For my first ever review on this blog I have decided that the movie Pumpkinhead (1998) would be most suitable for review. After all, it is one of my favorite movies, specifically horror, of all time. The first time I have ever heard of this film was when I accidentally stumbled into this movie's wiki page when I searched up RL Stine's Pumpkinhead episode of the haunting hour online. When I saw the film and it's sequels I thought they were pretty strange and terrifying. So I just forgot about them. Later on, I saw the movie on a live stream with my sister, and at the time I then thought it was just a cheesy horror flick; But as I looked into the film and it's history I immediately fell in love with it. The effects were great, the plot was great, and the actors were pretty good. Despite my praise of the film, it seems it has gained quite surprisingly mixed reviews by critics.
The Washington Post is a very famous news source that has done countless film reviews. However,
their opinion of Pumpkinhead was less desirable. Richard Harrington, one of the critics from The Washington Post described the film basically as just your average horror film; Nothing special. He criticizes the writers, Mark Patrick Carducci and Gary Gerani, for creating a predictable and very cliche plot. He even goes as far as to relate the film to Halloween IV, another poorly received horror movie coming out during the year of 1988. However, he does at least mention that the film was "inspired by a poem (by Ed Justin, just in case you're wondering)". Harrington also admits that the effects are very well made. Unfortunately for the movie, he continues by talking about how the awesome effects are wasted on a poor plot, and that it's "not the last horror film inspired by a poem," suggesting it is a cliche back story as well. Overall, the review has a negative overtone towards the film, as if it was just another horror film. One that should be ignored. I believe he talked about the film like this because he is probably not a horror fan, and only judged the film by its cover rather than detail.
While the Washington Post's review was pretty negative towards the Pumpkinhead film, Dread Central seemed to be more generous. Johnny Butane started
the review off by stating how he always loved the premise of the film, especially the "revenge is never the best course of action," moral. He went on to talk into depth about the plot of the film and the great back story the film had. He ended up giving the film a 4 out of 5, but gave the dvd's special features a 4-1/2 out of 5.
Out of the 2 reviews of course I choose Dread Central's review over the Washington Post's because it has a nicer feel towards the film. The Washington Post sounded almost snotty in the way they talked about the film, as if it was nothing. They described it as "a close relation of Boogeyman," and how the film's "gross-out effects [would] undoubtedly be getting with Halloween IV." But despite how Harrington thought the film was a stupid horror cliche, Butane from Dead Central poses a much more positive look at the film, and the history behind it. He talks about the film's great effects, the style, the making of, even the dvd's special features so thoroughly that it kicks the other reviews butt to the depths of the abyss. So I would pick Dread Central because they are more thorough and kinder toward the film.
So much in my life wouldn't have happened if I had not seen this film. If I never watched this film with my sister, I would not be the horror fan, or even movie fan I am today. I would have probably sided with the ruder review of the Washington Post to be honest. I would have overlooked this film just as I did when I found it on Wikipedia. I would have thought it was a stupid, non-well done cliche of a movie and not look into it at all. But the Dread Central review does draw more of the reader's attention than the Washington Post. As I have said countless times, Dread Central was just more thorough and descriptive on the film than the opposing review. It also was a light more respectful to the creators of the film. So if I was given these two articles I probably would move towards the Dread Central eventually, and then thus get into the Pumpkinhead franchise as I am now. Basically, the film somehow made me a better person in realizing how people still do judge books by their cover, and how rude people can get when they do it.
If I were to right a one page review on this film, well, let me tell you one page wouldn't be enough. It's sad what happened to this film. The film had to be delayed one year later (1988) because one of the supporting companies went bankrupt. Because of this, the film's popularity and interest among the public went down, and the film is now a lost gem in the horror community.
