Pumpkinhead

Rating:
Summary: Dark Folklore
Review: For those of you who have a facination for dark folklore and stories that chill the blood, this is one you might want to see.

The legend of Pumkinhead goes something like this: If someone has wronged you, you can conjur the demon Pumpkinhead to avenge the wrong. The price you pay is your immortal soul.

In this movie, we see the application of this legend to a potentially real situation, when a country store owner's son is accidentally killed by teenaged bikers. Acting out of grief and rage over the loss, he seeks out an old woman who is reputed to have magical powers. She conjurs the demon, who goes to work, stalking the teens and killing them one at a time. The catch is that the one who called it forth witnesses each act. Relizing what he has done, the man tries to stop what he has unleashed, only to find that this is not easy.

The legend itself is actually far more interesting (at least to me) than is the actual movie, though the director (Stan Winston) does do a pretty good job of capturing the proper atmosphere for a story of this sort. Unfortunately, he does not do enough to emphasize the desperate and bone-chilling atmosphere faced by the teens as they are methodically hunted by the demon.

Still, all in all, an enjoyable movie.

Rating:
Summary: True horror
Review: "Pumpkinhead" is an above average slasher film that is a step above for many reasons.

First off, I love the low budget, realistic, atmospheric feel of this film. The father and son are very believable, so much so that it is nearly excrutiating to watch the poor boy be killed.

Secondly, the monster "Pumpkinhead" is actually quite frightening suprisingly enough, definitely well done.

The theme of revenge, and its consequences is quite interesting, as is the father's desperate attempt to reverse the spell. The teens in this film are obligatory amoral and heartless, making the father's attempts to save them all the more touching.

If you enjoyed "Pumpkinhead" you might care to take a peek at the much inferior but somewhat similar "Jack-O", its not that great, but the monster is pretty cool, a Pumpkinhead brandishing a scythe, and some mishmash about an ancient curse.

Rating:
Summary: Horror At It's Best!
Review: I had only heard of this movie in passing for years. It wasn't a movie that I wanted to see because when I did hear of it, I heard so little. This past Halloween I wanted to see something new, so being the horror fanatic that I am, I bought this movie. What a surprise it was for me! This movie has everything a horror movie should have: a dark setting, a bit of sadness, a creepy witch, a horrific monster and stingers that will make you jump out of your skin! Now that I have seen this movie, I can't figure out why this movie never caught on, like the Friday the 13th movies, or even Nightmare on Elm Street movies. Pumpkinhead has them all beat as far as I am concerned. If you're a horror fan and you want to see something new, but original, go with this movie. You won't be disappointed.

Rating:
Summary: What you want Ed Harley?
Review: Say you want vengeance? Someone stole your watch? Well, go dig up the big-headed thing from the pumpkin patch and we'll turn it into the really tall scary big-headed thing!

This movie is a lot of fun. i watch it once a year at Halloween time. It's one of the more original and entertaining horror movies of the last 20 years.

Rating:
Summary: Now this is a horror film!
Review: There's not much I can add--the reviewers below have written all that needs to be said. This is indeed an overlooked film--an atmospheric, frightening morality play about how revenge, even when it appears to be totally justified, can backfire, go horribly wrong and end up destroying nearly everyone, including the innocent. A re-release of this movie at the theaters during Halloween might make it into a cult film.

Rating:
Summary: A parent's descent into hell
Review: A father's grief-turned-vengeance-turned remorse, a decent dad's sadness for his beloved boy, wrongly killed, given to us in the guise of a horror film. The boy is killed by motorbiking teens, who decide to flee. When dad finds out, he enlists the aid of the dark side to find them. Beware the dark side: it never fails you, yet ever fails you. Follow the "how to" on the beast's demise. Refreshingly, old folks are depicted in a becoming light: first, Lance's son's grandma, whose skin was so soft; then, an old woman "witch" who, albeit beckons and commands evil, is the only knowledgeable one capable of so doing. Age is wisdom, and it's presented geniunely herein.

Rating:
Summary: scary ! scary ! movie!
Review: This is one of the best horror movies I've ever seen. Creepy music, great acting, and an awesome monster, but even scarier than pumpkinhead is the old woman. the first scene with her raised the hair on the back of my neck. If there are really witches then this is what they must be like. The blair witch is a toddler with a lollipop compared to this witch.A must in any horror collection!.

Rating:
Summary: Don't Get On His Bad Side!
Review: This has Freddy and Jason beat by miles. After a little boy is accidentally killed by bikers his dad goes to see an old witch-woman in the woods intent on taking revenge. He's heard of the legend of Pumpkinhead and pretty soon he realizes the legend is very real. Unlike most horror movies of the eighties and nineties, this one actually has a plot and some real scares to go with it. It's not just slashing and stabbing in other words. You'll be thinking about this one for awhile after you see it, and you can't say that about most horror films these days.

Rating:
Summary: Utterly disappointing and dull.
Review: One and one-half stars, perhaps, solely for Henriksen, who always brings something interesting to a film, and the design of the Pumpkinhead demon. It's too bad both were wasted on what could have been a good film.

In short, Henriksen's beloved son is killed by out-of-towners. Seeking revenge, he visits the witch of the woods to conjure the demon Pumpkinhead to avenge his son's death. A nice twist occurs at the end with regard to the very essence of the demon, but this simple story and creative resolution are marred by the rest of the film.

First of all, most of Pumpkinhead's victims are likeable. the death of the boy was accidental and the "city folks" who were responsible are largely sympathetic characters, so you can't root for the bad guy. Even if you hated them you couldn't root for the demon because Pumpkinhead has no personality whatsoever. On the other hand, these city folks aren't developed at all as characters, so you don't care about them, either. There's no way for the viewer to get emotionally involved at all. And forget about being scared. The first view of Pumpkinhead early in Henriksen's memory is effective, but the demon is largely hidden by the trees and the overall darkness and muddiness of the picture throughout most of the film. And when Pumpkinhead does emerge, he kills his victims in the exact same way every time. Hand reaches down from the tree, hand grabs the head...snore...

It's too bad this film doesn't work. It's got a great setting, raises some interesting points about emotion and revenge and has a decent cast, led with strength by Henriksen, but ultimately fails at the hands of its namesake, the largely unseen and predictable Pumpkinhead.

Rating:
Summary: Original AND Scary !
Review: This is definitely one of the best horror flicks to come around for a long time. As my title reads, "original AND scary" ! Just think... when this was made, they couldn't rely on computer special effects. Everything was done by makeup, costumes and a great setting. It kind of brings me back to the original Aliens. The creature in this movie was strong, big, and completely without a soul... evil at the core. As far as the cast, I've always found Lance Henriksen to be a very intense actor and I think he proves it here. Very nice Lance, VERY nice. In short, people, I highly recommend this movie. The creature is very real looking. It scared the heck out of me the first time I saw it.