Line #52 Film/Pumpkinhead


1	[[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/PumpkinheadDVDCover_8476.png]]
2	[[caption-width-right:300:''[[{{Tagline}} Cruel, devious, pure as venom.\
3	All hell's broken loose.]]'']]
4
5	->"''Bolted doors and windows barred,\
6	Guard dogs prowling in the yard,\
7	Won't protect you in your bed,\
8	Nothing will, from Pumpkinhead.''"
9
10	''Pumpkinhead'' (1988) was special effects guru Creator/StanWinston's directorial debut and essentially deals with a monster [[NonIndicativeName that doesn't actually have a pumpkin for a head]].
11
12	The quote above is said to be by Ed Justin and the inspiration for this movie making it possibly the only movie Based On A True Poem. Ed Justin was a guy in the movie marketing business who wrote the poem to spook his grandchildren, his friend and film producer Billy Blake loved it and thought it would be a great horror film, so bought the rights pretty cheaply and with producer Richard C. Weinman began looking for writers. Enter writers Mark Patrick Carducci and Gary Gerani, who had toyed around with an idea for a horror movie in the late seventies about a demon existing for each of man's sins, with the plan to make one about the demon of vengeance set in the backwoods (hence one of the film's taglines and it's alternate title, respectively). Carducci pitched the demon idea to Blake, who loved it and decided to merge it with the Pumpkinhead project.
13
14	The plot is actually the fairly common "Man summons demon to seek revenge" horror plot. It has the common hallmarks: teens from the city come out to the backwoods for vacation, one of them gets drunk and accidentally runs over a young boy on a bike, and the boy is the son of local grocer Ed Harley (Creator/LanceHenriksen), who becomes overcome with grief and rage and goes to a witch in the mountains to summon the demon of vengeance, Pumpkinhead. [[RevengeBeforeReason While Harley's son did deserve some justice]], Ed takes it too far, wanting revenge on all of them, even the ones who merely witnessed it and the one who tried to help him. As Pumpkinhead goes about its task, killing the teens one by one in gruesome and violent ways, Ed gets flashes of the murders and sees the pain he's causing and [[MyGodWhatHaveIDone regrets what he has set loose]] and sets out to try and stop it... but learns that [[RedemptionEqualsDeath vengeance has a powerful price.]]
15
16	Followed by one DirectToVideo sequel (1994's ''Film/PumpkinheadIIBloodWings'') and two {{Made for TV Movie}}s on [[Creator/{{Syfy}} Sci Fi Channel]] (2006's ''Film/PumpkinheadAshesToAshes'' and 2007's ''Film/PumpkinheadBloodFeud''). There is also an FMV videogame based on the second movie, ''VideoGame/BloodwingsPumpkinheadsRevenge''.
17
18	2018 brought with it a five-issue comic miniseries from Dynamite that poses an interesting question: if Pumpkinhead is a demon representing the sin of wrath, what if there were demons for the other six? And what if those other demons were mad at their 'brother' for getting summoned more often than them?
19
20	----
21	!! The series as a whole contains examples of:
22	* AntagonistTitle: Pumpkinhead is a demon keen on DisproportionateRetribution.
23	* BigBad: Pumpkinhead, master of DisproportionateRetribution.
24	* BloodierAndGorier: Each installment tries to one-up the previous.
25	* CantLiveWithoutYou: Pumpkinhead can only be stopped prior to completing its task by killing the person that summoned it.
26	* CruelAndUnusualDeath: Pumpkinhead specializes in these.
27	* DealWithTheDevil: The one summoning Pumpkinhead makes one with a witch. Though she actually warns them there's a heavy price to pay for summoning him and their body is used for the next Pumpkinhead.
28	* DisproportionateRetribution: Pumpkinhead's standard practice, to the point that the one that summoned it [[MyGodWhatHaveIDone generally regrets doing so]].
29	* TheDitz: Joel in the first movie. One would think that someone on parole for drunk driving would want to keep alcohol and motorized vehicles as far away from each other as possible, but he's seen being intoxicated while driving his car and then even more intoxicated when he wants to drive his dirtbike, which results in him injuring a child. And then he decides to prevent any of his "[[WithFriendsLikeThese friends]]" from calling for medical aid by any means necessary, because apparently drunkenly hitting a child [[SarcasmMode is far worse]] than hit-and-run, vehicular manslaughter, kidnapping, torture, physical assault, destruction of private property (the cabin where he cut the phone lines was a rental), AND disobeying parole. Yes, there's TruthInTelevision, but even when it happens in real life, the people who do so are idiots.
30	* TheDreaded: Mr. Wallace is scared to say anything about Haggis. Until Ed gets him to say anything about her. Bunt agrees to only to take Ed halfway to her home. And is afraid of Haggis as well.
31	* FateWorseThanDeath: It's implied that the summoners of Pumpkinhead [[spoiler: are trapped in a sort of limbo between life and death till the end of time in exchange for summoning him.]]
32	* FluffyTheTerrible: Pumpkinhead isn't exactly a menacing (or indeed, [[NonIndicativeName accurate]]) name.
33	* ForcedToWatch: An interesting variation: Pumpkinhead's summoner is forced to see and feel the deaths of the demon's victims, as if he were killing them himself.
34	** More straightforwardly, Pumpkinhead prefers to kill its victims in front of each other - the first film has it ignore Joel so he has to watch his girlfriend Kim die instead.
35	* HealingFactor: Pumpkinhead heals instantaneously.
36	* HeelFaceTurn: Most of the people who turn to summoning the titular Pumpkinhead experience this after realizing what they've unleashed.
37	* ImmuneToBullets: Pumpkinhead. Subverted at the end of the second film, however.
38	* ItCanThink: Pumpkinhead is smart enough to set traps, disable vehicles (including so subtly that they initially appear to be intact), and taunt his victims mercilessly.
39	* TheJuggernaut: Pumpkinhead will ''not'' stop until he's completed his mission. The ''only'' way he can be beaten is if his summoner is killed.
40	* LeftHanging: The comic ''Pumpkinhead: The Rites of Exorcism'', which was supposed to be four issues, was cancelled after two.
41	* NonhumansLackAttributes: There have been male and female Pumpkinheads. You'd never know.
42	** Averted on one action figure, which did have a sculpted flaccid penis and scrotum
43	* NonIndicativeName: As mentioned, the titular demon's head doesn't really [[PumpkinPerson resemble a pumpkin]]. It gets its name from the fact that summoning it involves digging up a corpse that's been buried in a pumpkin patch.
44	* PumpkinPerson: Actually averted. The eponymous monster is saddled with a NonIndicativeName, the true reason it is named this is because of the pumpkins that grow around its body when it's buried.
45	* {{Revenge}}: Why Pumpkinhead is summoned is to carry out revenge, though it's normally not long before the summoner realizes that Pumpkinhead always takes it ''way'' too far.
46	-->'''Haggis''': It's what you wanted, Ed Harley. For each of man's evils, a special Demon exists. You're looking at Vengeance - cruel, devious, pure-as-poison vengeance.
47	* SolitarySorceress: Haggis, the elderly witch who summons Pumpkinhead on behalf of those who seek vengeance, lives alone in a dilapidated shack in the woods. Locals do know where to find her, but are clearly wary of her.
48	* StingyJack: Pumpkinhead himself.
49	* {{Synchronization}}: The summoner feels the deaths of Pumpkinhead's victims, and Pumpkinhead feels any injuries inflicted on the summoner. In the first film, its face subtly began to resemble Ed Harley's more and more as it killed more people.
50	* TheVoiceless: In the first film, Pumpkinhead could talk, but it mostly just said character names. In the sequels, it is silent.
51	* XenomorphXerox: Pumpkinhead has an emaciated, skeletal appearance, digitigrade feet tipped with claws, long, clawed fingers, a bulbous, slightly elongated head, and a long, segmented tail tipped with a bladed stinger. Partially justified as Winston was the designer of [[Film/{{Aliens}} the Alien Queen]].
52
53	!!The first film provides examples of:
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55	* AbsurdlyYouthfulMother: Or rather grandfather. Mr. Wallace is only about fifty and isn’t even gray-haired but has teenaged grandchildren.
56	* AccidentalMurder: The teens didn't ''mean'' to kill little Billy, though Joel dug his own grave (and several others) because he wanted to escape responsibility for it.
57	* AnAesop: Vengeance blackens the soul and makes good men into monsters, [[spoiler:in Ed’s case, quite literally.]]
58	* AndThenJohnWasAZombie: [[spoiler: At the end, Ed Harley is killed by the heroine after his own attempt to kill himself fails. This causes Pumpkinhead to immolate. Haggis is seen at the grave, burying a shriveled, misshapen corpse not unlike the one Pumpkinhead was when she woke him up... except this corpse has Ed Harley's necklace around its throat. The third film would directly tie in that should Pumpkinhead fail, the summoner's body is then used to make his replacement.]]
59	* AntiVillain: Ed Harley.
60	* AssholeVictim: [[spoiler:Joel, as he'd gone so far as to ''imprison his own friends'' to prevent their calling for help for Billy, thus getting him in trouble]].
61	* BeCarefulWhatYouWishFor: The witch attempted to warn Ed that vengeance always has a price. When he comes to ask her about the visions he's getting from his bond with the demon, she outright laughs in his face.
62	-->'''Haggis''': What did you think? It'd be easy? Neat and clean and painless? You're a ''fool''!
63	* BigBrotherInstinct: It's unclear which brother is actually older but Steve is willing to confess to Joel’s crime.
64	* BoomHeadshot: After [[spoiler: Ed downs Pumpkinhead during the climax, Joel approaches and puts another round in its head for good measure. Unfortunately for him, it doesn't work.]]
65	* BreakTheCutie: Maggie, even before Pumpkinhead arrives, after seeing Billy get hit.
66	* DarknessEqualsDeath: The events of the movie all take place during a single day, and Pumpkinhead itself is only summoned towards dusk.
67	* DeathGlare: Ed Harley gives Steve a death glare to end all death glares.
68	* DeathOfAChild: Billy Harley dies because Ed had to leave him alone for just a little while.
69	* DestinationDefenestration: Of a particularly brutal variety, as Pumpkinhead ''slowly'' pushes Maggie's face through the kitchen window, impaling her body on the glass shards in the process.
70	* DiedInYourArmsTonight: A heartbreaking example, as little Billy murmurs a quiet "Daddy" before going limp in Ed Harley's arms.
71	* DirtyCoward: In order to avoid the legal trouble it would have brought, Joel chose to sacrifice ''a little boy's life'' despite the fact that his life was not even at stake. He did show that even he had loved ones he would risk his life for, [[spoiler:but by that time most of his innocent friends (including his brother) were dead so it did not do much good.]]
72	** Joel is also on probation at the time, [[spoiler: and winds up locking up two of his friends due to their wanting to contact the authorities]].
73	* DisproportionateRetribution: While only one of Pumpkinhead's victims deserves some form of punishment, Pumpkinhead takes it ''way'' too far and even kills people who tried to stop the tragic accident. However, this may fall on Ed Harley himself who was too distraught to think straight after his son's death. He went to summon Pumpkinhead while furious at all of them, so Pumpkinhead's sights were set on all of them.
74	%%* DontGoInTheWoods
75	* DownerEnding: Most of the cast is dead and [[spoiler:Ed's body is buried in a certain pumpkin patch]].
76	* EvilDetectingDog: None of the dogs shown are too fond of demons, with one biting Ed over his connection to it - and [[{{Foreshadowing}} giving the audience]] a [[{{Synchronization}} vital clue in the process]].
77	* ExcessiveMourning: When you summon a demon of vengeance to kill those that killed your son, it counts as this.
78	* ForTheEvulz: Pumpkinhead seems to take immense pleasure in giving its victim a HopeSpot before ending them.
79	* TheFriendNobodyLikes: Pretty much the only reason Joel was invited along is because he's Steve's brother.
80	* GoodParents: Ed Harley was this to Billy, telling him little stories about "an old man and his very special son" throughout the day, and even adding "And Son" onto the sign of the grocery stand.
81	* HeelRealization: Joel comes to acknowledge how much of a prick he's been after Maggie - who'd done nothing wrong and had even suffered a HeroicBSOD after Billy's death - is brutalized by Pumpkinhead.
82	** Likewise, Ed Harley realizes, partly by living through the pain of Pumpkinhead's victims, that what he did was wrong and sets out to stop what he started.
83	* HeroicBSOD: Maggie, the most devout one of the group, undergoes this after seeing Billy run over by Joel, going near-catatonic for ''hours'' afterward... just in time for Pumpkinhead's arrival.
84	* HillbillyHorrors: Downplayed, but the teens are in the heart of UsefulNotes/{{Appalachia}}, and none of the residents there will lift a finger against the demon pursuing them.
85	* HollywoodDarkness: Utilized excessively, but rather beautifully.
86	* HolyBurnsEvil: Averted. Pumpkinhead is able to enter a church (though the sight of a cross pisses him off and he destroys it). Although the church was only half-built before it was abandoned, so it's possible this wasn't true holy ground.
87	** Before this, it made a mockery of Maggie's faith by carving a cross into her forehead with its claws.
88	* HopeSpot: Mr. Wallace refusing to take Ed to Haggis and telling him that to do so would be wrong. Unfortunately, a curious Bunt, not having seen Billy's body and understanding Ed's reasons, then offers to do it.
89	* ImpaledWithExtremePrejudice: With a rifle. Pumpkinhead must have gotten tips from [[Film/Halloween4TheReturnOfMichaelMyers Michael Myers]].
90	* InsultBackfire: Ed is horrified at what Pumpkinhead is doing and begs Haggis to call it off, and she bluntly replies that there's nothing she can do, as it's [[BeCarefulWhatYouWishFor what he wanted]].
91	-->'''Ed''': God damn you. God ''damn'' you!\
92	'''Haggis''': (''Smugly'') He already has, son. He already has.
93	* InternalReveal: Chris and Tracy finding out why Pumpkinhead is after them and that it was his father who summoned him when they ask Bunt if Billy is ok.
94	--> Bunt: I can’t say for sure, but if that thing’s hunting you, I suppose not.
95	* JumpingOffTheSlipperySlope: Ed wanted justice for his son, but he quickly saw how out of control this was getting.
96	* KangarooCourt: Summoning Pumpkinhead is a form of this, as the man being chased by Pumpkinhead in the intro pleads he didn’t kill a girl, which may or may not be true, and Ed summoning Pumpkinhead before getting all the facts kills several people who were innocent of harming his son.
97	* KillItWithFire: Ed's initial plan to stop Pumpkinhead by sending it back to whatever Hell it came from. [[spoiler: Pumpkinhead instead {{No Sell}}s the flames when Tracy tries it]].
98	* KnightTemplarParent: Ed Harley, who wanted to make those that killed his son ''suffer'' for it.
99	* MenAreTheExpendableGender: ''{{Averted}}'', as Steve is the first of the teens to die, followed shortly by Maggie and Kim.
100	* MissingMom: She's later confirmed to have died, as Ed buries Billy beside her grave.
101	* MyGodWhatHaveIDone: Due to seeing and feeling Pumpkinhead's murders, the summoners often ultimately end up with this reaction by the end.
102	** After a while, Joel feels this way about hitting Billy Harley.
103	** And by the end, Bunt Wallace feels this way about [[UnwittingInstigatorOfDoom telling Ed how to find the witch]].
104	* NoGoodDeedGoesUnpunished: Pumpkinhead will kill anyone, even Ed, if they attempt to help its prey. This was foreshadowed by the 1957 prologue, where Ed's father refused entry to a targeted man in order to protect his wife and son.
105	* NotTheFallThatKillsYou: Kim dies after Pumpkinhead drops her from the top of a tree onto a boulder.
106	* PlayingPossum: At one point, Pumpkinhead feigns being killed to lure Joel in closer.
107	* RedemptionEqualsDeath:
108	** Though justified in this case, since Pumpkinhead can ''only'' be defeated if the summoner is killed.
109	** Joel starts off as a gigantic asshole and is the one whose primarily responsible for the death of Ed's son. Eventually he decides to face the consequences of said actions and turn himself in to the authorities, and dies attempting to protect the rest of his friends.
110	* StockCharacter: All the teenage characters. Each one is a SlasherMovie stereotype in some form, but there is some subtle depth to them if one pays close enough attention. The one scene pre-accident that [[DevelopingDoomedCharacters helped characterize them]] was cut due to ExecutiveMeddling.
111	* TragicKeepsake: The necklace Billy made for his dad just hours before Billy dies in an accident.
112	* UnwittingInstigatorOfDoom: Bunt Wallace only helped Ed find the witch because he didn't believe the stories were true, and wanted to find out. [[MyGodWhatHaveIDone He's rightly horrified]] when he pieces together the chain of events at the climax.

Context Film / Pumpkinhead