This is a very B-grade horror about an evil force that comes back from the dead to wreak revenge on people who have wronged you. It starts off with a man being chased through the corn fields in the American countryside, at night. He finally comes to a house and proceeds to bang violently on the door, but the people inside refuse to let him in. The young boy in the house trying to sleep can’t understand why his father refuses to let the man in.

Everyone knows the man has been bad though and Mr Pumpkinhead is set on killing him and no-one will get in his way, because if they do they will die too. After the killing of this seemingly innocent man (well, we don’t see what he is supposed to have done) we are taken to modern day where a farmer, Ed comes back to his house where his son, Billy sits on the verandah playing with his dog. They procede to have a quiet dinner before the boy brings out a present for his father in an SHOW of affection that sets up the rationale for Ed’s rage later in the film.

The next day the two are preparing their day at their roadside shop while six city folk are driving up the highway in their direction. The bad boy, Joel is in his flash convertible with his ditzy girlfriend Kim driving like there’s no tomorrow while his brother Steve drives the pick-up van with the other three in the back.

They’re off to their parent’s cabin and have their entertainment but no food. They stop at the roadside shop to buy some supplies. one of the girls, Tracy, introduces herself to Billy and they talk and play with the dog. Meanwhile another family pulls up and one of the younger kids gets harrased by the others who taunt him that Mr Pumpkinhead will get him for snatching Billy’s ball. Tracy snaps at them to leave the kid alone and the family leave, as the Steve and Joel play big boys’ games on their dirt bikes.

Ed has to go home for something for a customer and while he is out poor little Billy gets hit by the tough Joel whose been on his motorbike showing off. Joel quickly packs the dirt bike away and five of the six kids leave Steve to look after the mess. When Ed gets back he gives poor Steve a huge death stare, as little Billy is dead.

So it’s not long before Ed decides he has to go up into the hills to see the old lady on top of the hill, who is the only one who knows how to conjure up Mr Pumpkinhead. She is a horrible old hag in the true sense of the word an soon enough, one by one the teens die horrible deaths and Mr Pumpkinhead gets Ed’s revenge. The price for Ed is that he suffers as each death takes place and eventually (and thankfully) he decides to kill himself to stop the slaughter. The movie leaves open the idea that Mr Pumpkinhead might be stopped this time but he still has the capacity to rise again. HAVING seen the movie I reckon they should leave well enough alone.

Unfortunately the movie was made so badly there’s hardly any light to see what’s going on. I understand that the lack of light is supposed to add to the tension but it just make sthe whole experience that much worse. The script is bad, the monster looks like a leftover from Alien and the acting is pretty bad. I was very surprised to see at least one face I knew from other movies as it is incredible that anyone made it out of there with a movie career left.

THE EXTRAS

None so no stars.

CONCLUSION

When you do something as bad as killin’ someone, you better hope they don’t have relatives that know about the lady on the hill. Because she knows how to summon Mr Pumpkinhead and he definently won’t let you die a happy person.