Pumpkinhead: Ashes to Ashes
Release Date: March 27, 2007 Tag Line: Dead, buried, and back with a vengeance Description: It’s been two decades since the late Ed Harley (Lance Henricksen, AVP - Alien Vs. Predator ) last conjured up the demonic avenger known as Pumpkinhead. So when the citizens of a small southern village discover the town’s physician (Doug Bradley, Hellraiser) has been selling their loved ones’ organs and dumping the bodies in a swamp, they ask the old witch, Haggis, to invoke the demon’s wrath and avenge their desecrated kin. Summoned from the mummified remains of Ed Harley himself, the creature proceeds to wreak havoc upon any and all who get in its way. After twenty years in limbo, Pumpkinhead has finally returned to settle the score. Running time: 95 minutes Rating: R (For language and some violent content) Scoop ReviewPlot: This is actually the third movie in the Pumpkinhead series. The first one, if you can believe it, is called Pumpkinhead. It’s become something of a cult classic. The second one, titled Pumpkinhead 2 - Blood Wings, has not. In this third flick, Lance Henricksen’s character from the original—Ed Harley— returns in spirit form to haunt one of the misguided evil doers and predict doom for all involved. (He’s not a pessimist; he’s a realist.) The core of the plot is similar to the first two movies because hey, you can’t dial up Pumpkinhead unless you have a need for vengeance . . . and of course, you’ve accumulated enough Frequent Pumpkinhead Points. Acting: Henricksen barely has any screen time, but his appearances are among the film’s high points. His flippant attitude and his I-don-t-give-a-damn-‘cause-I’m-damned demeanor is rather refreshing, especially considering the B-level talent that surrounds him. However, Bradley is also entertaining as the demented doc. You almost find yourself rooting for him. Almost. Special Effects: As you might expect, there’s some CGI mixed in with the more traditional blood-and-gore effects. Remember, in the original, it was Stan Winston who supplied the effects, and no computer is a match for Stan the Man. I know CGI effects are cheaper these days, but this flick might have been better off without them. Ridiculous Dialogue Samples:
Keep an Eye Out For. . .
The Straight Scoop: Not as good as the original, but better than Blood Wings. Although the movie displays flashes of competence, it never approaches anything resembling straight-to-video greatness. Incidentally, I’ve always wanted to see a crossover production involving the Peanuts Gang cartoon characters—Linus Meets the Great Pumpkinhead. I’d feel sorry for anybody who’d ever made fun of Linus and his blanket. Recommendation: If you liked the first Pumpkinhead flick, go ahead and pick this one up. You can never get too much Pumpkinhead, I guess. Oh, and one more thing—the creature’s head really doesn’t look all that much like a pumpkin. Just thought I’d mention that. Quality Rating: Three scoops Riff Rating: Four scoops Reviewer: Matt Deutsch
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