Pumpkinhead is one of the most straightforward and simple movies I think I have ever seen. You know that motif of, “made for TV movie” that movies like
Tremors have? Pumpkinhead has that same feeling. While it does hold a place as a cult classic, that doesn't mean it's good.
Thanks
@dgoebel00 (
dustingoebel.com) for the sweet Pumpkinhead moment!
Pumpkinhead can be found on Amazon and free on Hulu if you have Hulu right now.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HqJ8Teiv6YY
Pumpkinhead Synopsis
Pumpkinhead is the story of a group of young twenty-somethings who are headed out to a cabin in the woods. As far as I can tell this is supposed to be set in the south, which is difficult for me because what isn’t shot on a soundstage is very obviously locations in the hills of LA.
This poster is a lie, he never touches a pumpkin!
As our
group of kids stops at a small local store for some supplies, the rowdiest of
the group inexplicably hops on dirtbikes and starts riding around doing sweet
tricks. The son of the store owner is fatally injured by one of these sweet
tricks, and all but one of the kids head into the hills to avoid having murder
pinned on them.
Pumpkinhead Full MovieStream Pumpkinhead on Amazon
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The owner
of the shop returns and finds his child mortally wounded, so he seeks revenge
the only way he knows how - he goes to see a witch to put a death curse on the
kids who killed his son.
Long story short, Pumpkinhead is summoned by the witch - he is a big ugly creepy looking ...pumpkinhead. He cuts a swath of revenge through the kids and anyone who gets in the way of his revenge.
Pumpkinhead Review
Pumpkinhead (directed by
Stan Winston) is a better than terrible slasher that has a great monster and a cult following of adults who were scarred in their childhood by this gruesome beast. As far as movie structure goes, it’s pretty clear what is going on at all times and why.
Unfortunately, it’s never interesting enough for me to care about anyone or anything. The lighting is intentionally on the pitch-black side of dark (to hide the costume), and the writing is barebones and interchangeable with any other crappy 80’s slasher.
Here at
Horror Movie Talk, we try to see things as they are, putting down the nostalgia
glasses and looking at horror movies to compare them honestly. We won’t pander
to you, or your childhood, and only minimally to our own (we hope). Pumpkinhead is a bad movie. What it brings to the table is an easy to understand
storyline and a pretty great monster, along with a memorable name.
While you
may remember this movie fondly, I think only the most die-hard horror snobs