Review of Pumpkinhead (1988) by Ruthie R — 30 Sep 2012
In his ungainly, deep-fried directorial debut â~Pumpkinheadâ(TM), Stan Winston, the connoisseur of animatronics and practical effects, has crafted another urban legend to rank alongside Candyman and Freddy Krueger.
Winston doesnâ(TM)t adhere to the â~Jawsâ(TM) rule where Spielberg slowly unveiled the shark in portions. Pumpkinheadâ(TM)s ghoulish, emaciated figure is explicitly shown in a 1957 prologue and he looks like a fragile marionette.
The only spine-tingling moment is when Ed (Lance Henriksen) hallucinates his son pleading âwhat did you do daddy?â?. The harmonica-and-banjo music is too folksy for a gothic horror movie. The teenage rabble in this movie is the stereotypical beer-guzzling punks who snicker at the cannibalistic yokels and Joel, the ringleader, is particularly callous and unsympathetic.
On top of that, Winstonâ(TM)s voodoo choreography during the stigmatic showdown near a barn is very cumbersome. Notwithstanding the hokey writing, the father-son relationship with Ed and Billy is wrenchingly touching.
This review of Pumpkinhead (1988) was written by Ruthie R on 30 Sep 2012.
Pumpkinhead has generally received mixed reviews.
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