Keep away from Pumpkinhead,
Unless you’re tired of living
Master filmmaker Steven Spielberg knew what he was doing when he veiled his great white shark throughout much of the first half of Jaws. The mystery and suspense builds; the audience creates a more villainous animal through their collective imaginations. And when the shark is finally revealed in all its glory, the audience is hooked. But master effects artist and first time director Stan Winston was all like “Eff that Ess”. He shows us his Pumpkinhead. Early and throughout the runtime. In glorious detail. Perhaps even more amazing than this wonderfully realized and showcased creature is the rich and engaging story that accompanies it.
Winston got his first shot at directing with this 1988 project, and after having already been instrumental in the creation of effects for The Terminator, Aliens, and Predator, this was Winston’s time to show the world he could sculpt stories too. The result is a testament to his storytelling expertise as well as his team’s masterful handle on practical creature effects.
Pumpkinhead stars Lance Henriksen as Ed Harley, a widower with a precocious young son who runs a country shop in what appears to be Appalachian country. But when tragedy strikes due to a group of douchey teenagers dirtbiking in the woods (naturally), Harley seeks vengeance from a backwoods witch with dark powers. The Pumpkinhead creature is no less than a demon from hell, complete with the overt desire to not only end the lives of those whom its conjuror requested, but also to damn the soul of its conjuror.
The core of the story is no less than the fate of Ed Harley’s soul, and Henriksen sells that journey with all he’s got. There’s a feeling of real loss and anger that the audience feels through his performance and that of his charming young son (Matthew Hurley), which justifies the conjuring of the demon. But when Harley realizes what he’s done and attempts to right his wrongs, the havoc he has unleashed may be more than he can bear.
There’s a repeated theme of the innocent backwoods folk being called upon to help save begging victims from their fate at the hands of Pumpkinhead. Folks around these parts know that they have to stay in their homes and not get involved. They have to let the cycle of vengeance play out without getting dragged into things. This element offers a counterpoint to the good samaritan parable which I found effective. There’s also a bit of a Hebrew “Golem” vibe to the birthing of the creature and the conjuror’s inability to control what he has wrought. So the creature’s mythology feels very grounded in Judeo-Christian roots with just the right amount of country flare to satisfy.
And while the story deals in pretty intense religious iconography and settles on a bleak and moralistic note, there’s an endless stream of fun visuals and moments that serve as the ideal counterpoint to a surprisingly weighty morality tale. When one of the douchey teens attempts to mend things with Harley, Henriksen gives a death stare for the ages. There’s a great use of silence throughout the movie, with this scene being the best example. Pumpkinhead regularly avoids excessive dialog and exposition, to writers Mark Patrick Carducci and Gary Gerani’s credit. And while that is crucial to the film’s success, that isn’t really part of the “fun” that I was hinting at.
The fun comes with the creature and the various ways that it dispatches the wholly disposable teens that are the most middling element of the movie. At one point the teens are discussing their situation in a cabin in the woods (obviously) and the creature glides across the window in gloriously creepy fashion. It also seems to have a crucifix fixation, carving them into its victims and destroying any crosses it comes across. This thing has some creative kills worthy of Jason Vorhees which I won’t spoil here, but won’t disappoint horror fans. The creature’s design evolves throughout the movie in a way that bolsters the narrative and also simply looks awesome. Winston’s workshop created an animatronic head for the creature which is able to grimace, growl, and grin to chilling effect.
Filled with small moments of power, fun, and grand production design; then topped off with one of horror cinema’s greatest practical creatures, Pumpkinhead exceeded my best memories of the film with this latest re-watch. Fans of Stan Winston’s creatures will find an iconic movie monster, and they’ll stay for a weighty and satisfying horror yarn.
The Package
Scream Factory and Red Shirt Productions have partnered to bring us, without a doubt, the ultimate and definitive edition of this film. While the film itself has occasional blurry shots which almost certainly existed in the original print, the transfer still does look pretty great, if not the greatest I’ve ever seen. But while the quality of the film itself is the centerpiece of this release, the disc is also packed out with extras that are original to this release and filled with anecdotes and entertainment, as well as insight into the Stan Winston Studios that is simply wonderful for fans. This is a case where I’d wholeheartedly recommend a purchase of this disc for any horror or creature feature fans. I’m thrilled to own this set and hope to revisit it often over the years.
Pumpkinhead Unearthed: An hour long, originally produced documentary featuring all the stars, producers, and effects artists that you could ever want to see.
Remembering The Monster Kid: A Tribute To Stan Winston: Another full hour documentary featuring different interview footage and expertly assembled to pack a punch. Stan Winston was a legend, but this isn’t a fluff piece. Rather it features artists who knew him well, whose careers were forever bolstered by him, but who share real stories about his work ethic, quirks, and legacy.
Interview segments with Producer Richard Weinman and actors John D’Aquino (the douchiest of all the douchey teens), and Matthew Hurley (the grown actor who played the little Harley boy).
Audio Commentary with co-screenwriter Gary Gerani and creature and effects artists Tom Woodruff, Jr and Alec Gillis.
There’s also a featurette about detailed Pumpkinhead toys, archival behind the scenes footage testing the creature costume, a still gallery, and original trailer.
All told there’s over 4 hours of bonus material on this disc, bolstering a remarkably solid and underappreciated horror film helmed by a (the?) master creature creator. Stop reading this and go check out this Blu-ray.
And I’m Out.