PUMPKINHEAD II: BLOOD WINGS (1993)

Pumpkinhead II: Blood Wings (1993)
Directed by: Jeff Burr
Written by: Andrew Osborne, Constantine Chachornia, Ivan Chachornia, Will Huston
Starring: Ami Dolenz, Andrew Robinson, Gloria Hendry, J. Trevor Edmond, Kane Hodder, Mark McCracken, Soleil Moon Frye, Steve Kanaly

PUMPKINHEAD II: BLOOD WINGS (1993)
Directed by Jeff Burr

Horror sequel PUMPKINHEAD II: BLOOD WINGS doesn’t follow the exact same rules as its predecessor but works well on its own. The story starts in the 1950’s with the horrific murder of a disfigured boy who lives in the woods. Fastforward to the early 90s, and a group of thrill-seeking teens are up to no good and steal a vial of blood and an incantation from local ‘witch’, Miss Osie, which they then use to bring back ‘the dead’ – or more specifically, a body buried out in the woods. When nothing happens, the teens dismiss the entire thing as a waste of time, but when some of the townsfolk are discovered brutally torn apart, they begin to suspect it has something to do with their late night magic medlling.

I probably don’t need to point out who is behind the murders within the body of demon Pumpkinhead, but it takes Sheriff Braddock a little while to find out. Not that we mind, for he’s played by the terrific Andrew Robinson, who you may recognise as Kirty’s dad Larry in Hellraiser. Jesus Wept and all that! Andrew stars as the likable Sheriff who has the local Judge Dixon to contend with – a man who’s keen to hunt the mystery murderer down with a team of hunters armed to the teeth. Making matters worse is the Sheriff’s daughter Jenny (Ami Dolenz) is seeing the Judge’s no-good rogue son, Danny (J. Trevor Edmond), who seems to enjoy instigating trouble, without any worries of the effects it may have.

Whilst PUMPKINHEAD II: BLOOD WINGS is no means a brilliant film, it is an enjoyable one. Horror fans will enjoy the costumed Pumpkinhead wreaking havoc across town, spilling the blood of the locals in dramatic and enthusiastic style with his claws. No CGI here folks! Pure practical effects and a rubber costume make my horror heart swell with joy. It may not be the greatest creation ever put to film, but its presence (and I emphasise that word) is more than enough to leave its victims quaking in their boots. I liken this style of film to the Nightmare on Elm Street franchise. If you like the low budget style, then you’ll no doubt find lots to enjoy here. There’s blood, nudity, screaming teens and a monster. What more could you ask for?

Shot using static cameras, as most horrors were pre-2000, the film is a breath of fresh air from today’s whirly cameras. What did make me chuckle is the odd use of POV camera, for instance when Danny digs up the grave in the woods. Used sparingly, this effect is fantastic and adds to the film, which in this case it does immensely, though when its used all the time, as films are so often nowadays, it can become headache worthy. Whilst the film’s script and plot might not be the strongest out there, it doesn’t do the movie much harm, and I’m pretty confident that this movie will appeal to all horror fans out there, especially those fond of B-movies and cult classics.

Rating: