Halloween playlist #9 - Pumpkinhead [1988]

After watching this, do I plan on digging deeper into this franchise? Absolutely not. Good God, how many franchises do I need to get my greasy hands on?...I just ate french fries, don't judge me. This was a first time viewing for me, and in all likelihood, this will be the last time as well. But that doesn't mean it's necessarily a bad movie.

Much more visually pleasing than I would have originally anticipated, this movie does a good job at implementing emotional consequence into its character's actions, which helps keep the story from being about just another monster killing people because it's a monster that kills people. I was most drawn in by the lighting in this movie, bouncing between a warm orange glow and dark blue night shots, matching the aesthetic of the Halloween season. The southern flair helps keep the movie different from other similar films, but overall I just wasn't too absorbed into what was taking place within the story itself. It was a competently made movie with a distinct tone and characters with at least semi-believable motivations, but the overall appeal of this movie doesn't go much beyond surface level. Also, why doesn't Pumpkinhead have a, well, pumpkin head? I feel slightly cheated by that. Still, you could do a lot worse when it comes to seasonal viewing, and the practical effects here are pretty impressive.

5.5/10