Even without the benefit of parenthood, Pumpkinhead remains a favorite of mine from the 1980s era of horror, and an all-timer when the criteria for ranking is whittled down to “creature features” only. Lance Henriksen! Stan Winston! A…whole bunch of other people who while strictly speaking are “relevant” to the film are not exactly relevant to the film’s iconography*!
But I’ve been a dad for a couple years now, thereabouts, and thinking about Father’s Day in 2021, I started thinking about Pumpkinhead for a slew of reasons likely related to one another by the increased effort I’ve put into covering horror as well as the pandemic, a moment of paranoia where I spent almost every day thinking about my daughter’s safety. So: Here you go, my fatherly neuroses unleashed via my station as a horror writer.
You can read the full piece at where else but Fangoria?
*Sorry guys, I tried.
Pumpkinhead has to be one of Stan Winstons best.
Not gonna disagree there!