Reviews_of_the_Dead

This was a film that I had not seen all the way. I know that in high school, I saw this was on a movie channel. My guess is that I turned it on and it was in the middle. I'd bet I didn't change it while also not necessarily paying much attention either. I've now given this a watch as part of my Halloween episode for Journey with a Cinephile. It didn't work as well as I'd like, since it doesn't take place on the holiday. It does have pumpkin in the title at least.

Synopsis: thrill-seeking teenagers resurrect a demon from his grave and a bloody rampage for revenge begins.

We start back in the 1950s. There is a deformed boy named Tommy (J. P. Manoux) playing with a fire truck toy by a mine shaft. A group of teens come to mess with him. They end up getting him caught on a hook and chain secured to his clothes. One of them then pulls a knife, cutting the boy. It ends with him dying and hiding the body down the shaft.

This then shifts to the present. Sean Braddock (Andrew Robinson) lived in this area as a boy and has returned to be the sheriff. His family was living in New York where it got to be too much. The daughter also was hanging out with a rough crowd so they're trying to protect her. Her name is Jenny (Ami Dolenz).

Moving here didn't help as well as they wanted though. She catches the eye of Danny Dixon (J. Trevor Edmond). He hangs out with Marcie (Soleil Moon Frye) and she is dating Peter (Hill Harper). There is also Paul (Alexander Polinsky). This group invites Jenny to skip school with them and she agrees.

They get caught though, hanging out where the tragedy with Tommy happened. Sean scolds his daughter, but there isn't much he can do here. It doesn't help that Danny's father is a local judge, played by Steve Kanaly. He is also friends with Mayor Bubba (Roger Clinton Jr.). They introduce themselves at the local doctor's office, Delilah Pettibone (Gloria Hendry).

At night, the group of teens have a run in with a local witch, Miss Osie (Lilyan Chauvin). They were inside her cottage when she returned. The problem is that she's blind. Danny takes a scroll with a ritual on it as well as a vial of blood. Miss Osie tries to stop him when he hits her. She tries to get back up but causes a fire in her house. The group goes to an odd circle and digs up a grave there, the one belonging to Tommy. They try the ritual, but it doesn't seem to work.

That might not be the case. There are people who are attacked by something vicious. They are torn apart. At each attack, there is a mark that looks like 'blood wings'. Sean investigates who is committing these, but the locals believe it is Pumpkinhead. He knows the old legend, but as a police officer, there has to be a logical explanation. The truth of Tommy's parents plays into this and why the people are targeted by this supernatural entity.

I think that this is where I'll leave my recap and introduction to the story. I'll then begin my analysis by saying that for the most part, I enjoyed what this movie did. It is a step back from the original and there are reasons why I think that. I'll pull in the effects here as a place to start. I love the look of this entity. It is done practically by KNB and I come to expect good things from them. If you want a rampaging monster, killing people to get revenge, you get that here. There is a good amount of screentime for Pumpkinhead.

Now I do have to shift over to a negative. I do think that this story is a bit of a mess. We got a good set up. There are these bullies that are messing with Tommy. It is a small area and in the 50s. They're clean cut, white people so I'm not shocked to learn it was ruled an accident. It then shifts to the present of the 1990s, where again, I do think in an area like this and Danny's dad being a judge, he could get off lighter while being a criminal. The new girl is getting mixed in, that fits. I even love the idea that Pumpkinhead is getting revenge for different crimes here. That is where I think it loses itself.

What I know from the original and it gets brought up here, this demon is summoned to get revenge. Whoever summons it feels the carnage being done in turn. My problem is that Danny and his friends steal items from Miss Osie to do this ritual. They don't experience it though, she does. I get what they're trying to say here, that she's been harboring wanting to bring the monster to life but hasn't. This feels like it is borrowing from Hellraiser 2 where the doctor there is trying to get someone else to open the box so he doesn't get hurt. Things don't work that way and it hurts the movie for me. Taking that part out, this does feel like it is mirroring quite a bit from the original as well.

Something that doesn't help are the performances. This doesn't seem to be as polished so I don't know if it is the actors or the writing. I've seen a number of these people in other things. Robinson works as this sheriff who is trying to do the right thing, both professionally, morally and as a father. Dolenz is odd as this 'troublemaker' who moved out to the country. She is a teenager so I can roll with it. It is funny that around this same time she was in Witchboard 2. Frye, Harper and Polinsky are good friends to Danny. Edmond isn't great though. He does overact a bit. I'm also not sure if it is because I'm used to him in more 'push-over' roles so it is hard to believe him as this jerk. Mark McCracken brings good size to the role of the monster. Hendry is solid as the doctor and Clinton made me laugh as the mayor. We also have cameos by Kane Hodder, Linnea Quigley and Chauvin. They worked for what was needed.

All that is left then is the rest of filmmaking. I thought that the cinematography and framing were good. I know this was filmed in California but it does feel like it takes place where the first one did in Appalachia. This is a rural community and people just know everyone else's business. That felt real enough. I've already said that I love the look of the creature. The death scenes are solid for the most part. They go brutal, which I appreciate. Other than that, the soundtrack worked. The sound design of the creature was on point. There's also a Pumpkinhead rap during the credits by Clinton. Props to that.

In conclusion, this isn't a great film, but I enjoyed my time here. Having this demon as a revenging entity is good. There are slight tweaks that I need to the screenplay for it to work better. The basic setup and premise outside of that are solid. We have a decent cast of characters. They fit for a supernatural creature feature slasher film. The practical effects are great. This is well made outside of that. I'll be honest, I just turned off my brain after a while and just rolled with what this was presenting.

My Rating: 6.5 out of 10.

This is a movie that I know I saw back when I was in high school. To be honest, I didn't remember a lot aside from how cool the monster is and looks. This is part of the Summer Challenge Series so I was watching this in preparation. I also was curious to give it a rewatch after all these years.

Synopsis: after a tragic accident, a man conjures up a towering, vengeful demon called Pumpkinhead to destroy a group of unsuspecting teenagers.

We start this story back in 1957. Tom Harley (Lee de Broux) is a stern man. He lives with wife and two children. There is a knock at the door. Clayton Heller (Dick Warlock) is asking to be let in, but he's being ignored. This confuses Eddie (Chance Michael Corbitt). He wants to help. This boy looks out the window and sees the silhouette of a giant creature killing Clayton.

It then shifts to the present. Ed (Lance Henriksen) lives out in the middle of nowhere with his son, Billy (Matthew Hurley). We learn later that his wife and the boy's mother passed away. Ed runs a little grocery store nearby. They seem to have a good existence.

That is until a group of teens head to the area. They look to have a cabin and are bringing out dirt bikes. In this group there is Chris (Jeff East) and his brother Joel (John D'Aquino). The latter is a bad boy. He is drinking on their drive up and he also might have gotten in trouble with this previously. There is also Kim (Kimberly Ross), Steve (Joel Hoffman), Tracy (Cynthia Bain) and Maggie (Kerry Remsen).

They arrive at the store as well as Mr. Wallace (George 'Buck' Flower) with his grandchildren. Ed forgot the feed that he ordered so he has to run home to get it. Joel decides to ride his dirt bike around the area by the store. This ends in tragedy when Billy runs out after his dog and he's hit by him. Once Ed discovers what happened, he's devastated. So much so that he goes to Mr. Wallace, asking about a witch who lives in the woods. He refuses to tell him, but Bunt (Brian Bremer) will for a price. This is one of the grandchildren.

Ed seeks out Haggis (Florence Schauffler). There is a heavy price to pay for revenge, one that will also take a toll on Ed. Pumpkinhead, once summoned, isn't easily sent away. Ed needs to figure out if he's ready to pay that price or finish what was started.

That is where I'm going to leave my recap and introduction to the characters. This is a take on a story that we've seen before. It is a revenge story. I forgot that this is based on a poem originally or at least the basic idea behind this entity. I'm intrigued to check that out. What I also remembered when starting this up was that Stan Winston, the great effects expert, was the director. That makes sense for actors and people that are behind the screen for sure.

Where I want to start is with our lead, Ed. Henriksen is great as this small town guy. He knew tragedy with what happened to his wife. It seems to me that he's living a good life with his son. That is until Billy is struck while he's away. This is heartbreaking in the sense that it is a perfect storm of events. Ed blames himself, which I probably would do as well. Joel is a jerk. He's been busted for drinking and driving, but still hasn't learned his lesson. He's afraid that if take the boy to a hospital, it will end his life. To be honest, if you are that callous of a human, then you deserve to go to prison. I also can't blame Ed for his decision to go to Haggis.

That is where I want to shift over to. This is a cautionary tale of revenge. In his snap judgement, Ed wants them punished. I like the idea that the pain Pumpkinhead inflicts is also felt by Ed. He also cannot just kill the creature to stop it, since they're connected. I love the allegory here about what revenge does to people. Again, it isn't a new idea or something that we haven't seen before. I like what they do with it.

Pumpkinhead is also a great character. I can see why that is the name that this entity is given. The head does look similar to a pumpkin. I'm glad that someone like Winston is the director here since it does seem like he focused on making sure this creature looks great. The practical effects used are great. Probably the strongest part of the movie to be honest. I'll pull in another filmmaking aspect which would be the cinematography. They do well in framing it to hide any seams as well. I like the surreal feel we get when Ed is experiencing the killing. They do things with colored lights. It is also edited well. I wanted to give credit to all these aspects.

The last thing then to go into would be the acting. I've already said that Henriksen is good. I thought that D'Aquino played the jerk well. My issue with his performance is the change of character they have him make as the climax ramps up. It just feels a bit out of place for what they were working toward. East, Ross, Hoffman, Bain and Remsen are all solid as the group that gets the revenge visited upon. Schauffler was good as the witch. I liked seeing cameos by Bremer, Flower, Warlock and even a young Mayim Bialik. The acting here is solid across the board.

In conclusion, this is one that I'm glad I finally got to watch and fully take in. We are getting a story we've seen before of someone being wronged and then wanting revenge. What I like though is that it shows the heavy price this has on the one who is seeking it. Henriksen is good as our lead. The rest of the cast push him to where he ends up. The true stars are the effects that bring Pumpkinhead to life. I'd say that this is one of the better creature features out there. It has a bit more on the bone that I appreciate. I'd recommend watching this one for sure or give it a rewatch if it's been some time.

My Rating: 8 out of 10.

This is a film that I got the chance to see thanks to a friend of mine recommending me to the writer/director/co-star of this film, James L. Edwards. He reached directly, asking if I'd be interested in watching for review. Now I know of Edwards from earlier works that are on my list to check out. I also saw him on another podcast from a friend, Mr. Parka. I was honored to be asked so I wanted to check this out.

Synopsis: revenge, torture, murder... and you just might learn something.

We have a simple story here that is effective. Laurel Edmonds (Sasha Graham) has a set up for a new trivia show called Trivial. It looks to be in a garage that has been minimally dressed up. Chuck (Douglas Esper) is running a laptop and is doing the announcing for it. This show pits two people against each other, doing trivia. The problem though, for every wrong answer there is a stiff punishment. The story is also told in 5 Chapters.

The first game has Dean Mathers (Edwards) against Chris Haim (Adam Scott Clevenger). Dean is a misogynistic guy who hits on Laurel, causing her to roll her eyes. He is vulgar in doing it. Chris is harboring secrets of his own that get revealed as this game goes on. I'll also include more of the rules here. The punishment is that Laurel cuts your face into a Glasgow smile. Three wrong answers and she kills you.

Dean survives the first game and he then gets a new opponent. Each contestant has issues that they're hiding. As each game plays out, there could be a pattern here as to why these people were selected. It is the final game where we see a true connection between Laurel and one of the contestants as well.

That is where I'll leave my recap and introduction to the story. I went lighter with the recap since there isn't the deepest story here. That isn't an issue for me though since there are things that get developed with each game and with the contestants that we meet. If anything, I do have a slight gripe that could be tightened up. It isn't a huge issue though. I did want to say that. It just would elevate it slightly for me as a story person.

Now that I've set that up, let me delve into what works here. This is working with a small budget. You see that in the sets that are used. This reminded me of Saw. We have two contestants waking up and not knowing how they got there. We even get flashes of how Dean was taken. Despite how cheap this set looks, there is charm there. Laurel isn't rich. This is also a game of revenge that she is playing, without much going into the planning so it adds appeal to what we're getting for me. Each person that is forced to play has things in their past so that also made me think of Saw. I wouldn't call this a rip-off, just feels inspired.

Let's then shift to what is the best part here and it falls in filmmaking. The effects here exceeded my expectations for the budget. What I like is that they don't go over the top. That preserves realism. They know what they can do and make it look real enough. I'll also credit the cinematography and framing to capture that. There's another thing here that I love and it is with the editing. There is old game show footage used in the opening credits. We'll also shift over to intercuts of this footage and there are times where it almost seems like the host is talking to our contestants. That was expertly done. I was impressed. I'll also credit the soundtrack as it is simple yet effective to build tension. The techniques used here were top notch. If I do have a gripe, this just runs a bit too long and gets repetitive.

I'll then finish out with the acting performances. Graham carries this film since she is the through line for the game. She looks like she's not only having a blast, but there is a creepiness that she brings. There is one scene were see what she's doing as it wears on her, but then from that moment, it seems like she has completely cracked from reality. That impressed me. I also thought that Edwards has a fun role. He's such a jerk here, but it made me smile. He's truly the only contestant that is deplorable from the start. I start to feel bad for him the longer he goes, which is odd due to a reveal. I'll also credit Drew Fortier, Tim Novotny, Rick Jermain, Clevenger and Andrea Carlson Knight as other contestants. Esper along with the rest of the cast also helped to round this out for what was needed.

In conclusion, this is a minimalist film that had me hooked from the opening 'game'. It is impressive to see what Edwards did with the budget. The setting of the trivia game is minimal, but there's charm there with knowing the story. This is well made with the effects, editing, soundtrack along with the cinematography and framing to help bring this to life. Graham's performance is amazing along with Edwards and the rest of the cast to push her to where she ends up. If you like a bit of a gory, independent horror film around a game of trivia where your life's on the line, I'd recommend this one.

My Rating: 7.5 out of 10.