Pumpkinhead (1988)

Directed by Stan Winston. Starring Lance Henriksen, John D’Aquino, Jeff East, Cynthia Bain, Kerry Remsen, Joel Hoffman, Kimberly Ross, Brian Bremer, Florence Schauffer, Matthew Hurley. [R]

Distraught and driven to revenge against the group of young campers responsible for his son’s death, widowed country store operator Henriksen turns to a wizened witch for help. She raises a demonic creature known as “Pumpkinhead” (although its head is hardly pumpkin-like), but the father is unable to control the monster’s wrath. Familiar stuff, a horror-revenge tale with a moral/warning, and strains of, among others, Paul Wegener’s Jewish folklore-inspired The Golem and Stephen King’s 1983 novel “Pet Sematary” (adapted into its own feature film year after this one). Directorial debut for special makeup effects expert Stan Winston, so we’re guaranteed a good-looking monster, but it’s hardly a new look, and after an absorbing start, the narrative starts spinning its wheels in the second half, and atmosphere and craft can only take it so far. Winston also earned co-story credit. Although it was neither a critical nor financial success, the pic spawned multiple sequels (one straight to video, two made for TV) and inspired a comic book series and video game.

62/100