Carved, on Hulu
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This 2024 film is based on a short film of the same name that was released as part of Huluween Film Fest in 2018. I wasn't sure before I watched it how much I would like it, and early on while watching it I thought I probably wouldn't end up liking it that much. But I did. I found it pretty funny, not so much because of the basic premise of a killer pumpkin, but because it went comically over the top with "mature" subject matter. Like, holy fuck, is there a lot of swearing in this movie. And drug use. And so much violence and gore. Aside from finding it funny, I also thought it was legitimately scary, if you can put yourself in the position the characters are in. The pumpkin almost could have been replaced by any sort of more believable slasher.

So anyway, it starts with a reporter freaking out because a bunch of people had been killed. And he soon ends up being killed, himself, but we don't yet quite see what was doing the killing. The story then flashes back to earlier that day (Halloween, 1993; I forgot what year it was until at one point someone asked if anyone had a cellular phone, and someone else was like, "What are we, millionaires?"). The same reporter is interviewing the general manager of a historical reenactment village, a guy named Bill (DJ Qualls), and the head of grounds keeping, or whatever, a guy named Kevin. They want the reporter to focus on that day's pumpkin festival, but the reporter wants to focus on a chemical spill that happened near their town some time ago.

Meanwhile, a play is being put on as part of the festival. It's directed by a writer named Kira (Peyton Elizabeth Lee), and one of the stars of the play is her boyfriend, Cody (Corey Fogelmanis, who I didn't realize until looking up the cast on IMDb, that I knew him from Girl Meets World). Kira also has a little brother named Trevor, whom she'd been taking care of ever since their parents died. Trevor seems to have a hero worship thing going on with Cody, as well as having a crush on an actress in the play, Maddie. There was one other guy in the play, I think his name was Shane. Um... anyway, the reporter is later interviewing the stars of the play, as well as Kira, and that's when Kira finds out that Cody is going to move to New York to act in an Off-Broadway show. She gets upset about him leaving. Trevor also gets upset, when he finds out some time later.

And there's a stoner named Clint (Matty Cardarople, who I'm sure I've seen in other things) who is supposed to drive a corn truck to the festival. While his father, Earl (Chris Elliott), is fixing up the run-down vehicle, Clint goes out into a field and finds an ugly pumpkin, which he cuts from the vine and brings back to the truck. A friend of his enters the pumpkin in a carving contest, in which Trevor is also entered. Clint's pumpkin suddenly starts killing all the carvers, and a group of people run for shelter in a barn. Kevin gets caught and dragged away, but it later turns out he's still alive (though badly injured), and he uses several walkie talkies to distract the pumpkin so the others can try to get away. The group that's hiding includes Kira, Cody, Trevor, Bill, Maddie, Shane, a woman named Barb, and some old guy. I think that's everyone.

Some more people die, before the movie is over, but I don't want to spoil who dies and who survives. I should mention that Bill is obviously in love with Kevin, though it was quite awhile before it became clear whether or not that was reciprocated. Other than that... yeah, I really don't want to spoil any more details. But the people in the movie go through a lot of shit before the end. Is it a good movie? Who cares? It's a lot of fun, in my opinion, and that's good enough. Of course, not everyone will be able to appreciate it as much as I did, and I don't know how memorable I'll find it, myself. But I enjoyed the heck out of it while I was watching it.