Pumpkinhead is an American supernatural horror film series that began in 1988. Originally inspired by a poem by Ed Justin,[1] the series centers on the eponymous demon who attacks whomever it is summoned to destroy.
| Pumpkinhead | |
|---|---|
| Original work | Pumpkinhead by Ed Justin |
| Owner | Motion Picture Corporation of America |
| Years | 1988–present |
| Films and television | |
| Film(s) | Pumpkinhead (1988) |
| Television film(s) |
|
| Direct-to-video | Pumpkinhead II: Blood Wings (1994) |
| Games | |
| Video game(s) | Bloodwings: Pumpkinhead's Revenge |
Films
edit| Film | U.S. release date | Director(s) | Screenwriter(s) | Story by | Producer(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pumpkinhead | October 14, 1988 | Stan Winston | Gary Gerani & Mark Patrick Carducci | Stan Winston, Richard C. Weinman & Mark Patrick Carducci | Bill Blake |
| Pumpkinhead II: Blood Wings | October 19, 1994 | Jeff Burr | Ivan Chachornia & Constantine Chachornia | Brad Krevoy | |
| Pumpkinhead: Ashes to Ashes | October 28, 2006 | Jake West | Jake West & Barbara Werner | Brad Krevoy, Donald Kushner & Pierre Spengler | |
| Pumpkinhead: Blood Feud | February 10, 2007 | Michael Hurst | Michael Hurst |
Pumpkinhead (1988)
editInspired by a poem by Ed Justin, the original film was released to theaters on October 14, 1988 and grossed over $4.3 million against a $3.5 million budget. The film stars Lance Henriksen, John D'Aquino, Jeff East, and Kerry Remsen.
As a child, Ed Harley witnesses a man be killed by a monster. In the present day, Harley's son Billy is killed by a group of teenagers. Ed contacts a witch named Haggis, first asking for the resurrection of Billy and then for revenge against the teens. Ed then retrieves a corpse so Haggis could complete the ritual that summons Pumpkinhead. Meanwhile, the teens contemplate what to do, but are interrupted by Pumpkinhead who terrorizes them throughout the night.
Pumpkinhead II: Blood Wings (1994)
editA direct-to-video film that is loosely connected to the others in the series. It was released on October 19, 1994. The film stars Andrew Robinson, Ami Dolenz, Soleil Moon Frye, and Roger Clinton Jr.
The film follows Sheriff Sean Braddock and his daughter Jenny coming to the town of Ferren Woods. An orphan who is the offspring of Pumpkinhead, Tommy, was killed thirty-five years ago in the town by a group of teens. In the present day, Jenny and a group of teens, including Denny, the son of Tommy's murderer Judge Dixon, inadvertently resurrect Tommy in the form of Pumpkinhead. Pumpkinhead then terrorizes the town, killing many of its inhabitants.
Pumpkinhead: Ashes to Ashes (2006)
editA TV film produced back-to-back with the fourth film was released on October 28, 2006. The film stars Lance Henrikson, Doug Bradley, and Lisa McAllister.
The townspeople are angered over the local mortician stealing and selling the organs of their loved ones and then dumping the corpses in a swamp, rather than cremating them. The townspeople have the old witch Haggis summon Pumpkinhead through the mummified body of Ed Harley, who was killed in the first film. Pumpkinhead returns and proceeds to go on his killing rampage murdering all those responsible for the desecration, while Doc Frasier hurries to murder those who summoned Pumpkinhead, which will effectively kill the demon in the process.
Pumpkinhead: Blood Feud (2007)
editA TV film produced back-to-back with the third film was released on February 10, 2007. The film stars Bob Gunter, Amy Manson, and Lance Henriksen.
Two motorcycle riders are fleeing Pumpkinhead, coming to a log cabin and finding the summoner of Pumpkinhead. After the summoner is killed and Pumpkinhead vanishes, Ed Harley appears, warning of Pumpkinseed's curse. Following the real-life events of the Hatfield-McCoy feud, star-crossed lovers Judy Hatfield and Ricky McCoy are caught in the midst of their family's feud. After the death of Sarah McCoy, Ricky and the summoner Haggis resurrect Pumpkinhead to take revenge on the Hatfields.
Reboot
editA reboot of the series is in the works[2] and was to be produced by Saw executive producer Peter Block.[3] Nate Atkins was set to write the script as a homage to the original film.[4] As of November 2021, the reboot is now made by Paramount Players with a script already written and news of who would direct to be announced "in the coming months".[5]
Cast
edit| Character | Pumpkinhead | Pumpkinhead II Blood Wings |
Pumpkinhead Ashes to Ashes |
Pumpkinhead Blood Feud |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1988 | 1994 | 2006 | 2007 | |
| Pumpkinhead | Tom Woodruff Jr. | Mark McCracken | Bob Gunter | |
| Ed Harley | Lance Henriksen | Lance Henriksen | ||
| Haggis | Florence Schauffer | Lynne Verrall | ||
| Joel | John D'Aquino | |||
| Chris | Jeff East | |||
| Maggie | Kerry Remsen | |||
| Kim | Kimberly Ross | |||
| Christine Wallace | Mayim Bialik | |||
| Mr. Wallace | Buck Flower | |||
Reception
editBox office performance
edit| Film | Release date | Box office gross | Budget | Reference | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| North America | Other territories | Worldwide | ||||
| Pumpkinhead | October 14, 1988 | $4,385,516 | N/A | N/A | $3.5 million | [6][7] |
Critical and public response
edit| Film | Rotten Tomatoes | Metacritic |
|---|---|---|
| Pumpkinhead | 65% (23 reviews)[8] | 47 (10 reviews)[9] |
| Pumpkinhead II: Blood Wings | 13% (8 reviews)[10] |
References
edit- ^ Harrington, Richard (1988-10-18). "'Pumpkinhead' (R)". The Washington Post. Retrieved 2014-01-21.
- ^ Miska, Brad (2014-04-03). "MPCA Rebooting 'Pumpkinhead' Series!". Bloody Disgusting. Retrieved 2014-04-07.
- ^ Malliaros, Matt (August 2, 2016). "Pumpkinhead to be Revived by Saw Executive Producer". Cinelinx. Archived from the original on July 12, 2018. Retrieved November 5, 2021.
- ^ Collins, Clark (August 2, 2016). "Saw executive producer to reboot Pumpkinhead franchise — exclusive". Entertainment Weekly.
- ^ Hamman, Cody (2021-11-15). "Pumpkinhead remake coming from Paramount Players?". JoBlo.com. Retrieved 2021-11-15.
- ^ "Pumpkinhead". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved October 19, 2020.
- ^ "Pumpkinhead (1988) - Financial Information". The Numbers.
- ^ "Pumpkinhead (1988)". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved October 19, 2020.
- ^ "Pumpkinhead Reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved October 19, 2020.
- ^ "Pumpkinhead II: Blood Wings". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved October 19, 2020.