Pumpkinhead

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Pumpkinhead

Pumpkinhead movie poster
Directed by Stan Winston
Produced by Bill Blake
Written by Stan Winston
Richard Weinman
Ed Justin
Starring Lance Henriksen
Jeff East
John D'Aquino
Kimberly Ross
Joel Hoffman
Cynthia Bain
Kerry Remsen
Dick Warlock
Music by Richard Stone
Cinematography Bojan Bazelli
Editing by Marcus Manton
Distributed by MGM
United Artists
Release date(s) January 13, 1989
Running time 86 min.
Country USA
Language English
Budget $3,500,000 (estimated)
Followed by Pumpkinhead II: Blood Wings
All Movie Guide profile
IMDb profile

Pumpkinhead (1989) is a supernatural horror film, combining elements of fable, fairy tale, and morality play. 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, and his aggrieved father (Lance Henriksen) vows 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's 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 believes the monster went too far, and attempts to aid the teenagers.

A sequel, entitled Pumpkinhead II: Blood Wings, was released in 1994. A third movie, called "Pumpkinhead 3: The Original Sin" was written by Jeffery Reddick, the writer of Final Destination, but rights issues prevented it from entering production. Two additional sequels, titled Pumpkinhead: Ashes to Ashes and Pumpkinhead: Blood Feud, were filmed in 2006 as made for television movies to be aired on SCI FI. Pumpkinhead: Ashes to Ashes aired in October 2006, with Pumpkinhead: Blood Feud airing Saturday, February 10th, 2007 at 9PM Eastern. [1].

The horror-punk band The Misfits wrote a song inspired by this movie, entitled "Pumpkin Head", that appears on their album Famous Monsters.

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 for some unknown reason, 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.

Pumpkinhead was inspired by the following poem by Ed Justin:

Keep away from Pumpkinhead,

Unless you're tired of living,

His enemies are mostly dead,

He's mean and unforgiving,

Bolted doors and windows barred,

Guard dogs prowling in the yard,

Won't protect you in your bed,

Nothing will, from Pumpkinhead.

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