Nerds That Geek Movie Review: ‘Pumpkinhead’

Written by Scott Edwards

There are people that believe that an eye for an eye mentality is the way to live life, while others say forgive and forget. While it is better to meet somewhere in the middle of these, sometimes the feeling of revenge is so great that it cannot be subdued. It is important to keep your wits about you if you want to make someone suffer, because if you don’t, you may have to face the same fate as them. You never know what the world has in store for you, but if you allow yourself to cross the line, you may find out even if you are in the right, the end result may be bad.

Going about their day, Ed and his son Billy are having a great time as always. Getting their store up and running, they are greeted by a handful of city folk that are looking to have a good experience and a great time as well. Forgetting Mr. Wallace’s goods at the house, Ed offers to deliver it all to his doorstep before the day is out and leaves his boy in charge of the shop. Seeing that the city folk seem to be under control, he thinks that this is a good idea, but that comes back to haunt him when he finds out that they have killed his child.

After accidentally running over Billy with his motorcycle, Joel is not going to stick around for anyone to find him and encourages his group of friends to leave the scene as soon as possible. Making their way to the cabin, Joel cuts off communication to the outside world and finds that his decision is being met with resistance from his friends Chris and Tracy. Taking care of those two, Joel and his girlfriend Kim explain to everyone else what the deal is and if he gets caught for killing the kid, even with it being an accident, he will be hauled off to jail. Knowing that Billy’s ideas are all wrong, his brother Steve tries to talk some sense into him but needs to focus on his girlfriend Maggie who is in shock after witnessing the boy being killed. Not knowing what the future will hold for them, the group is shocked to see that they have become the target of something that has not walked through the town in many years.

Fulfilling his commitment to Mr. Wallace by delivering his feed, Ed has something else on his mind and asks the elder man for help. Knowing that there is a woman that lives in the hills that can help him resurrect his son, Mr. Wallace is not going to allow his friend to travel down that road, but his boy Bunt will. Taking Ed to Haggis who has the power, Ed finds out that she will not be able to save his son, but if he wants revenge, she can surely help with that. Digging up a beast that has laid dormant for many years, Ed is sure that what he wants will make things right, but little does he know the price he will be forced to pay as well.

It has been years since I have seen this movie and I don’t understand why, it is a great revenge story that features a shot at redemption…along with plenty of blood. I really liked Ed Harley having to deal with the demons that he released on himself and I also enjoyed seeing how his true intentions were to change things for the better. The group of Joel, Kim, Steve, Maggie, Tracy and Chris were overall fun, especially when they are being hunted by Pumpkinhead. With plenty of blood, a myth turned real, a grieving father, a man not taking responsibility, motorcycles, blood and a hunt that will leave everyone in its path dead, this movie does not leave you longing for much when the credits start to roll. Stay Scared.

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