Rating summary

Movie		4.5
Video		4.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		4.5
Overall		4.5

Pumpkinhead 4K Blu-ray Movie Review

Pumpkinhead is a supernatural horror gem with stunning visuals and plenty of gnarly good fun. Executive produced by Alex De Benedetti (Evil Dead II), Pumpkinhead became a cult favorite – developing legions of fans. Produced by Bill Blake (Maniacts, WiseGirls), Howard Smith (Rhinestone, Maniacts), and Richard Weinman (Red Surf, Painted Hero), Pumpkinhead even managed to spawn a direct-to-video (DTV) sequel, two made- for-television film sequels, and the film resulted in a comic-book spin-off. Pumpkinhead stars the legendary Lance Henriksen in the leading role. Co-starring Jeff East, John D'Aquino, Kimberly Ross, Joel Hoffman, Cynthia Bain, Kerry Remsen, Florence Schauffler, and Brian Bremer. A must-see classic that horror fans won’t want to miss seeing around Halloween.

Ed Harley (Lance Henriksen) is a lone man – a widowed father – whose only son becomes mortally injured by a group of teenagers. After losing his only son, Ed seeks a witch to ask her to help with bringing back his son from the dead. The witch declines and says bringing back the dead isn’t a possibility.

Ed then decides to instead seek revenge against the group of teenagers responsible for the death of his one and only son. The witch conjures up a spell to bring the mythical Pumpkinhead to life from the darkness – a beast of a creature that wrecks chaos throughout the night as an onslaught of horror unfolds. Ed eventually finds himself confronting the horror of the beast. Ed must fight to stop the Pumpkinhead before he loses more than just his son – losing himself. Can the evil Pumpkinhead be stopped?

Lance Henriksen and the supporting cast members add a lot to the experience of Pumpkinhead. The film has fun genre performances. It is great to see the counterbalance between Henriksen and the witch as well. The acting might seem over-the-top at times from some of the supporting cast members but the performances remain entertaining, engaging, and relevant.

Pumpkinhead has a great visual design and this adds a lot of charm to the supernatural horror of the filmmaking. The production design by Cynthia Charette (New Nightmare, Shocker) is enticing and a compelling part of the film. The natural outdoors and the somewhat reserved sets help the film showcase an almost folk-horror vibe. The production design works well at the foundation.

The special effects, genre make-up, and horror effects are outstanding. The sense of style exhibited by the film is extraordinary. It is a fascinating thing to witness as the film expands beyond a drama-like beginning to a monster-rage movie as the film unfolds. The special effects for the Pumpkinhead character impress in spades. The design is simply a marvel to look at. It is no wonder, with the production utilizing the brains and talent of Stan Winston Studios. These over-the-top and fun production effects make a nice counter against the human component and the costumes by Leslie Peters Ballard (Class of 1999, Iguana).

The score composed by Richard Stone (Sundown: The Vampire in Retreat, North Shore) adds to the terror and the adrenaline-packed punch of the action. As the film builds on dread, the second half features some interesting action beats, too. The music by Stone enhances these scenes with a fun original score.

The cinematography by Bojan Bazelli (The Ring, A Cure for Wellness) is one of the best elements of Pumpkinhead. There is something fantastic about the stark horror visuals and the atmosphere the cinematography provides. In a sense, it is hard to believe that cinematographer Bazelli has not done even more horror films – each genre effort by the cinematographer stands out with a sense of dread conjured up by the visuals. Pumpkinhead is a great example of how to make horror cinematography a master art.

Edited by Marcus Manton (American Ninja, Berserker), Pumpkinhead has a great sense of pace and the flow of the film is enormously entertaining. There is a non-stop sense of dread and action-mayhem as the film builds to the final act. Manton doesn’t let the film drift by without a good sense of unease or supernatural terror. The editing for Pumpkinhead certainly contributes a lot to the experience.

Written by Mark Patrick Carducci (Neon Maniacs, Buried Alive) and Gary Gerani (Vampirella, Trading Paint), Pumpkinhead might not have the greatest script for a horror classic but the story is fun and works well with its relative simplicity. The script has somewhat average dialogue at times and isn’t perhaps as well-polished as some horror scripts but the concept itself is well executed with a good storyline. The script for Pumpkinhead was developed from the story by Mark Patrick Carducci, Stan Winston, and Richard Weinman. (With additional credit to a poem penned by Ed Justin.)

Directed by Stan Winston (famed special effects wizard behind the animatronic effects in Aliens and Jurassic Park), Pumpkinhead marks the directorial debut of the filmmaker. Pumpkinhead has some fantastic visuals and the sense of style exhibited from the film is legendary. Stan Winston is a hero of mine – someone who created visuals and animatronic designs that made Hollywood cinema bring my imagination to life even when I didn’t expect it to. Pumpkinhead is an enormously fun horror classic by Winston and fans of the effects genius would be remiss to not see this cult classic.

Pumpkinhead 4K Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Released on Blu-ray by Shout Factory, Pumpkinhead is presented in HEVC / H.265 2160p in the original theatrical aspect ratio of 1.85:1 widescreen. Pumpkinhead has been given a brand new 4K scan of the original camera negative. The release provides both a HDR10 standard and Dolby Vision HDR grade. Shout Factory has outdone themselves with another first-rate presentation. The restoration on the feature-film is outstanding and the scan brings the film a sense of life and vitality that only can be manifested with this degree of meticulous care. The 4K presentation evokes fantastic visuals with the cinematography well highlighted throughout the presentation. The scan is naturally filmic and looks crisp throughout. The color reproduction and fine detail on the release are first-rate. The HDR is quite impressive on the release. The HDR is especially noteworthy during the night time sequences with the Pumpkinhead creature standing out with every fiber of the design feeling more life-life and surreal with the HDR grading enhancing these details in the image. A top-tier 4K restoration and one that every fan of the film should consider seeing. Reference worthy.

Pumpkinhead 4K Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The release includes a selection of lossless audio options: English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 (24-bit high resolution) and English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 (24-bit high-resolution). The lossless, high-resolution audio presentation is first-rate on the release. The lossless encoding capably preserves and engages the entire soundstage. The dynamics of the presentation provide an enveloping experience, especially with regards to the surround sound track.

The surrounds are actively utilized on the mix and the rears are utilized to bring to life some the fantastic sound effects of the Pumpkinhead creature. The score and sound effects blend well together and the viewing experience is all the more engaging as a result. An incredibly immersive audio presentation and one that sounds crisp, dynamic, and revelatory. This is a great mix and one that works well alongside the 4K presentation.

Pumpkinhead 4K Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Audio Commentary with co-screenwriter Gary Garani and Creature and FX Creators Tom Woodruff, Jr. and Alec Gillis, Moderated by Filmmaker Scott Spiegel

Pumpkinhead Unearthed (HD, 1:03:59)

Behind the Scenes (HD, 7:11)

Night of the Demon with Richard Weinman (HD, 16:29)

The Redemption of Joel with John D'Aquino (HD, 14:02)

The Boy with the Glasses with Matthew Hurley (HD, 14:30)

Demonic Toys (HD, 4:50)

Remembering the Monster Kid – A Tribute to Stan Winston (HD, 49:11)

Still Gallery includes 102 click-through slides.

Theatrical Trailer (HD, 1:39)

Alternate Title (HD, 2:32)

Pumpkinhead 4K Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Pumpkinhead is a fantastic creature-feature horror classic. The filmmaking is first-rate and the special effects add a lot of wonder to the experience. Stan Winston is a creative genius – a true pioneer of special effects and a personal hero of mine. Pumpkinhead is a classic horror gem and the filmmaking is first-rate. The last act of the movie is a total thrill ride and audiences will be on the edge of their seat.

The 4K UHD release provides a stunning 4K restoration from the original camera negative and lossless audio. The release also provides a plethora of enticing bonus features for fans of the film to delve into. Shout Factory provided a reference-quality presentation. Fans of the film and newcomers alike should consider it an essential release. Highly recommended.