PUMPKINHEAD 2: BLOOD WINGS

1994/ Director: Jeff Burr
Review by Justine Ryan.

Pumpkinhead 2: Blood Wings aka Pumpkinhead 2: The Demon Returns (as known on the Australian video release) begins in 1958, in the back woods of a small town called Ferren Woods, where an innocent deformed boy named Tommy is strung up and murdered by the local teenagers, who think Tommy is a freak of nature.

Cut to present day, 35 years later, Jenny Braddock (Ami Dolenz – SHE’S OUT OF CONTROL, WITCHBOARD 2: THE DEVIL’S DOORWAY, TICKS) has moved to Ferren Woods with her father, Sheriff Sean Braddock (Andrew Robinson – DIRTY HARRY, HELLRAISER, CHILD’S PLAY 3) and her mother Beth Braddock (Caren Kaye – MY TUTOR) from New York City to begin afresh, after Jenny had caused some trouble in her hometown getting involved with a bad crowd.

Soon Jenny befriends the towns local badasses, Danny (J. Trevor Edmond – RETURN OF THE LIVING DEAD 3, LORD OF ILLUSIONS, MEATBALLS 4), Marcie (Soleil Moon Frye – PUNKY BREWSTER, ROBOT CHICKEN), Peter (Hill Harper – CSI: NY) and Paulie (Alexander Polinksy –CHARLES IN CHARGE).

One night driving around and getting into no good, Jenny’s new friends tell her about the legend of Pumpkinhead and the local town witch, Miss Osie, who was Tommy’s guardian and also has some mysterious link to Pumpkinhead that we, as the audience aren’t entirely sure about at first. Soon enough the teens accidently run her over and then cause a fire to her shack, almost burning her in it, but not before she curses them to the vengeance of Pumpkinhead.

Anyone that has seen the first film knows that no good will come out of conjuring up Pumpkinhead. For those that haven’t seen Stan Winston’s classic film, or Jeff Burr’s fun follow up, should check them out!

For me growing up in the 80s and 90s, these so called B movies have forever imprinted themselves on my heart. I spent every weekend trolling the aisles of my local video store as a kid, falling in love with all the VHS covers before my eyes. It was a big piece of my life and I am so thankful that I got to be a part of that time. This is where my love for Jeff Burr films grew. There is something comforting when one watches a Jeff Burr movie, you know you are in for a treat (many of his movies have had interference from studios during the making of his films and caused major headaches for him because of it. I think despite all that, he seems to always add his own flavour to each film that I find it hard to dislike any of them). I find all of his films are just plain entertaining - THE OFFSPRING AKA FROM A WHISPER TO A SCREAM, STEPFATHER 2, PUPPETMASTER 4 and 5, LEATHERFACE: THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE III, NIGHT OF THE SCARECROW, EDDIE PRESLEY, STRAIGHT INTO DARKNESS.

Pumpkinhead 2 was released on DVD in the USA in September 2005 in a full screen format and will be available on blu-ray (widescreen) by Shout Factory on 21 October 2014.

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