PUMPKINHEAD (1988)

Directed by Stan Winston

Starring Lance Henriksen and Cynthia Bain

Best-known as the directorial debut of renowned make-up artist Winston, "Pumpkinhead" is actually a pretty good late '80s horror film. Produced in a time when horror fans were desperate for product, "Pumpkinhead" was warmly received and even spawned a sequel. It still holds up as a decent fear flick. Its biggest asset, not surprisingly: excellent make-up effects.

The film opens in a redneck hillbilly area, where a young boy is traumatized one evening, when his family won't allow a screaming man inside their home. Turns out the man is being chased by Pumpkinhead, a demon-creature that will slaughter anyone that gets in its way. Flash forward 20-plus years.

The boy is now an adult man (Henriksen), who works the land like his father did. He was one son. When a group of motorcycle riding teens show up and accidentally kill his boy, Henriksen becomes enraged. He goes up into the hills to visit an old witch. He asks her to bring his boy back to life. She says she can't do that. But she can satisfy his desire for revenge. After he leaves, the teens find themselves being picked off one by one by Pumpkinhead. No one in the area will help them, claiming they've been "marked." By the time, Henriksen realizes what he's unleashed and wants to send Pumpkinhead back, the witch tells him it's too late. Pumpkinhead will continue picking off the teens one by one until they're all gone.

"Pumpkinhead" isn't a perfect movie. It sometimes seems a little bit too dark (not in a metaphorical sense, but in a literal sense), and it's tough to see what the hell's going on sometimes. That might have something to do with video (and later DVD) releases of the film. But it was also photographed that way. The film is also humorless. The characters for the most part come across as pretty flat. You don't love 'em or hate 'em. One of the film's saving graces is Henriksen who does his usual Henriksen routine. He was perfectly cast for the part. As I mentioned earlier, the make-up effects are also stellar. It's great and refreshing to see a realistic-looking monster that clearly wasn't crafted in a computer lab. Pumpkinhead is a man in a costume, but it's such a good costume it really makes you believe you're looking at an infernal creature.

Another weakness of the film: The whole id thing. Aren't we all a little sick of movies about a character's id being on the loose killing people? "Forbidden Planet" did it. "Monkey Shines" did it. Here, "Pumpkinhead" does it. Every time, a character is torn because this id creature is doing what his dark nature wants, but what his light nature doesn't want. Been done, so many times. But it's done pretty well here.

In short, if you're a horror fan, see this movie. It'll be a worthwhile watch.