Make Believe 2023 Film Festival – Satires and spoofs of the slasher genre aren’t exactly new. Scary Movie, Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon, and You Might Be the Killer are just a few that come to mind. Writer director Jay Burleson‘s The Third Saturday in October and The Third Saturday in October Part V (this will have its own review) are the latest slasher parodies. The first film is a memorable tribute to 70s slashers, while still very much its own thing. It’s weird, yet somehow grounded.

The opening plays like the first few minutes of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre in its narration and old news footage. We’re then introduced to Antonio Woodruff‘s Jakkariah Harding, a serial killer whose execution initially seems like a done deal. However, onlookers Vicki Newton (K.J. Baker) and Ricky Dean Logan (Darius Willis) aren’t so sure that he’s dead. In fact, he’s not. Not long after he should have died via the electric chair, Harding returns as a killer from beyond the grave, driving around in a creepy hearse and stalking friends gathered for a third Saturday in October game.

Much of this film unfolds like Halloween. Willis’ character is very similar to Dr. Loomis, spending a lot of time tracking down a killer before he butchers teenagers. There’s also Laurie Strode-type final girl, Heather Hill, played by Allison Shrum. Like Laurie, Heather is simply in the wrong town at the wrong time and much more innocent than the pervy college students. Instead of Haddonfield, we have an Alabama town totally obsessed with football. It plays on every single TV. Like Haddonfield, this Southern town very much becomes its own character, filled with innocent teens, a sheriff, oh, and a racist resident or two. In fact, the moment Ricky Dean Logan confronts one of them and has a serious conversation in the car afterwards with Vicki is a true highlight. It’s a well-written and nuanced discussion. The 70s aesthetic works well here too, considering this film sets up Harding’s backstory, so it makes sense to set the film in 1979. The feature looks grainy and has brown and yellow tones to match the era, coupled with vintage Halloween decorations adorning nearly every house.

Yet, for all the throwbacks, and there are many, this film feels both unique and very strange at the same time. For instance, the college friends have an interesting dynamic and there are allusions to everything from heavy drug use to swinging. There’s also a drug-loving, skinny-dipping grandpa whose partner is much, much younger. Yep, this movie has its oddball moments, alright.

Slasher fans need to check out The Third Saturday in October. This film is a love letter to classics like Halloween, Black Christmas, Texas Chainsaw Massacre, and The Town That Dreaded Sundown. While steeped in a 1970s aesthetic, complete with a Carpenter-like synth score, this film also feels original. After a previous film with Troma, The Nobodies, and now this slasher, Burleson is a talent to watch.

7 Out of 10