MovieChat Forums > Pumpkinhead (1989) Discussion > Still A Masterpiece In My Opinion...

Still A Masterpiece In My Opinion...

posted 10 years ago by jlrucilez
41 replies | jump to latest

I'm 36. I grew up in the 80s/90s, so I have a healthy appreciation for the "modern classics" like, An American Werewolf In London, Halloween, etc. And Pumpkinhead has always been one of my favorites. After watching it last night with my gf, I still think it's a masterpiece. Creepy atmosphere, compelling story, incredible performance by Lance Henriksen, and the monster itself is one of the last great creations of that pre-CGI era. This time around, I really noticed the color palette of the film; lots of deep reds and blues, very much like Argento's Suspiria...

My gf, on the other hand--who's 40, loves horror, but also likes newer movies way more than I--doesn't find Pumpkinhead all that great. She feels that the initial premise is hokey, that Ed Harley should've killed the kids himself if he was that upset.

On the contrary, one of the things I really like about this film is its depiction of backwoods hill people. The way they protect their own. Buck Flower's small role is especially poignant, along with his Tom Sawyer-like son. Therefore, I find the character of Ed Harley and the decisions that he makes to be very authentic. I buy it, fully. Not to mention, if he didn't go to Haggis, or tried to kill them himself, it wouldn't have been Pumpkinhead. And we would've been robbed of some of the best horror movie dialogue ever:

"Godd@mn you! Godd@mn you!"

"He already has, son. He already has..."

"That's some bad hat, Harry."--Chief Martin Brody, "Jaws"

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[–] michael-watkins-laj7 10 years ago

i'm approaching 35 and this is easily in my top 5 of favorite horror movies. as a horror geek, this is a movie that i'm not embarrassed to show to non-horror fans.

[–] jlrucilez 10 years ago

I could be wrong, but it seems like Pumpkinhead's a favorite amongst most horror fans. I don't know if it would make it onto my top five or even top ten with so many greats to choose from, like Halloween, The Shining, Alien, etc, but It'd definitely be somewhere in my top twenty...

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[–] michael-watkins-laj7 10 years ago

I amend my earlier statement. Pumpkinhead, the characer, is easily in my top 5 of horror movie villains. movie-wise, Halloween and Black Christmas are at the top.

[–] jlrucilez 10 years ago

Pumpkinhead's definitely the last truly scary "monster" movie I can think of...

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[–] boramaster 9 years ago

I got to show this to to some some full bore geeky Austinites who had no idea about the film and went from, (mind you, this was at a party), "Hey,this ain't bad" to well, they shut up and just watched. Kinda neat. This gets better with repeated viewings.

[–] dooovall 10 years ago

I've been describing Pumpkinhead as a "nearly flawless" film in e-mails to friends as I rave about how much I like this project. I watched it on Blu-ray in the wee morning hours today and remembered why the tale got under my skin when I watched it for the first time in my life (last year on standard def DVD). The atmosphere in the cemetery scene and the lair of the old woman who works her dark magic alone is breathtaking. The plot of a father losing his son in such a horrible way is heartwrenching and made all the more tragic by Ed Harley's own death in the denouement. Pumpkinhead the creature is indeed one of the last truly frightening monsters from the bygone age of practical effects.

[–] jlrucilez 10 years ago

Agreed!

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[–] michael-watkins-laj7 10 years ago

in a lot of ways it's an old fashioned grimm fairy tale w/ a somewhat more modern setting. i think that's what i appreciated most about the film. i'm also extremely grateful to have grown up in a time where practical effects were pretty much at their peak (quality-wise).

[–] 10 years ago

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[–] jlrucilez 10 years ago

Well said, Bornoutoftime.

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[–] fatalframe80 9 years ago

The only part I thought that didn't make sense (and could have been easily fixed) is why on earth would he leave his kid there with them?
The easy fix would have been that they arrived after the dad had left and come back to find his son.
Other than that I truly love this movie. The little boy is adorably great and Lance Henrikson is awesome.

Part of why it always gets me is that really only one character deserved to die. The rest are innocent and tried to help. It really drives hinge the theme of vengeance. Great movie.

[–] mel2000 9 years ago

The only part I thought that didn't make sense... is why on earth would he leave his kid there with them?

They weren't even remotely a threat to his kid at the time.

Part of why it always gets me is that really only one character deserved to die. The rest are innocent and tried to help.

I get your point. However, all but one left the scene of the crime. The one who didn't, survived.

[–] Jack-o-lantern_2623 9 years ago

However, all but one left the scene of the crime. The one who didn't, survived.

Actually this is incorrect. The character that stayed with Billy was Steve, and he was the first one out of the group killed by Pumpkinhead.

[–] mel2000 9 years ago

Yes indeed. Thanks for the correction.

[–] Jack-o-lantern_2623 9 years ago

No problem, it happens to the best of us 

[–] fatalframe80 9 years ago

I think you misunderstood a bit. I thought it was appropriate that the innocent got killed as well because it drove home the vengeance theme. Innocent bystanders can get hurt as well.

And, as far as the teens go, no, they weren't a that at the time but the movie made it pretty clear that he didn't like them and just because a stranger isn't a present threat to my son doesn't mean I would trust them enough to leave him with them, unsupervised. I can't see an insular community trusting city strangers like that.

[–] goobikza 9 years ago

Just think how much scarier Pumpkinhead would've been as a shaky cam found footage feature! Haha, just kidding. Shaky cam found footage movies all suck.

Pumpkinhead is freaking amazing, I love how Pumpkinhead toys with the victims before killing them, carves a cross on that girl's forehead and presses her face against the window...incredible.



[–] jlrucilez 9 years ago

I'm sure when Hollywood decides to "reboot" Pumpkinhead, some found footage shaky cam will find its way into the movie somehow.

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[–] jlrucilez 9 years ago

I'm sure when Hollywood decides to "reboot" Pumpkinhead, some found footage shaky cam will find its way into the movie somehow.

www.amazon.com/author/jlrucilez

[–] Jack-o-lantern_2623 9 years ago

Indeed Pumpkinhead is a masterpiece and my favorite horror movie of all time on account of all those things you listed above. I'm also an 80s child and this movie use to scare the crap out of me but in a good way. When I was a kid I had that thing coming at me in my sleep, the funny thing is I would wake up startled but instead of being relieved to be out of the nightmare I'd be thinking Whoa!! that was pretty sweet.

Sadly this film no longer offers me any scares as I've worn it out pretty good over the years but when it comes to horror Pumpkinhead will always be my #1.

[–] digitalzomby 9 years ago

I was about 31 when I first saw Pumpkinhead and it was IMO right up there with my all time favorite, Hellraiser from a year earlier.

I don't think for us who have seen it so many times, miss the scariness of it, but it's the inner subconscious of a crazy reality/fantasy that Stan Winston wanted to give us, he damn well did!

When it first came out I use to tell everyone about it cause it stuck in me and I had to tell them. Same as Hellraiser, I had to tell everyone about it...

*edit*
that crazy/reality fantasy thing I said can also go for my thoughts of Hellraiser but Barker in place of Winston

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[–] Jack-o-lantern_2623 9 years ago

Hey man, I agree with what you wrote.

I've also introduced this film to a lot of people, friends,co workers and girlfriends. But most the time I got the impression that I enjoyed it more than they did. A lot of them looked at me like "you gotta be kidding" when they heard the title -Pumpkinhead.
On that note, the movie was originally going to be titled Vengeance The Demon, and I'm pretty sure that's what the UK release calls it. I also have a German movie poster that calls it "Das Halloween Monster - der sicherste weg in die hölle"

According to google translation der sicherste weg in die hölle" means The surest way to hell.

🎃

[–] digitalzomby 9 years ago

That was about the same reaction that I use to get telling people about it. Because of the title of it - Pumpkinhead??? lol

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[–] Jack-o-lantern_2623 9 years ago

Yeah it's true, the title doesn't do the movie any favors LOL.

[–] mel2000 9 years ago

the title doesn't do the movie any favors....

It's a good flick, and the US title is one of the most memorable things about it.

[–] Jack-o-lantern_2623 9 years ago

It's a good flick, and the US title is one of the most memorable things about it.

I never said it wasn't a "good flick". I happen to think it's a great film. It's easily my favorite horror film, and on my top five list regardless of genre. My comment about the film's title is due to the reactions I get when introducing this film to those unfamiliar with it. Most of the time (in my experience) people dismiss it on account of the name alone. Maybe I'm introducing it to the wrong people lol. Lance (Ed Harley) Henriksen himself has stated that he was initially put off by the title.

[–] BlackhawksWin 9 years ago

I agree 100% w/ everything you said. I'm 31 & my parents were horror fanatics so I was raised on horror movies. I think a lot of people who weren't raised on horror (or at least saw all the classics in addition to the 80s, early 90s horror) tend to prefer newer enhanced horror movies. Usually the people who fit in that category tend to think most of the 80s horror- especially slasher flicks are goofy & dumb. I just watched Pumpkinhead again & pretty much everything you said is the reason I love this movie.

[–] jlrucilez 9 years ago

Thank you, BlackhawksWin.

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[–] guerhan-arslan 8 years ago

Oh come one, please. It's a *beep* movie. What you describe is nostalgia. The movie is terrible. Not scary at all. The director never did anything good before or after. It's an insanely stupid movie. Or let's say it's badly done at least.

[–] jlrucilez 8 years ago

Well, who could argue with such an eloquent and thoughtful review of Pumpkinhead, guerhan-arslan. You seem to be quite the erudite cinephile; most learned in all aspects of film. I imagine you own most, if not all, of The Criterion Collection, and engage in the most profound intellectual discussions of art with your friends.

Thanks for enlightening all of us in such an uncompromising way.

But Pumpkinhead is still a masterpiece.

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[–] guerhan-arslan 8 years ago

You can call it what you want. *beep* stays *beep*

[–] Jack-o-lantern_2623 8 years ago

*beep* stays *beep*

I agree. Your post is *beep* and will stay *beep*