▁as ▁Richard ▁War lock ) ▁ ▁M ush room ▁as ▁Gy ps y ▁ ▁Production ▁ ▁P ump kin head ▁was ▁inspired ▁by ▁a ▁poem ▁by ▁Ed ▁Justin . ▁The ▁De ▁Laur enti is ▁Entertainment ▁Group ▁sent ▁Stan ▁W inst on ▁the ▁script ▁only ▁expecting ▁him ▁to ▁do ▁the ▁creature ▁effects , ▁but ▁W inst on ▁instead ▁saw ▁in ▁the ▁project ▁an ▁opportunity ▁to ▁make ▁a ▁director ial ▁debut . ▁Given ▁W inst on ▁was ▁then ▁busy ▁ref ining ▁the ▁story , ▁he ▁gave ▁free ▁re ins ▁regarding ▁design ▁to ▁artists ▁Ale c ▁Gill is , ▁Sh ane ▁Mah an , ▁John ▁Rosen gr ant ▁and ▁Tom ▁Wood ru ff , ▁Jr ., ▁the ▁last ▁of ▁whom ▁also ▁wore ▁the ▁P ump kin head ▁suit . ▁W inst on ’ s ▁experience ▁regarding ▁creature ▁work ▁enabled ▁the ▁effects ▁not ▁to ▁use ▁too ▁much ▁of ▁the ▁limited ▁$ 3 ▁million ▁budget . ▁Fil ming ▁took ▁place ▁in ▁Los ▁Angeles , ▁California . ▁ ▁Release ▁ ▁The ▁film ▁was ▁given ▁a ▁limited ▁release ▁the atr ically ▁in ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁by ▁United ▁Art ists ▁in ▁October ▁ 1 9 8 8 ▁and ▁again ▁in ▁January ▁ 1 9 8 9 . ▁In ▁total , ▁it ▁gross ed ▁$ 4 , 3 8 5 , 5 1 6 ▁total ▁at ▁the ▁domestic ▁box ▁office . ▁ ▁The ▁film ▁was ▁released ▁on ▁V HS ▁in ▁the ▁US ▁by ▁M GM / U A ▁Home ▁Entertainment ▁in ▁May ▁ 1 9 8 9 ▁and ▁again ▁in ▁April ▁