A group of young men on motorcycles have stopped in a small town in Nevada while on their way to a vacation spot. As they leave one of the boys accidently runs over and kills the young son of Ed Harley (Lance Henriksen). Ed is so angry and distraught that he calls on the local witch Haggis (Florence Schauffler) to help him seek revenge. With her help, the two call upon and raise a demon called Pumpkinhead. One by one, the demon murders each of the children. But Ed is not prepared for what happens to him during the murders. Each time a person is killed, Ed feels every bit of pain and terror of the victim. As Ed feels remorse for his actions, he tries to stop the monster. But instead, he is killed by it and buried in the pumpkin patch where someday, he will become the next Pumkinhead.