Hellraiser - Will's review

What can I say about Hellraiser?

You've almost certainly already seen it; Pinhead is almost up there with Leatherface, Freddy, Jason, and Michael Myers when it comes to horror icons, and quite right too; The Coenobites are marvellous creations, and their limited use here is expertly done, keeping them away from the spotlight heightens their otherworldly quality, and keeps the story centred on people and situations (ie. story) rather than being a showcase for the demons' (or angels', if you prefer) cool factor.

For those who don't know, the story (adapted by Clive Barker from his own novella "The Hellbound Heart") is about Frank, a pleasure seeker who, finding that all earthy pleasures leave him cold, opened (by way of a mystical puzzle box) a gateway into another dimension; one where pleasure and pain are so heightened as to be indistinguishable from one another. When his brother, Larry, and sister-in-law / lover, Juila, movie into the brothers' childhood home, Frank manages to enlist Julia's help to return to our world... At the cost of blood sacrifices.

Watching the movie now, having sat through the Video Nasties list, I was surprised how similar parts of it were to Possession, to the extent that one has to believe that Barker (wearing his directors hat) was influenced by that movie; although it's fair to say that it is a case of 'influenced by' rather than 'stealing from' as Hellraiser is very much it's own beast.

There's a lot to love here; superb direction and acting, great gore and physical effect, and astounding creature design, makeup and set design. If I had to find fault it would be with the too clever for its own good ending, which (following the stories actual conclusion) pulls a little twist which, as far as I can remember, is abandoned in the sequels (of which there are currently eight).

As I mentioned, you've probably already seen this, but if you haven't, do.