I have such fond memories of Pumpkinhead. I remember detesting the second one and never watching the other two. It’s such a simple story, and I never understood why we had to make it so complicated. It can be told in such a way to pull on the heart strings and make you stand up and cheer for the people who did the wrongdoing get killed. But we only get that in one film. Why is that? Maybe the third and fourth ones can capture that lightning in a bottle of the first one. But I doubt it.
Pumpkinhead (1988)
Synopsis:
After a tragic accident, a man conjures up a towering, vengeful demon called Pumpkinhead to destroy a group of unsuspecting teenagers.
IMDb: 6.2
Rotten Tomatoes: 65%
Tagline: For each of man’s evils a special demon exists…
I’m just going to come right out and say it. Lance Henriksen is the man. A truly underrated actor. Cool. Bad ass. He even does tortured, loving and heartbroken, especially in this movie. I have a certain comfort in knowing he is in a movie, for he always makes the best of his character, and puts in a good performance despite the results of the rest of the movie. He IS the heart of this film, and I can’t think of any other genre actor who could have sunk their teeth into this role as much as he did. Speaking of teeth, his fake teeth are a distraction, and I can’t stop looking at them.
Stan Winston is another one who is a national treasure. Pumpkinhead is only one of two theatrical films he would direct, instead, focusing on special effects for some of the most successful movies of all time. This film really showcases what could have been had he chosen to be a director instead.
From the blue lighting in the night, to the muted browns of the day, his colors are vibrant and stylish. The nightmarish setting of the evening, including constant lighting flashes and wind, as well as the witch’s domain and subsequent unearthing of the demon at the pumpkin patch, stand out in a bleak film about grief and revenge. He really depicts the collision between simple, country life, and the faster, more complex big city life, and brings out the desperation of Ed Harley.
The poem that the kids recite to each other in the beginning is a real poem by Ed Justin, and was the original inspiration for the film. In this scene, keep an eye out for Mayim Bialik as one of the Wallace kids in her film debut.
“Keep away from Pumpkinhead,
Unless you’re tired of living,
His enemies are mostly dead,
He’s mean and unforgiving,
Laugh at him and you’re undone,
But in some dreadful fashion,
Vengeance, he considers fun,
And plans it with a passion,
Time will not erase or blot,
A plot that he has brewing,
It’s when you think that he’s forgot,
He’ll conjure your undoing,
Bolted doors and windows barred,
Guard dogs prowling in the yard,
Won’t protect you in your bed,
Nothing will, from Pumpkinhead!”
I have always found this film interesting, in that in a decade of violence and revenge in films, this film stands out as one that talks about the damage that revenge can cause to one’s soul. Ed Harley is a tragic figure whose life is damaged when his child is accidentally killed, but it is ruined when he summons the ancient demon for revenge.
The ending is the only real disappointment here. I kind of wish everyone had died to fulfill the curse. I think that would have been fitting. I mean. Fuck them city folk.
7.5/10 Stab Wounds
Pumpkinhead II: Blood Wings (1993)
Synopsis:
Thrill-seeking teenagers resurrect a demon from his grave and a bloody rampage for revenge begins.
IMDb: 4.6
Rotten Tomatoes: 13%
Tagline: They couldn’t leave dead enough alone.
Jeff Burr took over for Stan Winston, mainly known for directing horror movie sequels, as he has directed Puppet Master 4, Puppet Master 5, Texas Chainsaw Massacre 3, and Stepfather 2. Lots of genre actors appeared in the film including Ami Dolenz (Ticks), Andrew Robinson (Hellraiser), Kane Hodder (Friday the 13th series), J. Trevor Edmond (Return of the Living Dead 3), Linnea Quigley (Return of the Living Dead), and Soleil Moon Frye (Punky Brewster).
This film marked the second film to have a connection to the Hellraiser franchise, with Lance Henriksen (Pumpkinhead) starring in Hellraiser: Hellworld, Robinson (Pumpkinhead 2) in the original Hellraiser, and of course Doug Bradley (Pumpkinhead 3) the Hell Priest himself, Pinhead.
The writing here is fairly lazy, featuring a dialogue heavy intro to Andrew Robinson and his wife, that covers everything you need to know about the sheriff and his family in under two minutes flat. It’s so much information to digest. Are we to believe that real people have conversations like this?
Then we are introduced to such a stereotypical group of teens as they meet the new girl, and the dialogue is so cringe-worthy that I can’t help but hide my head in my hands. Each one tries to act tough and posture up to impress Ami Dolenz, and she gives the flirting/tough love right back. It’s bad. I want them all to die.
But the mayor has such a glorious, permed mullet! AND HE PLAYS GUITAR! What a 90s dreamboat! Is he secretly Billy Ray Cyrus?
I had a crush on Ami Dolenz back in the day. From Ticks to Witchboard 2, she was seemingly in every B movie in the 90s. But now that I’m older, I realize she’s not a good actress. And her voice is incredibly annoying. I see why she vanished from the limelight in 2010.
Same with J. Trevor Edmond, who vanished from the limelight in 1999. I remember him being such a better actor than he truly was. The chemistry he has with Ami is non-existent, and yet they are supposed to be doing that whole will they/won’t they flirty relationship thing.
I don’t understand the motivation behind bullying the kid in the beginning and stabbing him. Like, it makes no sense to just randomly stab a special needs kid repeatedly until he’s dead while other kids stand around laughing and cheering. And then the kid was a spawn of Pumpkinhead? I thought he was a demon! Then the damn thing changes size constantly, one minute the same height as a person, the next, he towers over someone and can’t walk through a doorway.
Needless to say, it doesn’t have any of the emotional weight behind it that the first one had. The directing is lifeless. The story is uninspired. The dialogue is painful. The motivation of the characters is asinine. The actors are pretty subpar. The portrayal of some of the locals is incredibly offensive. It’s just not a good movie. There are so many instances in the film that are just straight up embarrassing. And that’s never good.
3.5/10 Stab Wounds
Pumpkinhead: Ashes to Ashes (2006)
Synopsis:
Residents of a small backwoods community summon the murderous demon of vengeance himself for revenge against a local mortician who wronged their deceased loved ones, while a town physician seeks to kill those involved in its summoning.
IMDb: 4.3
Rotten Tomatoes: 24%
Tagline: Dead and buried… but back with a vengeance!
Jake West (Razorblade Smile) co-wrote and directed the third film, filming it back-to-back with the fourth one. The production would be moved to Bucharest, Romania, appearing as made-for-TV films on Sci-Fi. Now generally, I try to stay away from Sci-Fi (Now SyFy). They truly found their niche with Sharknado and have never looked back. I did enjoy Z Nation, but outside of that, I avoid the channel like the plague.
Controversial sidebar: I don’t think I have ever been impressed with any Doug Bradley performance outside of Pinhead.
The actors have obviously non-American accents, most definitely locals. I understand how films go overseas to try and save money, but the “look” of Romania and Bulgaria and these other places is so distinct, that there’s no hiding it. It just doesn’t “look” like the deep south that the film is based in. It’s embarrassing. Some actors talk like they’re southern (well, the accent comes and goes, but at least they’re trying) through and through and others talk like the next big overseas draft pick for the NBA!
At least this plot follows a little closer to the first one. The townspeople summon old Pumpy for revenge against the crazy organ stealing mortician. We don’t have whatever the hell part 2 was dealing with. But the old hag woman is alive in this one, the same one who burned to death in the last one.
I can appreciate the fact that Blood Wings tried something different and failed miserably. Ashes to Ashes basically regurgitates the story without the sympathetic lead character. But if something works, why fuck with it? There’s something to be said about following a pattern that works. The best Friday the 13th movies do that. So does Wrong Turn. Don’t reinvent the wheel.
I also appreciate that Pumpy is back to being bigger than everyone. He should be tall. And he’s not CGI ALL the time. Just like 80% of the time. I do notice that he’s upright more, and not hunched over. I don’t like that. I just think it makes him look more like a xenomorph from Alien when he’s upright.
I also appreciate that while it is a made-for-TV movie, it doesn’t play like one. It is still violent and has great gore. There wasn’t much cussing in the first two, so that isn’t missing. And outside of a brief sex scene with a topless Linnea Quigley, there isn’t much nudity to be had either. In other words, it plays very similarly to the first two.
Based on what it truly is, and what I truly expected from it, I was pleasantly surprised. It’s not a good movie by any stretch of the imagination, but it’s a decent enough flick…for a Sci-Fi Original.
4.0/10 Stab Wounds
Pumpkinhead: Blood Feud (2007)
Synopsis:
When the true love between two young lovers is threatened by their family’s violent feud, their only chance at peace leads them to summoning the monstrous pumpkin head, who brings even greater horrors.
IMDb: 4.3
Rotten Tomatoes: 23%
Tagline: Vengeance Will Be His
Television director Michael Hurst (Xena, Hercules, Jack of All Trades, Ash Vs. Evil Dead) took over the fourth film, writing and directing it. He was handed the reigns shortly after the third one wrapped in Bucharest, Romania. It too would premiere as a Sci-Fi made-for-TV movie.
Once again, Pumpy looks more like an H.R. Giger Xenomorph from Alien. The practical gore is good right from the beginning, but CGI rears its ugly head soon enough, and it’s just as bad as the last entry. I also dig the music, which is a plodding industrial sounding remix of the theme lifted from the Western/Southern harmonica of the first movie.
Lance Henriksen also appears again in a small role, presumably picking up a decent paycheck for trapsing to Romania for a few days. But outside of him, there aren’t any recognizable stars this time around.
This film at least uses an emotional killing to jumpstart the Pumpkinhead curse, but I don’t think we needed to include the goddamn Hatfields and McCoys in it. Rewriting history to include a demon is a little weird. I mean, I’m all for inserting the supernatural into history when it makes sense, but this one is so out of left field with no evidence presented or context included, that it just doesn’t fit.
The modern rock music doesn’t really fit either, and I’m really confused what time period this takes place in. Is it in the past or the present? Not to mention, the Hatfield-McCoy feud was in the late 1800’s into the early 1900’s, so how do they have modern beer cans and talk about cars? The feud was settled before modern times. Hell, they even played Family Feud against each other in 1979!
Have I mentioned that the witch sounds like 1955 Lorraine in Back to the Future? I picture the witch saying, “Well, you’re safe and sound now, back in good old 1955.”
The acting is bad. Directing, again, is uninspired. It looks and plays more professional than the prior one, but there are so many other issues at play here, that it truly isn’t a whole lot better. It wants to be, and you can feel the effort, but it just doesn’t pay off.
4.0/10 Stab Wounds
The Pumpkinhead franchise is a little bit hit or miss, emphasis on miss. The original is a classic beyond a shadow of a doubt. But the others? Not so much. There is rumored to be a script completed for a reboot with Paramount. Supposedly, they are just waiting to find a director, but that was as of November 2021.
If you haven’t seen these, the original is on Tubi, Blood Wings is on Plex, and the final two are on YouTube. Check them out and let me know what you think.
