Pumpkinhead

Pumpkinhead terrified me as a child, and of all of those featured on Throwback Thursday to date, is the one that has been the longest since I first saw it.

Pumpkinhead was the directorial debut for special-effects guru, Stan Winston (Jurassic Park). The story takes place in some small backwoods town. It shows a farmer and market owner Ed Harley (Lance Henriksen) and his son. One day at the shop, some young city folk show up with their motorcycles and fancy sports car as they are heading to a cabin in the woods for some weekend fun. Tragedy strikes and the young boy is killed in a reckless motorcycle accident, and the one responsible flees the scene leaving the others to try to find help. Grieving for his son, Ed seeks the aid of a witch. It is beyond her power to bring the child back, but she provides him another solution. She suggests calling forth the legendary revenge demon, Pumpkinhead, to exact his revenge on those responsible for the senseless death of his son. Pumpkinhead is released and begins taking out the youths, one by one. Ed is somehow connected to the demon and through its eyes witnesses their deaths - which forces him to doubt his rash decision. He tries to call the demon back, but it is too late. The other towns folk won't help because they know if they interfere, the demon will come for them too. But Ed knows he has to do something to try to save the others before their fate is also sealed by Pumpkinhead. 

The stuff of my childhood nightmares

A grieving father

The witch helps invoke Pumpkinhead

Pumpkinhead's revenge befalls one of the teens

Winston has a good eye for visuals in this movie, and of course the creature design for Pumpkinhead is outstanding. He also has some good character development, although the small town hick people are a little trite. When the movie gets really disturbing for me is when the demon begins to take on the face of Lance Henriksen. Of all of the scares, this time around, that is the one that will stick with me in my now adult life. Otherwise, I can say that I am over my childhood fear of Pumpkinhead. 

Pumpkinhead-Henriksen hybrid face *shutter*

Overall, I enjoyed the re-watch and the re-visit to a childhood nightmare. For the nostalgia and because, in my opinion, it holds up pretty well for effects, creature design and story, I give it a 3.5-skull rating.

My rating: