Black Pumpkin

source: Black Pumpkin

Yes it is a cheesy Halloween movie, yes it is made in the style of eighties movies, but it is a fun watch. The majority of the characters you like and root for. So sit back and enjoy a good popcorn flick for halloween.

I love horror films and have learned that low budget horror is usually a hit or a miss. Black Pumpkin doesn't try to be anything but a 90 minute funhouse ride, and that is why it is a hit.

With its soundtrack and general appearance, the film looks like a bad horror from the 80s. The actors deliver their dialogue in a bored manner and the characters are so clichéd that they cannot be taken seriously. Normally I watch films to the end to form a good opinion. I switched off this cheese after half an hour. The characters were so boring that I didn't care who lived or died. No development or interesting background. For me the film was a waste of time, only the IMDB rating of almost 5 stars made me give it a chance. I guess the 10 star ratings are bought, or given by staff of the film.

This film begins with a man watching television at night when he hears a knock on the door. Upon opening it he finds a black jack-o-lantern on his porch and nobody else around. Since its Halloween he simply discards it as a prank. Minutes later he is stabbed in the head with an ice pick. Not only that, but when his daughter returns from work that night she is also killed by a shotgun rigged to go off when she opens the door. Ten years later another family has moved in with a pre-teen by the name of "Elliott Peterson" (Dogen Eyeler) and his best friend "Pork Chop" (Grayson Thorne Kilpatrick) doing some research for a school project about a supposedly haunted area near their town known as Diablo's Den. They are then warned by a man named "Alex Griffin" (Curt Clendenin) about a mysterious creature known as "Bloody Bobby" (Jo Osmond) who comes from out of nowhere and murders everyone he targets. Unfortunately, the warning comes too late as Bloody Bobby already has his sights set on certain victims. Now rather than reveal any more I kept wondering who specifically this film had as its intended audience. On the one hand it seemed geared toward a younger crowd but if so then some of the more violent scenes went a little too far. On the other hand, if it was geared toward an adult audience some of the scenes of a sexual nature were quite tame and rather uninteresting. That being said, I liked the manner in which the director (Ryan McGonagle) used suspense to sharpen the horror aspect from time to time. I also liked the addition of Ellie Patrikios (as "Laurie Peterson") who enhanced every scene she was in with her sexy demeanor. On the flip side, however, this film was plagued by slow parts and the lack of a consistent theme hampered the overall effect to a great degree. Perhaps if it had been less inconsistent I would have rated it higher.

Low budget horror with a lot of heart. Most low budget horror films go with over gore to grab your attention. Not Black Pumpkin. They used well crafted characters, a fun storyline, and humor. I felt that the film was a throw back to the 80s slasher films. At times I think the music was a little too much at times, but I don't think it took away from this entertaining little horror film.

Well, I tried but I know from past experiences with the filming and the cheesy background music this was most likely a dud. And it was, at least what I made myself sit through. Okay, I know I didn't see it to the end but for what? I can tell a badly made flick from a good one. This one wasn't even worth the effort to watch part of it IMO. Some may like it or find it entertaining. I did not. Honestly, wth is this supposed to be? Some 80's type style? Either way....no thanks.

Yes this is nothing but a sad run of the mill cheap, low budget movie. Move along folks, nothing to see here. YUCK. Boring.

Very fun, fast paced horror flick that doesn't try to be something this it's not. It's a funhouse of cheap thrills, jump scares, and Halloween fun. If you loved the 80s golden age of horror? You'll love this film.

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