Interview With ‘Halloween III: Season Of The Witch’s’ Tom Atkins

Tom Atkins doesn’t really need an introduction. The man and his mustache are mostly known for roles in Night of the Creeps (1986), Halloween III: Season of the Witch (1982 – read our retro review here), and The Fog (1980), and for being a fan favorite at your local horror convention. He has most recently starred in the indie horror film, Trick, and happens to have some new projects on the horizon. I was lucky enough to speak with Tom, and we discussed Tom-a-Thon, his favorite Tom Atkins movie, what he has coming up, and, of course, horror movies.

PopHorror: Hi, Tom! How are you?

Tom Atkins: I’m good, Tiffany. How about you? How are you doing?

PopHorror: I’m good, thank you. I watched Trick last night and really liked it, so this is exciting.

Tom Atkins: Oh, good. I’m tickled. That’s nice.

PopHorror: How were you approached for Trick, and what about it appealed to you?

Tom Atkins: Everything appealed to me to about it because it was Patrick Lussier. This is our third film together. We did My Bloody Valentine 3D [2009 – read PopHorror’s retro review here] a long time ago. Well, a number of years ago. And then we did Drive Angry, and now, Trick. I love Patrick. I would go anywhere to do anything for him. He writes a role for me in his films now, he and Todd Farmer, and I am always tickled to do them. When I’m with him, I feel like I’m with a member of my family, like I’m with my brother. I just adore Patrick. I think he’s a wonderful writer and director… and an editor on the fly because he shoots movies the way he wants to see them, which makes it easier on his editor because he was one for years with Wes Craven. It makes working with him a joy. It’s a real treat because he knows what he wants. 

PopHorror: The My Bloody Valentine 3D is one of my favorite reboots. I love it.

Tom Atkins: It was a good one, wasn’t it? It’s kind of rare. One of my early films, not my first film, but my first horror film, was The Fog with Jamie Lee, her mom, a lot of wonderful people and John Carpenter directing. But it was an old fashioned ghost story. But then somebody, just a few years ago, felt the need to remake that. I don’t know why they did that, but they did. I never heard a good word about it, and I never saw it. But My Bloody Valentine, I thought Patrick did a wonderful job of rebooting that and it turned out great. It’s another tribute to him. 

PopHorror: I’m glad that you brought up your first horror. What is it that draws you back to the horror genre?

Tom Atkins: People keep inviting me to do them. There’s nothing particularly that draws me to them, it’s just that they want me to be in them, and I’m happy to oblige. I guess I’ve turned down one or two that I just didn’t think was worth doing, but I’ve enjoyed every one I’ve done, and I’m looking forward to the next one. I’m involved in the next one already called The Collected down in Atlanta. It’s the third in that series. We shot the ending already. It’s about a 12-page sequence. We were down there a week and a half ago or so, doing the ending of the film, and then I’ll go back later this week or early next week, and finish up through the end of October, shooting it. The Collected. Marcus Dunstan.

PopHorror: Very excited for that one!

Tom Atkins: Me, too! I hope you like it.

PopHorror: Recently, they had a Tom-a-Thon at Beyond Fest in LA in your honor.

Tom Atkins: I know! I was there! I got to go out there for that. What a treat!

PopHorror:How did you feel about that?

Tom Atkins: I was stunned. I was speechless. That’s not true, I’m never speechless. I am never speechless. I was just delighted and honored that they would do that, because they’ve had some really wonderful people at that thing, and they screened The Fog, Halloween III, and Night of the Creeps. Three in a row and they sold out. It was 650 people, something like that.

I have the best photograph from that. It was on Sunday, the 6th of October, and I am with my back to the audience, but they, the entire audience, are held up these little cut out face things that is a shot of me from Night of the Creeps. It is the most… It’s a fantastic photo when you see it. It’s just a hoot. It’s a hoot. I had a wonderful time there. I got to do a Q&A and talk with all the fans after. And then, three days later, go to the screening premiere of Trick at the Screamfest. The Beyond Fest was at the Egyptian, and the Screamfest was right across the street at the Chinese Six. What a wonderful week, or five days, in LA. It was a real treat, a real treat.

I got to see Patrick but not Todd. He’s over in Greece or Ireland or somewhere with his fiance. But Patrick was there, and I invited Fred Dekker, the director, and writer of Night of the Creeps. He was at the premiere of Trick. He and I had dinner with some other friends at Musso, and then with Frank on a different evening out there. A wonderful, old restaurant that is celebrating its 100th anniversary.

PopHorror: Oh, wow!

Tom Atkins: It was in Tarantino’s movie. There were a couple of scenes in there, in Once Upon a Time… In Hollywood. [read PopHorror’s review here] The two guys, Brad Pitt and DiCaprio, have a scene in there. Pacino had a scene in there, too. If you ever get out that way, you’ve got to go to that restaurant. It’s a wonderful, old institution in LA with really good food.

PopHorror: I really just have one last question for you, Tom, and that is: what is your favorite scary movie?

Tom Atkins: Bride of Frankenstein. That’s my favorite. My favorite one that I made? Night of the Creeps. My favorite movie of all time to watch is Casablanca.

Watch Trick right here!

Thank you so much to Tom for taking the time to speak with us today. Be sure to check out Trick at the link above.