Ed Harley (the great Lance Henriksen) runs a grocery store with his young son, until one day Harley's son is killed in a tragic accident involving a group of college students on vacation. Overcome by grief, Harley sets out to find an old witch, with whose help he resurrects a demon to seek vengeance on the teens. The rest of the film, as might be expected, is made up of this pumpkin-headed monstrosity's picking off one person after another. Given its premise there is surprisingly little gore here. The monster effects on the other hand, in a film directed by a special effects guru, are as excellent as you would expect; one of those prime examples of why CGI should be kept out of horror movies.
The film was based on a poem by Ed Justin which I thought was fun enough to include here:
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.
There are a number of pros and cons to this film, though its flaws are great. Aside from a great performance by Lance Henriksen, most of the acting in this movie is overdone and ridiculous. Also, the music, particularly that in the dark moments, is more than a bit on the cheesy side. Despite all the bad acting and corniness, this is still a fun, eerie movie with a great idea behind it, and for those fans of monster movies and cool practical effects, Pumpkinhead is a must.
For tomorrow, Hatchet (2006).
No comments:
Post a Comment