Amateurish, awkward modern slasher is not completely without its amusements, at least for die hard - and I do mean DIE HARD - B cinema completists. It's dull too much of the time, and the acting is by and large pretty dodgy. But considering just how minuscule the budget apparently was on this flick, it's to the credit of director Steve Latshaw and company that they pull off a movie that is at all coherent or enjoyable in the first place. The look of our evil pumpkin headed monster is decent, but the character obviously has not become an icon of the season.
A wizard played by John Carradine was put to death ages ago, and he placed a curse (but don't they all?) on his persecutors and their descendants. In the 1990s, the average suburban family the Kellys must do battle with the infernal demon of the title, conjured up by the wizard once upon a time.
The script by Patrick Moran is based on a story by Brad Linaweaver and Latshaws' contemporary Fred Olen Ray; Moran also plays Jack-O. It's on the lame side, all in all, with not much in it that's memorable in any way - save, perhaps, for the conservative couple the Watsons who watch a Rush Limbaugh parody character on TV. The gore isn't too bad, and Latshaw makes a good stab, if you'll pardon the expression, at generating some atmosphere.
But the characters are pretty inane. At least Carradine and his fellow veteran Cameron Mitchell (as a TV horror host) don't get embarrassed too much; their roles are really just cameos. (Their footage had been shot several years previously, and edited into some newly shot scenes.) The same goes for scream queen Brinke Stevens and *her* peer Dawn Wildsmith. Still, it's hard to completely knock any movie that gives Linnea Quigley the starring role, as she plays a surly, unlikely babysitter. Ryan Latshaw, who has the pivotal role of young Sean Kelly, is the son of the director.
Sadly, this would turn out to be the final film appearance for Mitchell.
Five out of 10.
A wizard played by John Carradine was put to death ages ago, and he placed a curse (but don't they all?) on his persecutors and their descendants. In the 1990s, the average suburban family the Kellys must do battle with the infernal demon of the title, conjured up by the wizard once upon a time.
The script by Patrick Moran is based on a story by Brad Linaweaver and Latshaws' contemporary Fred Olen Ray; Moran also plays Jack-O. It's on the lame side, all in all, with not much in it that's memorable in any way - save, perhaps, for the conservative couple the Watsons who watch a Rush Limbaugh parody character on TV. The gore isn't too bad, and Latshaw makes a good stab, if you'll pardon the expression, at generating some atmosphere.
But the characters are pretty inane. At least Carradine and his fellow veteran Cameron Mitchell (as a TV horror host) don't get embarrassed too much; their roles are really just cameos. (Their footage had been shot several years previously, and edited into some newly shot scenes.) The same goes for scream queen Brinke Stevens and *her* peer Dawn Wildsmith. Still, it's hard to completely knock any movie that gives Linnea Quigley the starring role, as she plays a surly, unlikely babysitter. Ryan Latshaw, who has the pivotal role of young Sean Kelly, is the son of the director.
Sadly, this would turn out to be the final film appearance for Mitchell.
Five out of 10.