REVIEW: BLACK PUMPKIN
Don’t let the heart eyes fool you. Bloody Bobby’s out for…well, blood.
“Black Pumpkin” is reminiscent of pre-“Scream” direct-to-video 90’s horror. You can even close your eyes and picture the video store box, lenticular cover and all. If titles like “Ice Cream Man” and “Jack Frost” make your ears perk up, “Black Pumpkin” might be for you.
It’s Halloween night in Fall Creek Valley, where tween boys Elliot (Dogen Eyeler) and Pork Chop (Grayson Thorne KIlpatrick) make a documentary for their class about a spooky local legend, Bloody Bobby. Who’s Bloody Bobby? Well, he might be young Bobby Maxwell who disappeared in the ‘80s, but somehow became a demon. Played by Jo Osmond, he’s short, masked and mean. Picture Sam from “Trick r Treat,” but faster and with a cheaper mask. Anyone who gets in his way faces his wrath including Pork Chop, Elliot, and Elliot’s teen sister Laurie (Ellie Patrikios), and her friends. Chaos, as you can imagine, ensues.
The film is a sequel to 2016’s “Bloody Bobby,” but you don’t need to know that going in. There’s not much connective tissue, or even exposition, which is usually welcome, but sometimes it’s nice to get a major backstory for your villain, especially in a sequel. All you really need to know is the film is supposed to be set in America. This should be evident if not for the odd accent that slips in every once in a while, not to mention the egregious dubbing on Laurie and a few others.
I have exposition and I will use it SO HELP ME…!
Still, why complain about the ADR budget when we’re all just here for the blood? The best thing about those aforementioned DTV horror flicks is that the kills were great! Sitting through poor performances and production value was worth it for the iconic deaths and mean-spirited sight gags that made you howl with laughter. It’s too bad “Black Pumpkin” never reaches those heights (depths?) Since it’s plagued by unmemorable characters, poorly-rendered CGI blood and a grating soundtrack. There’s fun to be had if this is your thing, but otherwise, just keep counting down until “Halloween Kills.”
“Black Pumpkin” is available on on iTunes, Vudu, Xbox, Googleplay, Amazon, DirecTV, Dish Network, Fandango Now, iNDEMAND, and DVD
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