From the end credits of Stan Winston's 1989 Directorial debut, Pumpkinhead. Music by the film's Composer, Richard Stone.
31 Days of Halloween:
I've watched Stan Winston's directorial debut from 1989 probably four or five times, and every time I'm blown away by the attention to detail, craft and overall strict visual aesthetic.
But that's Stan Winston, right?
Talk about Southern Gothic! The swamp and hallow structures here are meticulous and gorgeous in their dilapidation, exterior and interior. Speaking of interior, the lighting really gives this film the look of something you're not meant to see. Like Ed Harley, you're trafficking in things best left alone, and when hell comes to collect, it spares no one. I get the sense the final girl - who is really only a final girl because Harley's sacrifice allows her to survive - was an afterthought.
And what of Pumpkinhead? Being that the demon appears to bond or outright become the person who summoned it for revenge, I guess I'd always assumed each summoning was an iteration that would eventually be repeated. Like a perennial plant. And I'd wager it was this question, once again brought about by the final scene where Haggis lays the now fetal monster back into its grave, only this time wearing Ed Harley's necklace, that saw me finally 'take the plunge' and hit play on the sequel two days later.
1) George A. Romero's Dawn of the Dead
2) V/H/S/ playlist
3) The Warriors
4) Big Trouble in Little China
5) Dreamscape
6) Infirmary
7) Beware Boiúna
8) Milk & Serial
9) Pumpkinhead
10) Deathgasm (The Last Drive-In Presentation)
11) Pumpkinhead II: Blood Wings
Released in 1993, directed by Jeff Burr with FX by KNB, this is one of those sequels that based solely on the once lucrative home video library sales that helped buoy Horror in the 90s, pre-Scream. I don't think anyone asked for this, and I don't think anyone involved had any illusions as to what they were doing. That said, while Blood Wings has its problems, it's also a pretty good time, especially when things with the monster get going.
Yeah, I could have looked for a post with better image quality, but sometimes, seeing these faded tv spots and trailers really accentuates the time and place context of the film. And while Pumpkinhead II: Blood Wings - which really probably should have been called Son of Pumpkinhead - was not nearly the film the original is, well... I still kind of enjoyed finally checking it off my list. While the first half is a slog, the second act picks up and every moment the monster is on screen is great.
Playlist:
Dreamkid - Daggers
Ritual Howls - Ruin
Type O Negative - Life is Killing Me
Uncle Acid and the Deadbeats - Shapes of Midnight
Zeal & Ardor/Carpenter Brut - Devil Is Fine X (single)
Faith No More - The Real Thing
Perturbator - Lustful Sacraments
Deafheaven - At Work In The Fields Of The Bomb EP
Genital Shame - Wellness Plan (pre-release singles)
Uncle Acid and the Deadbeats - Night Creeper
Lustmord & Dave Lombardo - The Pulse of Atoms
Trivium - The Crusade
John Carpenter w/ Alan Howarth - Halloween III: Season of the Witch OST
Card:
From Jonathan Grimm's Eldritch Lace Tarot, which you can buy HERE.
• Ace of Swords
• 13: Death
• 11: Justice
Intellectual breakthrough that leads to a large change and a well-deserved accomplishment.
I pulled this and wrote the above generic interpretation, then sat down for a writing session. Revisiting this post for a final polish after said session, I realize this pull was a nod toward today's writing. I wrapped up something in far shorter order than I anticipated, and it really was due to a breakthrough where I stepped back and looked at the situation and characters different than I had been.
