FM_ALEX
"CLASSIC WITH OUT A DOUBT"
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Rating:
PUMPKINHEAD
+5
I have to say that this is one of my all time favorite movies ever, classic in my eyes by far regardless of what other people think. Every time I have watched this film it has been with a least one of my friends or my brother, this is one of those that is just so awesome to watch with other people eating pizza and drinking what ever pleases you. I have nothing but fond memories of this movie and at least once a year we all sit down and watch this, a few other films share this distinction. I don't know if it is the pure 80's feel of this movie or maybe it is Lance Henriksen or even the excellent Pumpkinhead himself, but this is truly a fun movie.
The story is all about a loving father out in the country who owns and runs a little general store and leaves his son to watch the shop for a little bit. It is during this time he is away that the little boy runs out into a field were some city kids are racing around on their dirt bikes, when he tries to catch his dog one of the riders collides with the boy. This of course is what sets the father out on a quest for vengeance and that quest brings him to a witch in the woods that shows him the way to his vengeful choice. It is here that Pumpkinhead is called upon to bring justice to these woods and kill all of those who were involved with the killing of his kid. Of course this starts a night full of terror for these young people who really in my mind deserve what they get, well maybe not all but one in particular.
Lance Henriksen really brings this film to life with his brilliant performance, the rage of the character really comes through in a silent way. Lance's facial expressions alone make his character come to life, a very powerful performance especially for a low budget b movie. He seems haunted and tormented throughout the entire film even after he helps take out the monster. Florence Schauffler is perfect has Haggis the witch in the woods and the keeper of the demon. Much like Lance you can really feel her performance and never disbelieve the character. I remember when I was younger she kinda scared me a little because of not only the look of the character but also because of how she talked, her voice for this character is great. Of course not every performance is what I would call award winning but there is not really a bad one in the bunch. All of the people who played the helpless victims while not great did well enough to make it seem believable. The one guy in particular who was the one who actually hit the kid is really believable as a jerk, I couldn't wait for Pumpkinhead to get him.
Special effects wizard Stan Winston really crafted a wonderful directorial debut, no wonder Pumpkinhead looked so cool with this guy at the helm. Gary Gerani, and Mark Patrick Carducci did a nice job with screenplay off of producer Richard Weinman, director Stan Winston, and Mark's original screenplay. Of course this film would never have been with out Ed Justin's poem. So all of these people together brought us this wonderful viewing experience. Of course without an excellent movie monster this would just be another movie, enter Pumpkinhead. This has got to be one of the coolest monsters I have ever seen in cinematic history, and he also has a cool purpose in this movie. He is just the demon of vengeance who takes the soul of who ever called him back to hell with him after he carries out their mission. This thing actually looks like a demon to me, some of these other movies about demons really don't feel right to me.
I really believe that this is one of the most entertaining movies I have ever seen, the sequels that followed never really were up to par with this one in my opinion but those are reviews for another day.
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Madpenguin
June 18, 2011
I can't really remember this one. I saw it some 20 years ago or so.
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Count_Orlok_22
May 03, 2010
Great review! This is one of the all-time most underrated horror films and I concur with Queenie's comment below. I didn't like the sequels though.
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QUEENBFLIX
April 29, 2010
One of my all time favorite horror flix! When I met him at Fangoria I told Henriksen that this was my favorite of all his performances because he was so believable in the role which was much wider than most of the parts he was given at the time. He seemed to agree. It did offer him a chance to really stretch as an actor. He wasn't just a bad guy or someone with an axe to grind.
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woopak_the_thrill
April 20, 2010
nice...you planning on reviewing the entire franchise?
FM_ALEX
April 20, 2010
Eventually
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More Pumpkinhead reviews
This is an all time classic for sure, from Lance to the creature this is great. I really believe that this is one of the most entertaining movies I have ever seen, the sequels that followed never really were up to par with this one in my opinion but those are reviews for another day.
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FM_ALEX
Ranked #4
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I basically am just a normal person obbsessed with Mixed Martial Arts, pro wrestling, movies of all kinds, music of all kinds, books of all kinds, and of course foods of all kinds. Just trying to keep … more
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About this movie
Pumpkinhead is a 1988 supernatural horror film. It was the directorial debut of noted special effects artist Stan Winston. While Pumpkinhead received mixed reviews, the film has built up a cult following in the years since its release.
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Cast:
George "Buck" Flower,
Tom Woodruff, Jr.,
Lance Henriksen,
Matthew Hurley,
Mayim Bialik,
Madeleine Taylor Holmes,
Kevin Peter Hall,
Kerry Remsen,
Jeff East,
Joel Hoffman,
Kimberly Ross,
Cynthia Bain,
Florence Schauffler,
Buck Flower,
John D'Aquino
Genre:
Horror
Release Date:
October 14, 1988
MPAA Rating:
R
Runtime:
1hr 29min
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