THE THIRD SATURDAY IN OCTOBER (RELEASED 1980) This is where it all started! The series began in 1979 as a quick cash-in on John Carpenter's HALLOWEEN. Series producer Frank Crafts, an Alabama native, believed he had a great idea for a horror film with Southern roots - what if HALLOWEEN were set in the South, and instead of a traditional holiday, it centered around a Southern institution: college football. The result culminated in a charming small-town slasher film revolving around a group of friends watching an annual football match between the Alabama-Mobile Seahawks and the Tennessee A&M Commonwealth. Unfortunately for them, an unstoppable killer named Jakkariah Harding shows up to murder them one by one. “Part I” is remembered for its offbeat sensibilities and gritty low budget execution, as well as for introducing cinemagoers to lovable characters such as Ricky Dean, Vicki Newton, and the soft and sweet final girl, Heather Hill. The series would go on to churn out content for 20 years and would lean heavily on the aforementioned characters to keep the franchise afloat. Part I also locked in the creative partnership between series creators Frank Crafts, Jay Burleson, and Ian Cunningham. THE THIRD SATURDAY IN OCTOBER PART II (RELEASED 1983) In the fall of 1982, series producer Frank Crafts reunited much of the original Third Saturday in October production team to deliver Part II for an October 1983 release. The story focused on the Cuddy family, devout Christians living in a rural farmhouse. The undead killer Jakkariah Harding returns and begins dispatching victims, drawing closer and closer to the Cuddy home... but when he arrives at the home, he discovers the Cuddy family are up against a sinister force that is just as dangerous as he is. In general, audiences remember the film for its extensive final fight scene, which in many ways left movie-goers cheering for Harding. Die hard Third Saturday fans believe it sticks out like a sore thumb when put up against the typical ‘80s slasher fare, and particularly when compared to other entries from its own franchise. Some fans were spellbound by its strange, measured energy but others felt it spent too much time trying to be Tender Mercies before finally delivering on the promise of a "dead teenager" film. It also only glossed over the events of Part I, featuring a brief update on the survivors, which in some ways felt tacked on. Part II was the first film in the series to introduce the "story within a story" angle, this time by way of a true crime novel written about the events of Part I, titled It Happened on the Third Saturday in October. This book series and a subsequent in-universe film franchise based on the book would become staples of the franchise in the future. THE THIRD SATURDAY IN OCTOBER PART III (1985) The meager box office success of Part II in 1983 was enough to put a sequel into production in the fall of 1984. The franchise found continued success among the growing tide of video rental stores across the country, and producer Frank Crafts was eager to solidify the franchise by steering it in a concrete direction. In his mind, the franchise needed memorable heroes as much as it needed a star slasher killer. While Part II did push Harding forward as a bonafide slasher icon, the franchise looked to return to its roots by focusing the story on the survivors of Part I, namely Heather Hill, Ricky Dean, and Vicki Newton. Part III also gave the series its first and only major location change, as most of the story is centered on Heather Hill attending the University of Alabama-Mobile. This meant the game between the Seahawks and Commonwealth took center stage, but it also presented problems from a production standpoint. While it's true that the film features some of the bigger set pieces within the franchise, most of the action takes place in dorm rooms, locker rooms, or hospitals. Full of chase scenes, jump scares, and ramped up violence, the body count is also outrageous when compared to other slashers of its time. Fans that love it really sing its praises, but it left some in the audience missing the tender examination of family dynamics that had been a throughline for the first two entries. While those elements are present in the finished film, it is worth noting that Parts II and III took the series to much darker places, and left many in the audience missing the unique sweetness of Part I. It is also remembered for its final jump scare, which attempted to outclass Friday the 13th and Carrie, but ultimately only surpassed those classics in the pure absurdity of it all. THE THIRD SATURDAY IN OCTOBER PART IV (RELEASED 1987) "Part IV" is widely regarded to be the worst entry in the franchise. It was panned by critics and audiences alike for its excessive use of violence and nudity. Every bad thing ever written about an ‘80s slasher is featured in "Part IV,” even though it's anchored by a final girl who breaks all the rules of the label. Most of the action is centered around a cheerleader camp full of characters more fit for a prison. Chock full of on-the-nose commentary about nudity in horror films, an examination of character tropes (you'll never see more screaming naked men than in this film!), and one of the most outlandish portrayals of Harding one could imagine (along with the weirdest mask of the franchise), "Part IV" is one of the most fully realized cinematic visions in the series. This is also the one where Harding wears a green velvet suit... THE THIRD SATURDAY IN OCTOBER: OFF THE BONE (RELEASED 1990) Longtime series producer Ian Cunningham took over the franchise after 1987's "Part IV" and - against the wishes of his partners - decided that the franchise needed to completely abandon Harding and move on to new territory after the disastrous response to Harding's cheerleader rampage. Cunningham leaned on the Southern roots of the story while conjuring up a new way to generate scares and bloodshed: small-town politics. A growing contingent of fans insist this is the real "Part V," and Cunningham has been all too happy to fan the flames, much to the chagrin of Burleson and Crafts. THE THIRD SATURDAY IN OCTOBER PART V (RELEASED 1995) Filmed in 1994, "Part V" saw the return of the original producers and director after the trio endured multiple falling outs from 1987 through the early ‘90s. Burleson, Crafts, and Cunningham were on the same page with the plan to relaunch Harding as a slasher icon, and they agreed that "Part V" should be a complete departure from Harding's last outing. The team embraced humor and leaned into the low budget with an eye on appealing to a younger, more mainstream audience. The film was conceptualized as a return to theaters for the franchise, but reality saw the film dropped directly to video in the summer of 1995 following a debut screening on cable TV for Valentine's Day, of all dates. Despite a rocky initial release, diehard fan interest soon had the team forging ahead with ideas for a final installment. THE THIRD SATURDAY IN OCTOBER PART VI (RELEASED 2000) Ultimately produced as an "H20" cash-in in 1999, "Part VI" wasn't released until summer 2000 and suffered the fate of being a few films too late to cash in on the post-"Scream" slasher resurgence. However, the late ‘90s slasher influence is all over "Part VI," starting with it being devised as a “20 years later” reunion film. The film also digs into meta commentary and allows series veteran Darius Willis to return with his most memorable portrayal of Ricky Dean. He returns to protect Part V survivor PJ Miller, who is now 14 and trying to put her life together after the attack in “Part V”. Full of series callbacks and returning characters, "Part VI" also sends the franchise out on a high note by staying true to its original DNA. It fuses the crowd-pleasing horror elements with the tenderness of an early Linklater film, and ironically enough became a fan favorite on home video while introducing the "Third Saturday" series to a new audience, just in time for the franchise to virtually vanish from the face of the earth.
This is where it all started! The series began in 1979 as a quick cash-in on John Carpenter's HALLOWEEN. Series producer Frank Crafts, an Alabama native, believed he had a great idea for a horror film with Southern roots - what if HALLOWEEN were set in the South, and instead of a traditional holiday, it centered around a Southern institution: college football. The result culminated in a charming small-town slasher film revolving around a group of friends watching an annual football match between the Alabama-Mobile Seahawks and the Tennessee A&M Commonwealth. Unfortunately for them, an unstoppable killer named Jakkariah Harding shows up to murder them one by one. “Part I” is remembered for its offbeat sensibilities and gritty low budget execution, as well as for introducing cinemagoers to lovable characters such as Ricky Dean, Vicki Newton, and the soft and sweet final girl, Heather Hill. The series would go on to churn out content for 20 years and would lean heavily on the aforementioned characters to keep the franchise afloat. Part I also locked in the creative partnership between series creators Frank Crafts, Jay Burleson, and Ian Cunningham.
THE THIRD SATURDAY IN OCTOBER PART II (RELEASED 1983) In the fall of 1982, series producer Frank Crafts reunited much of the original Third Saturday in October production team to deliver Part II for an October 1983 release. The story focused on the Cuddy family, devout Christians living in a rural farmhouse. The undead killer Jakkariah Harding returns and begins dispatching victims, drawing closer and closer to the Cuddy home... but when he arrives at the home, he discovers the Cuddy family are up against a sinister force that is just as dangerous as he is. In general, audiences remember the film for its extensive final fight scene, which in many ways left movie-goers cheering for Harding. Die hard Third Saturday fans believe it sticks out like a sore thumb when put up against the typical ‘80s slasher fare, and particularly when compared to other entries from its own franchise. Some fans were spellbound by its strange, measured energy but others felt it spent too much time trying to be Tender Mercies before finally delivering on the promise of a "dead teenager" film. It also only glossed over the events of Part I, featuring a brief update on the survivors, which in some ways felt tacked on. Part II was the first film in the series to introduce the "story within a story" angle, this time by way of a true crime novel written about the events of Part I, titled It Happened on the Third Saturday in October. This book series and a subsequent in-universe film franchise based on the book would become staples of the franchise in the future. THE THIRD SATURDAY IN OCTOBER PART III (1985) The meager box office success of Part II in 1983 was enough to put a sequel into production in the fall of 1984. The franchise found continued success among the growing tide of video rental stores across the country, and producer Frank Crafts was eager to solidify the franchise by steering it in a concrete direction. In his mind, the franchise needed memorable heroes as much as it needed a star slasher killer. While Part II did push Harding forward as a bonafide slasher icon, the franchise looked to return to its roots by focusing the story on the survivors of Part I, namely Heather Hill, Ricky Dean, and Vicki Newton. Part III also gave the series its first and only major location change, as most of the story is centered on Heather Hill attending the University of Alabama-Mobile. This meant the game between the Seahawks and Commonwealth took center stage, but it also presented problems from a production standpoint. While it's true that the film features some of the bigger set pieces within the franchise, most of the action takes place in dorm rooms, locker rooms, or hospitals. Full of chase scenes, jump scares, and ramped up violence, the body count is also outrageous when compared to other slashers of its time. Fans that love it really sing its praises, but it left some in the audience missing the tender examination of family dynamics that had been a throughline for the first two entries. While those elements are present in the finished film, it is worth noting that Parts II and III took the series to much darker places, and left many in the audience missing the unique sweetness of Part I. It is also remembered for its final jump scare, which attempted to outclass Friday the 13th and Carrie, but ultimately only surpassed those classics in the pure absurdity of it all. THE THIRD SATURDAY IN OCTOBER PART IV (RELEASED 1987) "Part IV" is widely regarded to be the worst entry in the franchise. It was panned by critics and audiences alike for its excessive use of violence and nudity. Every bad thing ever written about an ‘80s slasher is featured in "Part IV,” even though it's anchored by a final girl who breaks all the rules of the label. Most of the action is centered around a cheerleader camp full of characters more fit for a prison. Chock full of on-the-nose commentary about nudity in horror films, an examination of character tropes (you'll never see more screaming naked men than in this film!), and one of the most outlandish portrayals of Harding one could imagine (along with the weirdest mask of the franchise), "Part IV" is one of the most fully realized cinematic visions in the series. This is also the one where Harding wears a green velvet suit... THE THIRD SATURDAY IN OCTOBER: OFF THE BONE (RELEASED 1990) Longtime series producer Ian Cunningham took over the franchise after 1987's "Part IV" and - against the wishes of his partners - decided that the franchise needed to completely abandon Harding and move on to new territory after the disastrous response to Harding's cheerleader rampage. Cunningham leaned on the Southern roots of the story while conjuring up a new way to generate scares and bloodshed: small-town politics. A growing contingent of fans insist this is the real "Part V," and Cunningham has been all too happy to fan the flames, much to the chagrin of Burleson and Crafts. THE THIRD SATURDAY IN OCTOBER PART V (RELEASED 1995) Filmed in 1994, "Part V" saw the return of the original producers and director after the trio endured multiple falling outs from 1987 through the early ‘90s. Burleson, Crafts, and Cunningham were on the same page with the plan to relaunch Harding as a slasher icon, and they agreed that "Part V" should be a complete departure from Harding's last outing. The team embraced humor and leaned into the low budget with an eye on appealing to a younger, more mainstream audience. The film was conceptualized as a return to theaters for the franchise, but reality saw the film dropped directly to video in the summer of 1995 following a debut screening on cable TV for Valentine's Day, of all dates. Despite a rocky initial release, diehard fan interest soon had the team forging ahead with ideas for a final installment. THE THIRD SATURDAY IN OCTOBER PART VI (RELEASED 2000) Ultimately produced as an "H20" cash-in in 1999, "Part VI" wasn't released until summer 2000 and suffered the fate of being a few films too late to cash in on the post-"Scream" slasher resurgence. However, the late ‘90s slasher influence is all over "Part VI," starting with it being devised as a “20 years later” reunion film. The film also digs into meta commentary and allows series veteran Darius Willis to return with his most memorable portrayal of Ricky Dean. He returns to protect Part V survivor PJ Miller, who is now 14 and trying to put her life together after the attack in “Part V”. Full of series callbacks and returning characters, "Part VI" also sends the franchise out on a high note by staying true to its original DNA. It fuses the crowd-pleasing horror elements with the tenderness of an early Linklater film, and ironically enough became a fan favorite on home video while introducing the "Third Saturday" series to a new audience, just in time for the franchise to virtually vanish from the face of the earth.
In the fall of 1982, series producer Frank Crafts reunited much of the original Third Saturday in October production team to deliver Part II for an October 1983 release. The story focused on the Cuddy family, devout Christians living in a rural farmhouse. The undead killer Jakkariah Harding returns and begins dispatching victims, drawing closer and closer to the Cuddy home... but when he arrives at the home, he discovers the Cuddy family are up against a sinister force that is just as dangerous as he is. In general, audiences remember the film for its extensive final fight scene, which in many ways left movie-goers cheering for Harding. Die hard Third Saturday fans believe it sticks out like a sore thumb when put up against the typical ‘80s slasher fare, and particularly when compared to other entries from its own franchise. Some fans were spellbound by its strange, measured energy but others felt it spent too much time trying to be Tender Mercies before finally delivering on the promise of a "dead teenager" film. It also only glossed over the events of Part I, featuring a brief update on the survivors, which in some ways felt tacked on. Part II was the first film in the series to introduce the "story within a story" angle, this time by way of a true crime novel written about the events of Part I, titled It Happened on the Third Saturday in October. This book series and a subsequent in-universe film franchise based on the book would become staples of the franchise in the future.
THE THIRD SATURDAY IN OCTOBER PART III (1985) The meager box office success of Part II in 1983 was enough to put a sequel into production in the fall of 1984. The franchise found continued success among the growing tide of video rental stores across the country, and producer Frank Crafts was eager to solidify the franchise by steering it in a concrete direction. In his mind, the franchise needed memorable heroes as much as it needed a star slasher killer. While Part II did push Harding forward as a bonafide slasher icon, the franchise looked to return to its roots by focusing the story on the survivors of Part I, namely Heather Hill, Ricky Dean, and Vicki Newton. Part III also gave the series its first and only major location change, as most of the story is centered on Heather Hill attending the University of Alabama-Mobile. This meant the game between the Seahawks and Commonwealth took center stage, but it also presented problems from a production standpoint. While it's true that the film features some of the bigger set pieces within the franchise, most of the action takes place in dorm rooms, locker rooms, or hospitals. Full of chase scenes, jump scares, and ramped up violence, the body count is also outrageous when compared to other slashers of its time. Fans that love it really sing its praises, but it left some in the audience missing the tender examination of family dynamics that had been a throughline for the first two entries. While those elements are present in the finished film, it is worth noting that Parts II and III took the series to much darker places, and left many in the audience missing the unique sweetness of Part I. It is also remembered for its final jump scare, which attempted to outclass Friday the 13th and Carrie, but ultimately only surpassed those classics in the pure absurdity of it all.
THE THIRD SATURDAY IN OCTOBER PART IV (RELEASED 1987) "Part IV" is widely regarded to be the worst entry in the franchise. It was panned by critics and audiences alike for its excessive use of violence and nudity. Every bad thing ever written about an ‘80s slasher is featured in "Part IV,” even though it's anchored by a final girl who breaks all the rules of the label. Most of the action is centered around a cheerleader camp full of characters more fit for a prison. Chock full of on-the-nose commentary about nudity in horror films, an examination of character tropes (you'll never see more screaming naked men than in this film!), and one of the most outlandish portrayals of Harding one could imagine (along with the weirdest mask of the franchise), "Part IV" is one of the most fully realized cinematic visions in the series. This is also the one where Harding wears a green velvet suit... THE THIRD SATURDAY IN OCTOBER: OFF THE BONE (RELEASED 1990) Longtime series producer Ian Cunningham took over the franchise after 1987's "Part IV" and - against the wishes of his partners - decided that the franchise needed to completely abandon Harding and move on to new territory after the disastrous response to Harding's cheerleader rampage. Cunningham leaned on the Southern roots of the story while conjuring up a new way to generate scares and bloodshed: small-town politics. A growing contingent of fans insist this is the real "Part V," and Cunningham has been all too happy to fan the flames, much to the chagrin of Burleson and Crafts. THE THIRD SATURDAY IN OCTOBER PART V (RELEASED 1995) Filmed in 1994, "Part V" saw the return of the original producers and director after the trio endured multiple falling outs from 1987 through the early ‘90s. Burleson, Crafts, and Cunningham were on the same page with the plan to relaunch Harding as a slasher icon, and they agreed that "Part V" should be a complete departure from Harding's last outing. The team embraced humor and leaned into the low budget with an eye on appealing to a younger, more mainstream audience. The film was conceptualized as a return to theaters for the franchise, but reality saw the film dropped directly to video in the summer of 1995 following a debut screening on cable TV for Valentine's Day, of all dates. Despite a rocky initial release, diehard fan interest soon had the team forging ahead with ideas for a final installment. THE THIRD SATURDAY IN OCTOBER PART VI (RELEASED 2000) Ultimately produced as an "H20" cash-in in 1999, "Part VI" wasn't released until summer 2000 and suffered the fate of being a few films too late to cash in on the post-"Scream" slasher resurgence. However, the late ‘90s slasher influence is all over "Part VI," starting with it being devised as a “20 years later” reunion film. The film also digs into meta commentary and allows series veteran Darius Willis to return with his most memorable portrayal of Ricky Dean. He returns to protect Part V survivor PJ Miller, who is now 14 and trying to put her life together after the attack in “Part V”. Full of series callbacks and returning characters, "Part VI" also sends the franchise out on a high note by staying true to its original DNA. It fuses the crowd-pleasing horror elements with the tenderness of an early Linklater film, and ironically enough became a fan favorite on home video while introducing the "Third Saturday" series to a new audience, just in time for the franchise to virtually vanish from the face of the earth.
"Part IV" is widely regarded to be the worst entry in the franchise. It was panned by critics and audiences alike for its excessive use of violence and nudity. Every bad thing ever written about an ‘80s slasher is featured in "Part IV,” even though it's anchored by a final girl who breaks all the rules of the label. Most of the action is centered around a cheerleader camp full of characters more fit for a prison. Chock full of on-the-nose commentary about nudity in horror films, an examination of character tropes (you'll never see more screaming naked men than in this film!), and one of the most outlandish portrayals of Harding one could imagine (along with the weirdest mask of the franchise), "Part IV" is one of the most fully realized cinematic visions in the series. This is also the one where Harding wears a green velvet suit...
THE THIRD SATURDAY IN OCTOBER: OFF THE BONE (RELEASED 1990) Longtime series producer Ian Cunningham took over the franchise after 1987's "Part IV" and - against the wishes of his partners - decided that the franchise needed to completely abandon Harding and move on to new territory after the disastrous response to Harding's cheerleader rampage. Cunningham leaned on the Southern roots of the story while conjuring up a new way to generate scares and bloodshed: small-town politics. A growing contingent of fans insist this is the real "Part V," and Cunningham has been all too happy to fan the flames, much to the chagrin of Burleson and Crafts. THE THIRD SATURDAY IN OCTOBER PART V (RELEASED 1995) Filmed in 1994, "Part V" saw the return of the original producers and director after the trio endured multiple falling outs from 1987 through the early ‘90s. Burleson, Crafts, and Cunningham were on the same page with the plan to relaunch Harding as a slasher icon, and they agreed that "Part V" should be a complete departure from Harding's last outing. The team embraced humor and leaned into the low budget with an eye on appealing to a younger, more mainstream audience. The film was conceptualized as a return to theaters for the franchise, but reality saw the film dropped directly to video in the summer of 1995 following a debut screening on cable TV for Valentine's Day, of all dates. Despite a rocky initial release, diehard fan interest soon had the team forging ahead with ideas for a final installment. THE THIRD SATURDAY IN OCTOBER PART VI (RELEASED 2000) Ultimately produced as an "H20" cash-in in 1999, "Part VI" wasn't released until summer 2000 and suffered the fate of being a few films too late to cash in on the post-"Scream" slasher resurgence. However, the late ‘90s slasher influence is all over "Part VI," starting with it being devised as a “20 years later” reunion film. The film also digs into meta commentary and allows series veteran Darius Willis to return with his most memorable portrayal of Ricky Dean. He returns to protect Part V survivor PJ Miller, who is now 14 and trying to put her life together after the attack in “Part V”. Full of series callbacks and returning characters, "Part VI" also sends the franchise out on a high note by staying true to its original DNA. It fuses the crowd-pleasing horror elements with the tenderness of an early Linklater film, and ironically enough became a fan favorite on home video while introducing the "Third Saturday" series to a new audience, just in time for the franchise to virtually vanish from the face of the earth.
Longtime series producer Ian Cunningham took over the franchise after 1987's "Part IV" and - against the wishes of his partners - decided that the franchise needed to completely abandon Harding and move on to new territory after the disastrous response to Harding's cheerleader rampage. Cunningham leaned on the Southern roots of the story while conjuring up a new way to generate scares and bloodshed: small-town politics. A growing contingent of fans insist this is the real "Part V," and Cunningham has been all too happy to fan the flames, much to the chagrin of Burleson and Crafts.
THE THIRD SATURDAY IN OCTOBER PART V (RELEASED 1995) Filmed in 1994, "Part V" saw the return of the original producers and director after the trio endured multiple falling outs from 1987 through the early ‘90s. Burleson, Crafts, and Cunningham were on the same page with the plan to relaunch Harding as a slasher icon, and they agreed that "Part V" should be a complete departure from Harding's last outing. The team embraced humor and leaned into the low budget with an eye on appealing to a younger, more mainstream audience. The film was conceptualized as a return to theaters for the franchise, but reality saw the film dropped directly to video in the summer of 1995 following a debut screening on cable TV for Valentine's Day, of all dates. Despite a rocky initial release, diehard fan interest soon had the team forging ahead with ideas for a final installment.
Filmed in 1994, "Part V" saw the return of the original producers and director after the trio endured multiple falling outs from 1987 through the early ‘90s. Burleson, Crafts, and Cunningham were on the same page with the plan to relaunch Harding as a slasher icon, and they agreed that "Part V" should be a complete departure from Harding's last outing. The team embraced humor and leaned into the low budget with an eye on appealing to a younger, more mainstream audience. The film was conceptualized as a return to theaters for the franchise, but reality saw the film dropped directly to video in the summer of 1995 following a debut screening on cable TV for Valentine's Day, of all dates. Despite a rocky initial release, diehard fan interest soon had the team forging ahead with ideas for a final installment.
THE THIRD SATURDAY IN OCTOBER PART VI (RELEASED 2000) Ultimately produced as an "H20" cash-in in 1999, "Part VI" wasn't released until summer 2000 and suffered the fate of being a few films too late to cash in on the post-"Scream" slasher resurgence. However, the late ‘90s slasher influence is all over "Part VI," starting with it being devised as a “20 years later” reunion film. The film also digs into meta commentary and allows series veteran Darius Willis to return with his most memorable portrayal of Ricky Dean. He returns to protect Part V survivor PJ Miller, who is now 14 and trying to put her life together after the attack in “Part V”. Full of series callbacks and returning characters, "Part VI" also sends the franchise out on a high note by staying true to its original DNA. It fuses the crowd-pleasing horror elements with the tenderness of an early Linklater film, and ironically enough became a fan favorite on home video while introducing the "Third Saturday" series to a new audience, just in time for the franchise to virtually vanish from the face of the earth.
Ultimately produced as an "H20" cash-in in 1999, "Part VI" wasn't released until summer 2000 and suffered the fate of being a few films too late to cash in on the post-"Scream" slasher resurgence. However, the late ‘90s slasher influence is all over "Part VI," starting with it being devised as a “20 years later” reunion film. The film also digs into meta commentary and allows series veteran Darius Willis to return with his most memorable portrayal of Ricky Dean. He returns to protect Part V survivor PJ Miller, who is now 14 and trying to put her life together after the attack in “Part V”. Full of series callbacks and returning characters, "Part VI" also sends the franchise out on a high note by staying true to its original DNA. It fuses the crowd-pleasing horror elements with the tenderness of an early Linklater film, and ironically enough became a fan favorite on home video while introducing the "Third Saturday" series to a new audience, just in time for the franchise to virtually vanish from the face of the earth.
