Film Festival Reviews

2022 Fantastic Fest Film Review: “The Third Saturday In October Part V” Tries, But Fails, To Emulate Carpenter’s Classic “Halloween”


 

Follows an implacable killer as he stalks and butchers the occupants of multiple homes across the stretch of one lone country road while the residents prepare to watch a yearly college football bout.

The problem with a homage is getting it right. Many movies pay tribute to the horror films of the ’70s and ’80s, but it takes more than just following in a filmmaker’s shoes and copying their work and then passing it off as your own.

As a kid of the ’70s and ’80s myself, my favorite horror filmmaker was always John Carpenter. The one movie of his I would have loved to have remade myself when I was younger was “The Fog.” The film, especially seen through today’s eyes, is not very scary, but it is atmospheric, much like Tobe Hooper’s “Poltergeist.” Growing up in Ireland, the country was brimming with ghost stories and fog that would occasionally roll in along the eastern coastline, and having Carpenter’s soundtrack made it even more creepy, so I get the whole idea of wanting to make a movie and wanting to pay homage to a filmmaker who inspired you to make films in the first place.

In the case of “The Third Saturday in October Part V,” director Jay Burleson was also heavily inspired by John Carpenter; even his poster and credits utilize the ITC Serif Gothic Heavy font used on Carpenter’s original artwork for “Halloween” and its subsequent sequels. The story’s central antagonist also wears a mask to hide his identity and prefers killing his victims with a knife. And the events occur close to Halloween, so it is evident that Burleson is channeling “Halloween.” Nothing wrong with that, except he never once tries to write a screenplay that intrigues; instead, he copies and pastes the overall basic outline from Carpenter’s masterpiece and presents it to us as his.

A killer by the name of Jakkariah “Jack” Harding disappeared from town seven years ago, but now he is back and doing what he does best; killing people. Along a lonely stretch of country road, Jakkariah enters the houses of its occupants and murders them mercilessly before ending up at a house filled with teenagers. Before the night is over, he will come face to face with the unlikeliest of heroes, one who might just put an end, once and for all, to his reign of terror.

To make a good homage, you need to make a good film. Edgar Wright’s Three Flavours Cornetto trilogy (“Shaun of the Dead,” “Hot Fuzz,” and “The World’s End”) worked because Wright didn’t just pay homage to their respective genres; zombie, buddy cop action comedy, and science fiction, he created likable characters and functioning storylines that took place within the confines of said genres. He didn’t just steal Romero’s “Dawn of the Dead” or Richard Donner’s “Lethal Weapon,” he paid homage to those particular frameworks but created his own story within them. “The Third Saturday in October Part V” is basically “Halloween” but made by an apparent die-hard fan with enduring love and respect for that movie.

While I am very aware that it is, in many ways, also a parody, the acting by most of the cast is downright amateur. Again, if you want to make a horror film, create believable characters and scenarios with which your audience can connect. When the killer grabs a slice of hot pizza and smashes it into one of his victim’s faces, she runs around the kitchen table, her arms flailing hysterically, and all you’re missing is the Benny Hill music. If this is supposed to be a love letter to John Carpenter and your revered admiration for his 1978 classic, try to make a film that could stand next to it, or at least close to it. The movie alternates between seriousness and unintentional humor, and in the end, neither works. Pick a style and stick with it; at least that way, the audience knows what to expect.

The visual quality of “The Third Saturday in October Part V” is top-notch, with cinematographer Chris Hilleke framing his shots much as Carpenter did in “Halloween,” utilizing extreme wide images filled with elements that add to the tension and unease of any given scene. The music is also reminiscent of many horror films from that era, with a nod to Angelo Badalamenti’s score for David Lynch’s “Twin Peaks.” While I give director Jay Burleson kudos for making his movie and for his captivating and timeframe-specific artwork, sadly, the finished product doesn’t live up to its own hype, but I eagerly await Mr. Burleson’s next film and hope he will deliver what he appears to be fully capable of.

 

“The Third Saturday in October Part V” recently premiered online at Fantastic Fest @ Home, the virtual companion to Fantastic Fest

 

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James McDonald

Originally from Dublin, Ireland, James is a Movie Critic with 40 years of experience in the film industry as an Award-Winning Filmmaker. He is also a member of the Critics Choice Association and the Dallas-Fort Worth Film Critics Association.