Hellraiser
I don't think I can re-gift that
Alright, I admit it: I've never seen
Hellraiser before. It's not like I was completely avoiding it, it had
just never popped into my mind to watch it. If it's ever on TV, it
would be too cut up and edited, thus defeating the purpose of
watching it. Plus it would be stretched out over an absurd amount of
time to cram in lots of commercials for Tide and Pepsi. Next time you
see Godfather on TV, look at how long the running time is. Most of my
knowledge of Hellraiser is just based on movie quotes used in metal
and hardcore songs and Pinface. My father and I used to joke that
every time we drove by a shack with a weird glow in the window,
Pinface lived there. Maybe he fell on hard times or just needed some
alone time. Anyway, it was finally time to see Hellraiser.
Hellraiser is a 1987 horror movie based
off of director Clive Barker's (Candyman, Lord of Illusions) novella,
“The Hellbound Heart”. The movie starts with hedonistic Frank
Cotton (Sean Chapman, Underworld, A Mighty Heart) who has purchased a
mystical puzzle box from a dealer in Morocco. Frank solves the box
back in the attic of his London home, unlocking a dimension where
Frank is brutally tortured and ripped to pieces by strange humanoids.
After his disappearance, Frank's brother Larry (Andrew Robinson,
Mask, Cobra) moves into the home with his wife Julia (Clare Higgins,
The Golden Compass, Being Human). It is revealed that Julia had a
passionate and hedonistic affair with Frank, which she has managed to
keep secret. During the move, Frank cuts his hand on a nail and his
blood drips onto the floor of the attic. His blood manages to bring
Frank back from the other dimension, but only as a mass of bones and
nerves. Julia finds him and Frank tells her he needs more blood to
become whole again. Julia begins to pick up men at bars only to bring
them to the attic and murder them, bringing Frank closer to becoming
whole again. Frank explains to Julia that he had exhausted all
sensory pleasures and sought out the puzzle box, hoping to unlock new
pleasures. Instead it opened a portal to a realm inhabited by beings
known as Cenobites who subjected him to extreme sadomasochistic
torture. Larry's daughter Kirsty (Ashley Laurence, Red, Hellbound)
spies on Julia and discovers the not-quite-whole Frank in the attic.
She escapes with the puzzle box and accidentally enters the
Cenobite's realm. She cuts a deal with them to bring them to Frank.
Will she be able to stop Frank from becoming whole and what will the
Cenobites do to her?
From the looks of it, make her join a shitty Goth band
Just based on my very limited knowledge
of the franchise, this wasn't exactly what I was expecting. Calling
it weird is an understatement. Not that that's a bad thing, I was
just way out of the loop. About half the movie is focused on Julia
and Frank, whereas the second half gives more attention to Kirsty and
the Cenobites. The Cenobites are never actually named, but in credits
they're referred to as Lead Cenobite (Pinhead), Female Cenobite,
Chatterer, and Butterball. In sequels, more attention is given to the
Cenobites, specifically Pinhead. I was hoping to get a little more of
them in this movie, like background information, but it wasn't to be.
They look quite terrifying, though. The makeup is great and their
pseudo S&M costumes fit perfectly.
One small thing that bothered me was
the relationship between Julia and Frank. It just felt out of place
and convenient. Maybe she just really needed a solid rogering, but I
just couldn't get over how their affair just sort of “happened”.
It's a minor detail, but it stuck with me. When I think about it,
there really isn't a lot of story to the movie, but it is still
entertaining. The performances all around are very solid. There are
plenty of scares and a good amount of action throughout. Some scenes
are particularly graphic, so the movie is not for the squeamish or
the faint of heart. Barker does a great job with a very limited
budget and a story that would be too bizarre to be made nowadays.
"Hey, this suit was bloody when I found it."
Hellraiser is a different kind of
horror movie. The monsters are plenty scary and there is lots of
blood, but the overall S&M content and torture sets it apart from
your average horror movie. The fear and terror created in the movie
doesn't come from music swells or implied violence; it's right in
your face, smacking you with a bloody stump. The performances and
direction are very good and the makeup and effects help bring the
movie to another level. It's a fun watch, but not for ones that do
not like gore. I didn't absolutely love it, but it had some good scary moments and was worth my time. At least I can finally mark it on my horror movie
checklist.
7/10
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