Pumpkin Guts: Devil’s Night//October 277th, 2024

I was recently given the opportunity to check out a new, independent Halloween short film called Pumpkin Guts: Devil’s Night.

(Picture from IMDb)

I first became aware of this film through the Instagram page, and to say I absolutely knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that I’d love it, would be an understatement. I can always tell when a piece of media is truly going to radiate Halloween, in the way that will transport me through whatever month we’re currently in (in this case, probably the most disgusting July on record) and into Halloween night itself.

When I was offered early access to this short film, I could not have been more honored. Even though I’ve built up somewhat of a following within the Halloween community, it still amazes me every day that people finally truly see and feel what I’m trying to create; that my love of Halloween finally means something and brings some joy and comfort to others like myself, and that anyone, especially a filmmaker, would trust me to understand and speak on their vision. I could not be more grateful when opportunities like this come around.

Pumpkin Guts is just under fifteen minutes long, but it manages to pack a powerful punch, and a whole lot of Halloween feeling and nostalgia, into its runtime. I’m still amazed at how complete the story felt…I dare say even more so than some feature-length films I’ve seen lately!

Pumpkin Guts introduces us to a character called Charlie Gein-Gacy (love that name!) who was probably every trick-or-treater’s childhood fear at one point: the man who tampers with candy, particularly by shoving razor blades inside of it. Surely every Halloween lover has heard of him, right? Charlie brings the urban legend to life as he gleefully prepares for another night of mischief, murder, and mayhem, until a mysterious, dirty, bloody scarecrow-like figure appears at his doorstep. The young woman refuses to leave, forcing a missing poster for a girl called Jacqueline Graves into his hands before finally, seemingly disappearing. Charlie starts to wonder, has he finally been caught?

The answer is more terrifying than you can imagine!

I won’t spoil the entire plot, as I really want people to see this! But I will say, Pumpkin Guts is truly the perfect blend of a brutal horror/slasher film, and a nostalgic Halloween feeling. Watching this film, I somehow managed to feel the same way I feel when watching my favorite horrors, while also feeling the nostalgic pangs of my childhood Halloween nights. The combination of the decor aesthetic (Everything in Charlie’s house I either already own or would purchase!) and the classic “razor blade in the candy” urban legend, really made me feel like a kid again…but a kid grown up enough to appreciate some amazing horror and imagery!

If you love Halloween nostalgia and can handle some gore, this is definitely a short film you will not want to miss! I know it made me feel super happy, and extra spooky, and this disgusting, feels-like-100-degrees July afternoon! This is truly a film by lovers of Halloween, for lovers of Halloween.

You can view the trailer here if you’re not logged into Instagram!

Stay spooky, my friends. And make sure you follow @pumpkingutsmovie on Instagram for more information!

I Saw The Great Pumpkin Out For A Stroll//October 233rd, 2025

The most amazing thing happened to me, on a Saturday afternoon. The date was August 30th, just two days before Labor Day; the start of September, and, thankfully, the unofficial (but official, in my book) end of summer. I wound up at a local toy shop, coming away with some tiny plushies. (Two of them Christmas themed, ironically, as I am working toward finding the magic in all things once more .) As I exited the store, something caught my eye beyond the fence leading to the next residential street. A very tall pumpkin man seemed to be walking toward a house. My mind snapped back to when I was six years old, the very first time the Great Pumpkin came to visit me. How I'd heard him in the night, a candle rattling around in his head as he did his work, ensuring the happiest of Halloweens for the truest of believers. How special it felt to know I was one of his Chosen. I'd always hoped to thank him one day. I quietly tiptoed around the fence, out into the narr...

I'm Not So Sure About This Social Media Thing//October 94th, 2026

I started this blog six years ago on New Year's Day. I had been through some major life changes in 2018/2019, and really found myself along the way. I felt as though I really had cemented a place for myself within the Halloween community on social media, and often, when I would caption my posts on Instagram with snippets of memories, or a specific feeling that maybe not many others could understand, I would get comments and messages from new friends and followers, complimenting the way I wrote, sometimes even asking for more, and so, the idea to start a blog again was born, and, silly as it may sound, I am very proud that I've managed to stick with it as long as I have. Long work hours, personal problems, bouts of anxiety and depression....none of that has ever fully stopped me from coming back and doing what I love. But, lately, I have been feeling a little off about social media in general, and that's something I really would like to talk about, as I feel it taking a to...

Welcome Back//October 358th, 2025

I went for my first walk in ages tonight. The last real walk I remember going on, was a December morning, when Halloween was being discarded. I remember seeing pumpkins by garbage cans, empty spaces where ghosts once flew. The ghosts of ghosts, you might say. The world hasn't looked the same, since then. But now, now it is autumn. It is that magical time when September shifts into almost-October; goes from being my birthday month to almost-Halloween. I walk tonight, and I see the beginnings. Not everyone has decorated yet, but it is starting. The world is beginning to look like a place I recognize once more, and old friends are appearing on lawns or in doorways, or peering down at me from windows. I'm not sure if I'm waking up from a dream, or have fallen back to sleep. But whatever it is, it feels good. The best I have felt in a long time. "Welcome back," I say to the decorations, and to autumn and Halloween, and to myself. "It fe...

Katie Pumpkinhead’s Pumpkin Patch

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