Pumpkinhead (film)

Infobox_film
name = Pumpkinhead


caption = "Pumpkinhead" movie poster
amg_id = 1:39665
imdb_id = 0095925
director = Stan Winston
writer = Stan Winston
Richard C. Weinman
Gary Gerani
Mark Patrick Carducci
producer = Bill Blake
starring = Lance Henriksen
Jeff East
John D'Aquino
Kimberly Ross
Joel Hoffman
Cynthia Bain
Kerry Remsen
Dick Warlock
cinematography = Bojan Bazelli
editing = Marcus Manton
music = Richard Stone
runtime = 86 min.
distributor = MGM
United Artists
released = October, 1988
language = English
country = USA
budget = $3,500,000 (estimated)
followed_by =
preceded_by =

"Pumpkinhead" (1988) is a supernatural horror film, combining elements of fable, fairy tale, and morality. It was the directorial debut of noted special-effects artist Stan Winston.

A group of teenagers camping in a remote mountain resort kill a boy in a dirtbike accident and cover it up, exciting his aggrieved father (Lance Henriksen) to vow for revenge. Enlisting the help of a local witch, an old woman named Haggis, he conjures up a demonic monster, nicknamed "Pumpkinhead" by the local rural mountain folk because of the "Pumpkin Patch Graveyard" it is buried in, to kill those responsible for his son's death. When the monster starts killing the teenagers, the man sees visions of the murders, feels the victims' pain, and believing his vengeance has gone too far, attempts to aid the teenagers. It is implied that after Pumpkinhead has completed his work the father has become the next Pumpkinhead, and is placed in the graveyard for the next person to summon.

A sequel, entitled ', went straight to video in 1994. A third movie, called "Pumpkinhead 3: The Original Sin" was written by Jeffery Reddick, the writer of "Final Destination", but issues of the rights prevented it from entering production. Two additional sequels, titled ' and ', were filmed in 2006 as made for television movies and aired on SCI FI. ' aired in October 2006, and "" aired on February 10, 2007. The film has become a classic and popular with horror fans. [http://www.scifi.com/schedulebot/index.php3?date=10-FEB-2007&feed_req=] .

Comic

Dark Horse Comics also published a Pumpkinhead comic book series called "Pumpkinhead: The Rites of Exorcism". The comic was supposed to be a four part mini-series but only two issues were published. The second one leaving readers in a cliff hanger with the prospect of a winged Pumpkinhead appearing in the third issue.

Original poem

Pumpkinhead was inspired by the following poem by Ed Justin:

quotation|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.

Trivia

* As the movie progresses, Pumpkinhead begins to look more and more like Ed Harley, the father in the movie played by Lance Henriksen.
* The movie was Stan Winston's directorial debut.

*Horrorpunk band, The Misfits recorded a song based on the film for their 6th studio album, "Famous Monsters".

* The cabin where the teenagers are staying is also the cabin used in "".

* An excerpt from an Ed Justing poem is heard on Boondox's album Punkinhed, which is also inspired by the movie.