Black Pumpkin Review

Disclaimer: Contains spoilers!

Plot Summary: Two kids accidentally awaken the vengeful spirit of a little boy who kills people on Halloween.

Review: "Black Pumpkin" is about as dumb and cornball as you'd expect, yet, there was a quirky charm that made it tolerable and fun at times. I've covered a ton of low-budget horror movies that include Halloween plot lines to get a few extra viewers. I'd classify this film among that crowd with the caveat that they tried to incorporate the holiday into the mix better. Other than the obvious, glaring flaws that any casual viewer is going to notice within the first few minutes, my main gripe with the material is the asinine nature of the story. We don't get any context or understanding about why this ghost is on the loose. There is supposedly--and let me stress supposedly--another movie called "Bloody Bobby" that provides the context for "Black Pumpkin," but good writing should supplement that material. Oh well.

The good: I'd dare say there was a degree of heart put into this film. There's just something about the goofy characters and situations that amused me--there was an added layer of care taken to the story if that makes sense. I don't expect others to see this subjective level of charm, but this is what kept me invested. Other than that, the older sister was hot...and there was a kid named Pork Chop. Umm...that might be it for the good.

The bad: Some of these are just a given like questionable acting, weak special effects, and a moronic ending.  In fairness, I've seen significantly worse from other movies of this same caliber. Now, what was legitimately stupid was the antagonist himself, Blood Bobby. Ignoring the lack of context I mentioned, Bloody Bobby is a non-threat! They even show the character is 4'3 (130cm) on his missing poster. He's just a little kid for fuck's sake--kick him into orbit. Oh, sure, the filmmakers could have highlighted his supernatural abilities, but, instead, he seems to need real-world weapons to kill his victims. I mean, he was incapacitated by the little sister at one point. I would definitely nominate Bloody Bobby as one of the weakest and least intimidating villains of all time.

All things considered, I can't really recommend "Black Pumpkin" unless you're just dying for some cheesy fun. This movie certainly doesn't take itself seriously which helps make it bearable. Unfortunately, the positives are few and far between with a slew of negatives in every possible field whether it be production, sound, acting, etc. I've probably reviewed like 50+ movies that take place on Halloween at this point. Just throw all their titles in a hat and pick one at this point.

Notable Moment: Not a single scene but it was definitely within the tasteful shenanigans category that the filmmakers kept finding ways for the older sister to be running around in her undies even in front of Pork Chop.

Final Rating: 4/10