Pumpkinhead: Ashes to Ashes

For fans of the original Pumpkinhead, it was hoped that this second sequel, which picked up from the first film would be a return to form after the disastrous second film. While director Jake West keeps the tone and mood similar to the first film, he is hampered by things out of his control. First off, this is a TV movie. As such it is low budget. The thing that makes a creature feature like this sink or swim is its monster effects. Our Pumpkinhead is on screen a lot of the time in this film, so why did more money not get put into the suit? Its a pale imitation of Stan Winston's original. Add in some of the worst CGI in a horror film ever and you get a monster that doesn't scare like it should.Next up is the fact that this was filmed in Romania. I'm sorry, I'm sure Romania is a nice place and I know its cheap to shoot there, but it doesn't really look like America like it is so often called upon to do. Doug Bradley is fine as a doctor without a conscience, but Lance Henriksen is wasted in his return to his character from the first film. Could have been a lot better than it is.

OK....I'm having a Halloween party, everyone is dressed to the max, having fun and I say,"Guess what? There's a NEW Pumpkinhead movie and it's on tonight! Not only is Lance Henriksen in it, but Doug Bradley from Hellraiser!" (oohs and ahhhs follow) I have NEVER been so embarrassed in my life. I was a complete fan of the original. It was a classic that I've watched time and time again. The first sequel (Bloodwings) didn't have the mood of the original, and turned into another "monster kills the idiotic teens" movie. This one appeared to have an interesting beginning and premise...oops, my bad! When I saw the first CGI Pumpkinhead sequence I was almost too embarrassed to laugh. Almost. All my pals gawked at the cartoon images that made Jimmy Neutron look as real as yer next door neighbor. Needless to say, this spoiled the whole movie for me, and if they have indeed made another sequel...I hope they can look back on this as a serious mistake. Dudes, go talk to the guys that made Jurassic Park. I'm sure they can give you a few low budget pointers.

I watched this last night and it is practically a remake of the original. However, I will give the filmmakers credit for actually retaining several characters from the original (the siblings are all the kids of George "Buck" Flower's Wallace character in the first film). Director Jake West - who made the absolutely inept EVIL ALIENS - handles the filming well. Sadly, he doesn't capture Pumpkinhead's towering stance well though, shooting it mostly in close up. On the downside, the actors seem to have never stepped foot in the South. We're talking Gomer Pyle hysterics here. If you look closely, you can actually see Lance Henriksen cashing his check for this one. And there are a few wonky CGI bits.

I realize that ain't saying much. However, for a johnny-come-lately, direct-to-video (or worse, direct-to-Sci Fi Channel) sequel, it's got moxie. While the story stays true to all the canonical elements set forth in the first film, this sequel offers more than a simple retread of "Pumpkinhead"'s plot. For instance, the demon's quarry this time around is comprised of grave robbers and murders, yet their motives are a benefit to the impoverished town in which in they live. Moreover, of the three who call on the demon, one takes a disturbingly self-destructive and sadistic delight in Pumpkinhead's carnage. So, as in the first, there's some interesting moral ambiguity here.

On the other hand, much of the dialogue is stilted and contrived, and while the cast is game, none but Doug Bradley, as the villainous town doctor, are able to settle comfortably into their roles. Some of the cinematography is dynamic, but it seems as though only Stan Winston and Bojan Bazelli will ever be able to convincingly capture Pumpkinhead on film. (The CGI used for some scenes is downright embarrassing.)

At best, "Pumpkinhead: Ashes to Ashes" is a missed opportunity. It had real potential, and an extra million and a couple more rewrites might have brought it out. As it stands, I wouldn't necessarily recommend it, but die-hard Pumpkinhead fans that are able to see through the significant flaws might find something of merit here. It'll be one of those films that rests in you memory better than on celluloid.

I am not hampered by the memory of the original Pumpkinhead, so I have only Pumpkinhead II as comparison. It excels tremendously over this one.

The Doctor (Doug Bradley) and his family are selling body parts and have a barn full of uncremated bodies. It reminds me of the 339 bodies found at Tri-State Crematory in New York.

When the town finds out, and sees that the law will probably not do anything, they go looking for the local Marie Laveau, a witch that lives in the wood and can bring back Pumkinhead. There are serious consequences to doing that, but they have a taste for blood. They must be from Texas because they like killing people so much. Actually, it was filmed in Romania.

There just wasn't as good a story as Pumkinhead II, but the killing were a lot gorier. There was less eye-candy, too.