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Pumpkinhead 2: Earning your Blood Wings is a mini-documentary just under 20 minutes long that comes on the Pumpkinhead 2: Blood Wings DVD providing interesting information on the background of the movie. During it, there are interview pieces from the producers, the director, and some of the bit-part actors all sharing their experiences with the film. Among that, some light is shed on the process that brought the movie to life.
Our mini-documentary opens with Producer Brad Krevoy discussing what led up to making Pumpkinhead 2 (PH2). Apparently, a friend of his who worked for a video company that profited from the original Pumpkinhead wanted to know if Brad could obtain the rights and make a smaller budget version of it. Krevoy agreed as long as filming started within 90 days. Due to this, Pre-production would have to start even sooner, so a horror project Krevoy was already working on was modified into the rushed sequel. The producer states that the screenwriters who mashed out the script used a pseudonym because they were TV writers not wanting to be associated with a horror film. Sadly, they didn’t use Alan Smithee.
After the script was finished, they contacted Director Jeff Burr. Krevoy states that he was impressed Burr had managed to get Vincent Price in one of his earlier movies (1987’s The Offspring) and hoped he could do something like that for PH2. Burr appears on-screen for the first time to state that many successful horror movies are getting Direct-to-Video sequels and he looked forward to the project.
At this point, Producer Steve Stabler pops on-screen and reveals that he is not a big fan of horror movies but a fan of movies that can make money. Outside of appearing later to say that the shoot was very cold due to working many nights and saying it was “A zombie-like experience,” this is all he provides to the mini-doc. The script supervisor Harri James later confirms night filming “It was cold even though it was shot in the summer,” while stating that many fans used for effect shots blew things in people’s eyes.
We then return to Burr who admits he received the director’s chair only because another director had left the project for a better job (While Krevoy’s discussion acts like Burr was the first choice. Interesting.). The film rushed into production kept up the quick pace, being filmed in only 22 days. K&B Studios, hired before Burr, made the suit for PH2. Their mission was set on “Reimagining the character.”
James states that when put together, the monster couldn’t run due to design. This movie came before affordable computer effects so doing wire effects and removing the wires from the shot later was not an option, hindering some filming ideas. He also shares that tennis shoes were worn by the Pumpkinhead suit wearer and they are briefly visible in some shots.
Burr is asked about the actors involved and shares his thoughts on a few of them. It all seems to run together though as he is very complimentary towards everyone (Not saying that’s a bad thing). Star Ami Dolenz, playing Jenny Braddock, was hired before he was brought in. Her work in “
Next is Andrew Robinson, who played the town sheriff Sean Braddock. Robinson was brought in “last second” replacing Timothy Bottoms (Johnny in Johnny Got His Gun, George W. Bush in That’s My Bush) and was, “[A] pleasure to work with.” Gloria Handry (Who Burr also praises), played Dolilah Potitbono and chimes in about Andrew stating, “[He was]so laid back and kind.” She credited his professionalism on getting the film made so smoothly.
Handry goes through the story of her audition, stating she didn’t want to do the movie. Not because it looked bad, but because she was afraid to do a horror movie. An easily scared person, she had to go see the monster costume to confirm it was just that before she could relax on set.
Krevoy then moves the mini-doc onto it’s next subject, the inclusion of Roger Clinton in the cast. How is came about is a rather simple story. Krevoy talked to
“Aren’t you the guy working with my brother…I’ll watch that movie in the Oval Office whenever I get a chance.”
Let that sink in.
After that, Burr talks about more of the cast, starting with R.A. Mihailoff. They had worked together previously when Mihailoff played Leatherface in the Burr directed, Leatherface (TCM 3).
Mihailoff shares that his interest came when he read there was a sex scene for his character since he’s not the typical guy cast for those. During a phone chat with Burr, he even volunteered for a butt shot, receiving awkward silence finally followed by, “This…is a horror film…I can’t show that. It’d be too horrifying!” His “partner” in that scene is horror film regular Linnea Quigley (A “Total sweetheart” according to Burr).
Continuing the discussion on minor characters (sadly nothing is really said about Soleil Moon Frye), the director talks about the Knox brothers, played by Will Huston, who went to film school with Burr, and Kane Hodder, the infamous portrayer of Jason Voorhees who was also stunt Co-ordinator on Leatherface. Both are nicely complimented.
Will Huston appears to share his stories from filming the movie all with a big smile and laugh. He obviously enjoyed being apart of the cast. A few things him mentions include, “The scene where Kane shoves me off-screen…I think I flew 15 feet before landing,” and, “I may be the first person in a horror movie to die by chicken pecking.” He follows the last one with a laughing dialogue about him having to be screaming in terror while having his head inside a chicken wire cage with someone below camera pecking at him with fake chicken heads on a stick. “That’s real acting!”
From here the mini-doc starts to wrap up with people sharing their last comments. Krovey states, “We knew it had a built in audience already.” With that knowledge, they knew that they knew they wouldn’t lose money. Burr states that “It did okay,” But “I got no feedback on any level.”
Handry pops up with a smile stating, “Most people who watched it said, ‘Ah, she’s gonna die.’ But I didn’t!” The African American actress then laughs and talks about how surviving that cliché is her ‘legacy.’ Mihailoff shares that “After we wrapped, [Jeff] and I…drank beer and whiskey til 3AM in the morning.” Huston confirms that he enjoyed being part of the film.
Finally, as if to pound home the fact that the movie isn’t an epic that will live on for generations, Burr shrugs and says, “Did it effect my career at all?...I don’t think so. Did it catapult me to another movie? No. Did anyone watch it and say ‘I love this movie’? No.”
Krovey pops up one last time to state, “At the end of the day, it was fun.” We end with Burr thanking the viewer for watching the DVD and giving his movie a 2nd chance.
In all, the behind-the-scenes mini-doc leaves out plenty of things, especially anything negative, but still shares some interesting information along with some on-set stories from people who enjoyed making their “bad” movie. It’s a nice addition to movie, which also comes with Director’s Commentary.
But that…is another write-up…
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