1986 Pumpkinhead script - Revised first draft

Hello seekers of cruel, devious, pure as venom vengeance, I have in my possession an early version of the Pumpkinhead script written by Mark Patrick Carducci (with) Gary Gerani dated 1986. With it being one of the earlier drafts it is at times a bit different from what we see in the film (the ending being the biggest) and so I've decided I would share this draft with my fellow Pumpkinhead fans. I won't be posting the script in it's entirety (maybe someday) but I will post some of the scenes and other ways it is different from the film.

NOTE Some of the stuff in the film, such as Ed going to Haggis in hopes of calling off the bargain they made, and Ed going through seizures when Pumpkinhead does it's killing are in this draft as well, but since they play out the same way as they do in the film I won't be copying those scenes here.
The scenes and portions that I copy straight from the script will be in red.

Some of the characters are a little different from their movie counterparts so I'll begin there....

The man (Clayton Heller) being pursued by Pumpkinhead in the opening scene is named Amos Heller, other than that he and his scene basically plays out the same way, though in his final moments he finds the courage to face Pumpkinhead. It works out for him as about as well as you can imagine (not too good).

Ed Harley is very much the same character that we see in the movie. However he seems better off financially. In the movie we get the impression that he lives a fairly modest life with his son and that they have enough to get by but don't really have any luxuries.
In this draft he has a nicer house, has had some of his land excavated in preparation for a swimming pool and has hired a house keeper named Mrs. Carpenter.

Mrs. Carpenter is a character who does not appear in the film and exits the story very early on. Her reason for doing so isn't specifically stated but it is implied that she had some sort of family emergency.

Ed Harley's son Billy is very nearly blind, and described as living in a shadow world enriched solely by the love of his father and the unconditional devotion of his dog (Gypsy).

The outsider city kids (Joel, Kim, Steve, Maggie, Tracy, Steve) are pretty much the same as they are in the film with mostly minor differences, which are as follows....

Steve and Joel are not brothers
Steve and Chris are cousins.
Chris and Tracy are not a couple, and this trip is the first time they've met. Maggie is actively trying to get them together.

Steve's character is very different from his film counterpart.
In the film Steve seems like a likable/good person, and is the one who stays with Billy after the accident until Ed Harley returns.

In this draft not only does he flee the scene but he tricks Chris and Tracy into doing so as well. He does so by convincing them that they would all drive up to Ed Harley's house (which is just up the hill from Ed's food stand) to inform him of the accident and Billy's injuries. Instead once Steve gets Chris and Tracy into the vehicle he speeds off fleeing the scene while ignoring their objections and demands for him to turn around.
Ed Harley returns to find his beloved son abandoned and dead.
Steve is also portrayed as the leader of the group, and they leave the decision of whether they would go to the police or not to him, though Tracy and Chris form a secret pact and plan on going to the Police in the morning regardless of Steve's decision.

Unlike in the film, Maggie doesn't become a total basket case who all but completely shuts down after witnessing the accident involving Billy.

The character Bunt Wallace is named Frank in the script and is said to be twelve years of age where in the movie he seems to be more in the fourteen to fifteen year age range. Other than that he plays the same role that he does in the film. He's an opportunist, has a knack for getting himself into trouble, and is one of my favorite characters from the film.

Haggis is quite a bit more chatty in this early draft, which I don't really like. In the film she's more reserved and gets right to the point when she speaks, making her character more ominous IMO.

Pumpkinhead is described as being a "tall, hulking figure with powerful arms and a thick neck supporting an oddly-shaped head"
"The head is enlarged, deformed....the face blank, embryonic, in fact. The eyes and mouth are little more than slits, as if it were still awaiting a face."
NOTE - Just as we see in the film, throughout this draft Pumpkinhead's facial features become more like Ed Harley's as the story progresses.

The manner in which the deaths play out also contrast with the movie, so lets have a look......

 I've got this funny feeling that there's gonna be some KILLING 

STEVE
Steve goes outside the cabin to get some water from a well so Maggie can do the dinner dishes, and so he can clear his head and think.....

EXT. BRADLEY MOUNTAIN - LOG CABIN - WELL - NIGHT

Behind him (Steve) , in the woods, a branch SNAPS. Then ANOTHER. This time, Steve ignores the sounds, chalking them up to another raccoon. Suddenly: the WIND in the clearing SURGES. Behind Steve, a HULKING Figure steps into frame, looming over him. Steve spins. before he can scream, PUMPKINHEAD grips him SAVAGELY by the throat and throws him up against a tree. With shocking violence, Pumpkinhead breaks his right arm, SNAP!

EXT. TOWN CEMETERY - NIGHT

Ed, filling in Billy's grave, suddenly doubles over. His head JERKS backward and he flops to the ground, his body wracked by some kind of seizure! As he WRITHES, gripped, the cemetery disappears for him! Pumpkinhead's FIELD-OF-VISION is his! Ed experiences Pumpkinhead drive a clenched talon up into Steve's jaw. With PILE-DRIVER force, the jaw is driven into Steve's brain, instantly killing him.

With this blow, Ed's own feild-of-vision returns again. The seizure passes. Ed finds himself limp on the ground, gasping for air, as the realization of what is happening to him, and what it means, begins to set in.

ED- Oh, my God...oh, my God....

Keep in mind that Ed experiences these seizures every time Pumpkinhead kills in this script, though I won't be writing out each of these instances.

HEADS UP!!

The next death that occurs is that of a character who is not in the movie. This character is a young Ranger named Graham who after discovering the city slicker's vehicles all but destroyed (courtesy of Pumpkinhead) decides to investigate and heads for the cabin. Right after arriving at the cabin he is attacked and killed in front of the group as they watch on in horror.....

Chris takes a step toward the door to admit the Ranger. Suddenly, outside, they all see Pumpkinhead step out of nowhere, behind the man.

MAGGIE (SCREAMING) That's it! That's what I saw.

Tracy screws up her face in revulsion. Chris's eyes go wide. Kimberly and Joel stare, riveted. Then, Joel almost smiles, anticipating what is about to happen. Outside, the Ranger spins. SEES PUMPKINHEAD. And fumblingly, instinctively, makes a grab for his service revolver....

Pumpkinhead decapitates the screaming Ranger with a single swift flash of his talons. The Ranger's head sails out of frame.

INT. LOG CABIN - NIGHT

In slow-motion, the Ranger's head roles to a stand-still on the porch before the cabin door.

HEY MAGGIE, YOU'RE NEXT!!!!

In this script Maggie's death is very low key compared to her gruesome demise we witness in the film. In fact, if the scene was shot as it was written in this early draft, her death would have taken place entirely off screen.
In the script Maggie and the others escape out the back of the cabin, and when they pass Steve's lifeless, twisted body Maggie, in her distraught state, decides to stay with her beloved until her end, despite Tracy's pleas for her to come with her and the others....

....Pumpkinhead bears down on them.

Maggie remains on the ground, oblivious to her situation.

PUMPKINHEAD'S FIELD - OF - VISION IS OURS, tracking swiftly toward her. She looks up. Then, she gets to her feet with an eerie dignity. One of her hands holds tightly to one of Steve's. The winds in the area SURGE. At the last moment, Maggie closes her eyes....

EXT. BRADLEY MOUNTAIN - WOODS - NIGHT

TRACK BACK on Chris and Tracy as they run, Joel and Kimberly lead, a little distance ahead, with flashlights. The wind howls at their backs. After a second, it is joined by Maggie's death-scream....

TRACY (ANGUISHED) - Maggs....

PLEASE, SIR, I WANT SOME MORE

After a bit of running around, our final four come upon a camper owned by a middle aged couple (Art and Estelle) who are also characters who do not appear in the film. After a bit of pleading from the desperate city folk, Art and Estelle agree to take them down the mountain to where they parked their cars.
On the trip down, and just when it seemed their escape was at hand, Pumpkinhead brings down a tree which blocks their path to salvation. With no other choice but to go back the way they came, Art begins backing the camper up when again their path is cut off by another felled tree.
The group cautiously exits the camper into the darkness, when from atop the camper Pumpkinhead STRIKES AGAIN!!!!

Suddenly: the winds around the camper surge powerfully. One of Pumpkinhead's massive talons reaches down from above and hoist Kimberly up and out of frame, kicking and screaming.

JOEL - KIIIIM!

All look up. there on the camper roof, Pumpkinhead pulls a screaming Kimberly into his arms, stretches her over his knee and breaks he back. With his other talon, he strangles her. Estelle screams. Art takes one look at the creature and promptly passes out. Estelle drops beside him, frantically smacks his face, trying to revive him.

Chris, Tracy and Joel flee....

Atop the camper-- Pumpkinhead almost delicately lifts Kimberly's tilted back head, then lets it go. It drops back, lifelessly. He lifts her head again, watches it drop back, seemingly fascinated by the way her head can no longer support its own weight. Then, he flings her body aside. It rolls off the camper roof to the ground, wedged between the camper and the second felled tree.

Much to Estelle's relief, Pumpkinhead ignores her and Art and disappears into the dark forest.

GUNS DON'T KILL PEOPLE, PUMPKINHEADS KILL PEOPLE.......SOMETIMES WITH GUNS

Next up is Joel and his death in this draft is very similar to how he goes out in the movie.
After a lot of screaming,running and pounding on cabin doors and windows begging for help only to be ignored and turned away, our exhausted trio come upon an old Buick. Out of options they decide to try and hot wire the vehicle, their efforts are unsuccessful however and they find themselves held at gun point after the Buick's owner catches them in the middle of their misdeed.
Joel makes for the Hill Man's shotgun, wrestles it from his grasp and clubs him over the head, knocking him out. Suddenly Pumpkinhead once again appears!!!

Pumpkinhead is bearing down on them....

PUMPKINHEAD's FEILED - OF - VISION IS OURS, as he advances straight for Joel....

Joel sees him coming. Takes aim with the shotgun . Fires on the creature with both barrels, hitting him in the chest!

The blast throws Pumpkinhead backwards. He crumbles, but immediately begins to rise.

Joel drops down beside the passed-out hill man. Digs a handful of shotgun shells out of his pockets. Quickly reloads and blasts Pumpkinhead again, as the creature advances. The force of the blast knocks Pumpkinhead back again.

Pumpkinhead staggers backward and almost drops. Joel reloads a third time. Fires. Pumpkinhead is knocked to the ground. The creature struggles to rise, talons clawing the air. Joel, Chris and Tracy watch it weaken, hoping it's in it's death throes. At last, Pumpkinhead is still.

Tracy and Chris stare around the enclave. The winds have faded. The mildest of breezes now blow, Pumpkinhead is dead.

Just like in the movie, Joel gets a little ahead of himself celebrating an early victory, and pays dearly for it.

Suddenly, almost PNEUMATICALLY, the gaping wounds in Pumpkinheads chest fill, and seal themselves in some kind of incredibly rapid healing process. The winds in the area surge. Pumpkinhead sits up, shoots out a talon. Grabs Joel by the ankle and shatters it. JOEL SCREAMS.

Effortlessly Pumpkinhead rises to his full height. Rips the shotgun from Joel's hand. THRUST it, spear-like through Joel's stomach! The bloody barrel of the shotgun bursts through Joel's back! As it does, Joel's scream cuts out.

Pumpkinhead yanks the shotgun out of Joel's abdomen and flings him aside.

AND THEN THERE WERE TWO....I MEAN THREE..AGAIN.

This part of the draft plays out much like the film. Chris and Tracy do some more running/yelling and finally come to the Wallace's home. The young boy Bunt Wallace (Frank in the script)who lead Ed Harley to Haggis decides to try and help Chris and Tracy by taking them to an old burned up Church, which he thinks might be a safe haven of sorts. After arriving at the church he explains to Chris and Tracy the mythology of Pumpkinhead, and shortly after the Demon arrives.
Unlike the film however, Chris battles Pumpkinhead while Frank and Tracy make for the spot were the group had parked their cars earlier.

FIGHT!!!!

The creature seems almost reluctant to enter the church. Then, tentatively, he takes a step forward. The church is clearly repellent to him, but he must enter. He takes another step forward, then another...

Chris, Frank and Tracy begin backing away. The winds in the church begin to surge, beating against them. Behind them are the woods, and....escape.

Chris lifts a heavy, eight foot, charred beam. It's end is sharpened to a lethal point.

TRACY - Chris, don't! Let's just run!

Chris moves toward Pumpkinhead with the beam held out before him.

CHRIS (ADVANCING) - I'm right behind you! Get going!



Frank and Tracy back out of the old church and into the woods.

Pumpkinhead strides up the aisle toward Chris. Chris waits, the sharpened beam extended. When he judges Pumpkinhead close enough: Chris lunges, impales Pumpkinhead through the chest with it! Pumpkinhead claws at the beam. Chris pushes against it with all his strength, driving it further in. The sharpened point of the beam bursts through Pumpkinhead's back!

Chris retreats. Pumpkinhead stops, stares at Chris, directly at him, and in a slow, smooth motion slides the beam out of his body through the back and tosses it defiantly aside.

Chris turns and runs. Pumpkinhead advances up the aisle, faster and faster, winds surging to GALE force all around him....

Chris catches up with Frank and Tracy, and Frank leads them through the woods and finally to the spot where they had parked their cars. Upon their arrival, their hopes are dashed as they find that Pumpkinhead had the forethought to destroy any means of their potential escape. But all was not lost....

DRIVE WITH CAUTION, PUMPKINHEAD CROSSING

They reach the Land Rover, turned on its side. Their hopes of escape by car evaporate.

CHRIS - I guess we keep running....

Tentatively, Frank puts out his hand and gives the overturned Rover a little shove. It rocks back and forth....

FRANK - Chris...?

Chris looks at him. Frank demonstrates again, gives the Rover another little shove. It rocks back and forth again. Chris gets the idea.


Putting their backs into it, our three PUSH the overturned Land Rover back onto its wheels. Bouncing on fat tires, the Rover rights itself.

The three of them pile into the Rover. Tracy hands Chris the key. He inserts it, turns the ignition. To the INCREDIBLE RELIEF of all, the engine ROARS to life INSTANTLY.

CHRIS - Yeah!

Chris hits the HIGH BEAMS. And there, winds howling around him, striding out of the forest headed right for them, is Pumpkinhead.

TRACY - Chris!

Chris jams reverse, nails the throttle, backing up.

TRACY - Run him down! Floor it, Chris! Run the fudger dooooowwnn!!!! (Only she didn't say fudge. She said THE word. The big one. The queen mother of dirty words. The F --- word.)

Chris WANTS to. And Does, shifts into drive, jets forward, bearing down on the creature. The Rover strikes Pumpkinhead head-on, knocking him down. He drops beneath the moving vehicle and Chris stops, bouncing over rocks and grass. Chris jams reverse again, backing up.

When Pumpkinhead's body dose not appear on the ground in the Rover's wake, Chris and Tracy look at each other with premonitory DREAD. Suddenly: a talon rises from beneath the front end, getting a grip on a fender....

FRANK - It's on the Hood!

Pumpkinhead hauls himself up into frame, onto the hood of the moving vehicle. Chris CRANKS the wheel, circling, trying to throw the thing off, but he holds fast. Starts to claw his way up the hood toward the windshield.

Chris zig-zags all over the parking area. Pumpkinhead draws back his fist, and Punches into the windshield. Inside the Rover, Chris and Tracy are sprayed with glass as his fist SHOOTS through. Chris plasters himself tightly into his seat, as Pumpkinhead's lacerated talon inches closer, closer... The creature's talon gets a stranglehold on him!

Frank discoverers a hand axe on the floor of the Rover, Chops at Pumpkinhead's arm with it. The creature ignores this, chocking Chris. Chris manages to brake to a stop. Tracy FRANTICALLY tries prying Pumpkinhead's fingers from his throat, but can't. Chris STRANGLES right beside her.

Pumpkinhead releases Chris and clambers of the hood. Chris slumps against the door, dead. Frank jumps out of the Land Rover.

FRANK (to Tracy) - Get out of there!

Pumpkinhead RIPS open Tracy's door. Tracy has to climb across Chris's body to escape on his side. She takes a last look at him then, she and Frank take off.

At this point, like in the movie, Tracy and Frank/Bunt are rescued by Ed Harley, who after realizing the error of his ways seeks to save the lives of those remaining, because he's cool like that and feels guilty and stuffs.

In the script, during the ride to Ed Harley's house Tracy (who does not yet know that Billy has indeed died of his injuries) has some bitter words for Mr Harley. She softens up a bit after Ed reveals to her that his son had perished.

After arriving at Ed's home, he leads Tracy and Frank into the house, and then proceeds to the barn where he devises a plan to end this nightmare, (which is good because I'm getting tired of typing.)

Tracy instructs Frank to stay in the house, while she goes to meet Mr Harley in the barn. Ed reveals his plan which is to use a flamethrower to drive Pumpkinhead into that bit of excavated land that he was planning on having a pool put into, and then finish the demon off with some dynamite!! Yeah, that's right he has dynamite, doesn't everyone?
Pumpkinhead arrives and sets his sights on the house where Frank is alone....

INT. ED HARLEY'S HOUSE - KITCHEN - NIGHT

The empty kitchen, a beat, and a hulking silhouette appears in the kitchen back doorway. Suddenly, Pumpkinhead punches through the upper glass portion. The noise is covered by Gypsy's barking. Winds GUST into the room. Pumpkinhead struggles to find the inner doorknob, then HURLS his weight against the flimsy door and smashes it open.

Ed and Tracy cross the yard toward the house. Suddenly, Ed puts a hand to his head, reeling. He stares up at the house, shot through with an AWFUL CERTAINTY.

ED - It's here....inside the house!

TO BE CONTINUED