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Pumpkinhead II - Blood Wings - Blu-ray Review

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1 star

“This stuff is way beyond Ouija boards, you guys.”

Do we need to ask why?  Someone somewhere at MGM couldn’t leave well enough alone and that’s the only answer you’ll get.  Of course, Pumpkinhead has to return and, of course, an irritating group of teenagers has to be the ones to resurrect him.  But did it have to be this bad?  Pumpkinhead II: Blood Wings is a lackluster affair that jettisons the mythology of the original film in favor of something bland and lame, shaming its original creator, Stan Winston. 

It begins with a flashback concerning a deformed orphan who is brutally attacked, tortured, and hung by a bunch of angry teens with nothing better to do with their time.  When the faux black-and-white bit ends, we are in present day Ferren Woods, a small town situated on the wrong side of redneck.   Things move slow here.  Well, almost everything.  There is, of course, a connection from the past to the present and it touches most of the lives in the town.

The town’s new sheriff (Andrew Robinson) and his teenage daughter (Ami Dolenz, the daughter of The Monkees’ own drummer, Mickey Dolenz) arrive with baggage of their own.  They are looking for the quiet life.  For the sheriff, he is hopeful the small town will be good for his daughter.  It isn’t.  She immediately gets in with the wrong crowd – Danny Dixon (J. Trevor Edmond) and Marcie (played by Punky Brewster’s Soleil Moon Frye) – and gets mixed up with trying to resurrect the tortured orphan brutally murdered all those years ago.

A lot of backwoods murdering goes on as the resurrected orphan finds new life as Pumpkinhead.  You’re scratching your head.  I know why.  Pumpkinhead II makes little sense but, hey, that’s what you get with this direct-to-video release.  Director Jeff Burr has some cool “below-the-neck” shots of the monster but adds little else.  The acting is notoriously foul and cringe-worthy.  Even some of the practical makeup effects are gamey and poorly executed.  Stan Winston’s original film is trashed by this bare-boned experiment and is further insulted by a sub-title that actually got its own badly recorded “hard rock” anthem.  Stay for the credits and you will hear its “thunderous” beatings.

Unfortunately, Pumpkinhead II: Blood Wings begins and ends in the cemetery of bad horror movie clichés.  Scream Factory has resurrected the title but I have to wonder why because the film is a disgrace to what could and should have been a strong franchise.

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[tab title="Film Details"]

Pumpkinhead II - Blood Wings - Blu-ray Review

MPAA Rating: R for horror violence, sexuality and language.
Runtime:
88 mins
Director
: Jeff Burr
Writer:
Constantine Chachornia
Cast:
Andrew Robinson, Ami Dolenz, Soleil Moon Frye
Genre
: Horror | Thriller
Tagline:
They couldn't leave dead enough alone..
Memorable Movie Quote: "You will die! You all will die! Miss Osie curses every one of you to the vengeance of Pumpkinhead!"
Distributor:
No theatrical release
Official Site:
Release Date:
No theatrical release
DVD/Blu-ray Release Date:
November 18, 2014
Synopsis: Thrill-seeking teenagers resurrect a demon from his grave and a bloody rampage for revenge begins.

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[tab title="Blu-ray Review"]

Pumpkinhead II - Blood Wings - Blu-ray Review

Blu-ray

Blu-ray Details:

Available on Blu-ray - November 18, 2014
Screen Formats: 1.85:1
Subtitles
: English
Audio:
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0
Discs: 50GB Blu-ray Disc; Single disc (1 BD)
Region Encoding: A

Presented on blu-ray courtesy of Scream Factory with an AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 1.85:1, Pumpkinhead II: Blood Wings suffers from its mid-90’s production values.  Details are seldom profound due to the limitations in the shoot and the overall darkness the film employs.  Contrast is lacking and colors are more warm than they are accurate.  There are no problems with filtering or sharpening, and the grain structure is intact and natural looking.  A lossless DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 mix that nicely recreates the film's theatrical Ultra Stereo audio faithfully provides the aural experience.

Supplements:

Commentary:

  • Director Jeff Burr tries to dig himself out of a hole with this commentary and is very up front with the troubles that happened before he got involved with this problematic production.

Special Features:

Scream Factory has gone above and beyond in delivering the goods to make this a blu-ray worth owning, even if the movie does suck.  The featurettes are an hour-long interview with director Jeff Burr.  He discusses his career for a good portion and goes into the troubled history of the Pumpkinhead sequel.  It's pretty easy to see that he was brought in last minute and most of the issues where present beforehand.  Next up is a fun interview with the creature designers KNB EFX Group (Greg Nicotero and Gino Crognale) and the man in the suit, Mark McCracken. 

  • Interview with Director Jeff Burr (62 min)
  • Recreating the Monster (32 min)
  • Behind the Scenes Footage (17 min)

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