-ended conclusion poses a number of questions -- but not the one the filmmakers were trying to ask.

I suspect this movie was an attempt to turn Halloween into more of a brand name than a series of related films. Obviously that didn't work, and Michael Myers returns in the next series entry. Viewers of the series are strongly advised to skip this one; you won't miss out on anything, and it shouldn't have been part of the series in the first place.