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Adapted from the Clive Barker novel. 'The Hellbound Heart', Hellraiser, is also the same author's diretorial debut - and a pretty damn good one it is at that!
Frank Cotton is a man in search of sexual adventure. Rather than nipping down to the local red light district, Frank travels a little further afield, purchasing a mysterious 'box' from an unspecified country which he is told will exact upon him untold pleasures of the flesh. Back home in England we find Frank sitting alone in the darkness, playing with the box, trying unsuccesfully to make it work...and then it does. He has opened the gateway to hell, crossing the boundary between pleasure and pain as hundreds of fishing hooks burst forth and impale themselves in his skin, stretched tight by the chains upon which they are fastened. The Cenobites, creatures from another dimension, circle as Frank is torn apart...nice. A number of years later, the house having lain empty, Frank's brother moves his family into the house, but when some blood is spilled on the floor of the room where the horrific events occured, Frank is brought back to 'life'. Almost merely skeletal in form, Frank needs the flesh and blood of others to rebuild his form, and uses his sister-in-law, with whom he had an affair to help him regenerate himself by luring victims to the house. However, her step daughter becomes suspicious of her and unwittingly stumbles into the affair, releasing the cenobytes and all hell breaks loose again...
Hellraiser was hugely popular during the 80s, bringing with it a cult popularity, especially as I remember it, amongst those whose age group meant that in theory they should never have seen it. It was enormously popular at my school anyway, copies flying about liberally at one point. Hellraiser however is certainly not for the squeemish. The gore factor here is extremely high, and Barker as a director has an excellent way of producing a really horrific ambience to the proceedings. It is a shame that the acting performances are of the usual horror movie standard - ei. extremely poor, because this could have been a 'superb; movie, whereas, it is only 'good' as a result. There is also the feeling that the 'horror' scenes are the main focus of the movie, as it lumbers from one to the next, with little inbetween to bridge the gap. But then Barker is a horror writer, who seems to revel in the gore aspect above all else, so what more can you expect. characterisation is also pretty non-existent, or at best shallow, but that doesn't really detract too much from the entertainment value.
Horror movies are about shocks and gore. If there is a little bit of acting talent, characterisation, or even a half decent script thrown in somewhere then they become classics of the genre. Hellraiser is a classic anyway because of the sheer level and even reverance paid to the gore aspect and as such is a movie well worth watching - as long as you have a strong stomach for such things because it isn't pretty.
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Advantages: Good special effects, althought the film does not depend upon these. An excellent story with strong well defined charaters. Disadvantages: May not appeal to all viewers, touches on sado masochism. Can be quite gory in parts
markdobson 05.09.2001 ·
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Review of Hellraiser (DVD)
Advantages: Features Doug Bradley, some decent special effects, at least its short, Disadvantages: Widdles on the franchise, terribly directed, atrocious cast and acting, terrible plot, melodramati
Advantages: Better than the first 3 Disadvantages: Not enough of Pinhead
iateamonkey 27.10.2006 (27.10.2006)
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Review of Hellraiser - Inferno (DVD)
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![Hellraiser [DVD] [1987]](http://picnicb.ciao.com/uk/78514907.jpg "Hellraiser [DVD] [1987]")
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