Plot Details: This opinion reveals major details about the movie's plot.

Kids singing: Keep away from Pumpkinhead unless you tired of living, his enemies are mostly dead, he's mean and unforgiving…


Pumpkinhead (1988)

Lance Henriksen as Ed Harley
Jeff East as Chris
John D'Aquino as Joel


The Storyline / plot

Ed Harley is a single father raising his young son Billy. They lived in the backwoods of what looks like Kentucky or Virginia. It was clearly hill country where some backwoods people lived. Ed Harley and his young son had a small store where they sold fresh vegetables. Everything seemed to be going well for Ed Harley and his son. Billy was all that Ed Harley had in his world and his love for young Billy is evident. Then the careless people from the city came and took his world.

While Ed Harley was off getting some livestock feed a group of twenty year olds showed up at the store. They were out to do some camping and ride their motorcycles. The Harley’s had a dog that didn’t like the agitating growl of the motocross dirt bikes. The dog took off chasing the motorcycles and young Billy was attempting to catch his dog. Then it happened, one of the motorcyclist struck Billy while descending from a high jump. He had already been in trouble for drinking and driving and he had been drinking, so he left. Ed Harley arrived to his son lying in the dirt dying and one person saying it was an accident. As he picked up his sons limp and dying body the young dude sped off on his dirt bike. Billy last breath was to say Daddy then he died…

Ed Harley was enraged and would have vengeance at all cost! Everyone knew about the legend of Pumpkinhead in the hollows of the mountains. Ed Harley knew of the legend first hand because he had seen Pumpkinhead when he was a boy and he would never forget it. Ed went to see some friends who warned him against raising Pumpkinhead but he wanted those who killed his boy to pay the price. Ed Harley would call on an old witch to assist him in conjuring up the evil Pumpkinhead to do its dirty deeds. What Ed Harley didn’t know is that there was a price to pay for having Pumpkinhead get your vengeance. Pumpkinhead would project the brutal slaughters into Ed’s thoughts and feeling during the killings. Ed had unleashed an unholy demon into the mountains and everyone including Ed, would suffer the consequences.


Conclusion

Pumpkinhead is a trippy movie that I seen once when it was released in 1989. I liked the old scary movies a lot more than the recent ones. Back then we seen films like; the Evil Dead, The Exorcist, Phantasm, Amityville Horror, Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Tourist trap, The Beast Within, The Omen, The Howling and Pumpkinhead . The Late 1970’s and early 1980’s produced the best of the scary films. If they can’t make some quality, scarier films twenty five years later, they should stop and have a good look at the older more successful horror movies. These older films including Pumpkinhead all had a quality that made them scary and they were awesome. If you liked the movies listed above, you would also enjoy seeing Pumpkinhead.

Pumpkinhead was made on a low budget but worked quite well nonetheless. The acting by Lance Henriksen was outstanding. I have always liked Henriksen’s acting. His best performances are in Pumpkinhead and Aliens. Henriksen’s acting is very convincing, powerful and of good quality. The acting by the younger males in the film is poor. The performance by the young ladies in the film was acceptable. Luckily for the film you can get away with a little bit of bad acting in a horror film. Most of this film footage is Lance Henriksen and dark eerie shots of Pumpkinhead doing it’s deadly and dirty deeds.

The story is based on a poem that was written by Ed Justin. The story is solid and spooky. The script is simple but intelligent. The special effects were not fancy but were high quality. The film didn’t have the budget to spend on computer generated special effects. Instead they used the camera, music, lighting, a good actor, a convincing monster and a good story. The dry ice and camera work in the film was top notch and helped to generate a scary environment. Overall the cinematography was solid and well shot. Pumpkinhead will give most of you a good scare and a jump. I would recommend this one to any fan of scary movies. I give Pumpkinhead four of five stars.


Similar Films

• Friday The 13th
• Pet Cemetery
• Top Ten Scary Movies

My Rating: 7 of 10 Stars
Rated [R] Language and violence
Run Time:1 Hour 27 Minutes


Thanks for the read,

© 2005 Joe McMaster


Recommended: Yes

Viewing Format: VHS
Video Occasion: Fit for Friday Evening
Suitability For Children: Not suitable for Children of any age