PUMPKINHEAD II: BLOOD WINGS (1994)
Alright, I've delayed this long enough. Let's break down the pithy, somewhat puny Pumpkinhead franchise. Unfortunately, I'm doing this in chronological order, which I don't recommend. If you haven't read my review of the original film, click HERE. If you haven't seen Blood Wings and you're thinking of checking it out, click...anywhere. Just do something else. That's my advice. I have a long history with this curiously delayed sequel, a history rife with vexation and disillusionment. My dad rented it when I was 10, so I actually saw it before the original. That is sheer lunacy. Alas, it is my truth. Essentially, Blood Wings asks us to forget most of what we know in relation to everyone's favorite vengeance demon. There is a sepia-toned prologue that introduces us to a deformed child. Of course, the boy is unjustly killed, but is Pumpkinhead called forth? Nope! The old witch can't be bothered until she is badgered by "rebellious" teenagers thirty years later.
We learn that Pumpkinhead is the boy's father. That raises so many questions, I can't even. The witch's house burns down, but technically, it's her own fault. Basically, nothing here is based on logic. The hushed tragedy and forlorn grace of the first film is replaced with Andrew Robinson clunkily reciting a nursery rhyme. Why is the coroner always at his house? Sorry, I don't mean to interrupt myself with random questions, but these are things you're going to ponder while you wait for KNB's effects to pop up. The cast is dreadful, aside from Ami Dolenz. Poor Ami Dolenz. Thankfully, Linnea Quigley's boobs make a cameo appearance. We get a fantastic decapitation, but good luck caring about any of the characters. Now, my rating may seem high after all of that bellyaching. I can't help it. I have a sentimental attachment to this flick, although if I saw it today for the first time, I wouldn't be nearly as forgiving.
Guilty pleasure? Comfort watch? Nostalgia? I'm trying to find some way to rationalize the fact that I've seen Pumpkinhead II: Blood Wings more than once. Okay, maybe more than twice.
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