...film arrived - Hellraiser.
Hellraiser was written and directed by Clive Barker - now a cult figure in the realms of fantasy and horror. The film captures many elements, but it primarily introduces us to a world of supernatural power, unleashed by a combination of curiosity and greed.
Frank Cotton buys a mysterious Chinese puzzle box that turns out to be a secret gateway to a hellish dimension occupied by the Cenobites - four demonic beings whose ... ...in three sequels.
Where Hellraiser works so well is its imaginative fusion of so many ideas. In one element of the plot are the Cenobites - almost mythical creatures, summoned through a bizarre set of rituals. But the film also portrays the brutal entrapment and murders committed by Julia. This is a story of passion and betrayal - and yet it is set within one of the most gory and violent plotlines invented. The performances are universally solid ...
LostWitness 20.03.2001
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Hellraiser (DVD)
Advantages: Scary, tense, intelligent, Pinhead and Barker's writing and direction. Disadvantages: Ashley Laurence's poor acting.
Hellraiser is an excellent horror film which deserves to be in a genre all on its own. The creation of the sick and twisted Clive Barker, this film is based on his short novel the Hellbound Heart. Released in 1987 the film was made on a shoe string budget and became a springboard for Barker to enter the world of cinema. It lasts a standard ninety minutes, an hour and a half of tense, horrific and dreamlike story telling. The plot surrounds Frank ... ...further in later films Hellbound: Hellraiser II and Hellraiser III: Hell on Earth (or perhaps hell on video). Although this film is cheap Barker writes and directs and he really knows what he is doing. The locations chosen are all good and suitably creepy, the effects are cheap but convincing, the use of imagery and sound to unsettle the viewer is excellent (especially the scene where the daughter, Kirsty, is in the hospital). The film builds the ...
setimerenptah 05.07.2001
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Hellraiser (DVD)
...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 ... ...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. ...
wampyrii 07.05.2001
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Hellraiser (DVD)
The hellraiser collection, are a great set of horror films. I remember the first time I saw the original hellraiser film that I was really scared. Pinhead is one of the best characters to come out of horror films, along with Freddie Kreuger, who scared the living daylights out of me when I was little. If you like horror films and you haven't seen any of the hellraiser set, you really should, cos they're good and scary. Blood and guts galore in all ...
Advantages: The Cenobites Disadvantages: Too much Bllod
This is based on a Clive Barker short story "The Hellbound Heart". The story goes that they had a small budget, and decided they could get a house and make up artist and created the film limited by this. This was Barker's first foray into mainstream horror and still remains his best effort. He was executive producer on the sequel and had nothing to do with the second sequel which was an abberation and should be avoided.
The film contains a lot of ... ...The baddies are a group of beings called the Cenobites who's aim is the pursuit of the ultimate in sensual pleasure (for this read the great pain of others).
The story is of a particulary nasty guy called Frank who acquires a Chinese puzzle box that opens the way to the Cenobites, who promptly despatch Frank in a graphically painful sequence. However Frank discovers that he can recopmpose himself using the blood of others, manages to ingratiate ...
mikeydred 23.01.2001
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: helpful Review of Hellraiser (DVD)
Advantages: Very Scary Disadvantages: Wooden acting, just plain wierd, not clever
...but it appeals to me, Hellraiser doesn't.
First of all I would say the biggest problem is the acting. All the actors are wooden and 'Frank'? Well, have you seen Button Moon? No difference. There's supposed to be real sexual chemistry going on but, damn, I would prefer to sleep with Pinhead. All the reactions of the actors are almost Am-Dram. Large eyes and slight glances, big smiles and silly laughs. Not much dramam there then.
Secondly, the script ... ...into the top room where Frank is regenerating? He's bought a new house and he doesn't go into that fabulous top room with the lovely window, rip of the stained cloth and put his desk up there? Barmy. I probably need to read the book to really understand it. But surely I shouldn't have to?
I don't deny that the film is beautifully gross and scary and I completely messed myself when that wormlike thing came rushing at the daughter in the hospital, ...
Mini_Minx 27.07.2003
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: helpful Review of Hellraiser (DVD)
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
Hellraiser is the first of a series of films created by one of the masters of horror Clive Barker. The first film "Hellraiser" is based upon the one Clive's shorter novels "The Hellbound Heart".
The book transfers well from the page to screen in the this low budget but classic film. I have used the term low budget but do not feel this is evident from watching the film as acting, story and special effects are all of great quality.
The film centres ... ...The film begins quickly touching on the stepmothers infidelity with her brother in law, and enters a world of fantasy briskly.The reappearance of our brother in law mentioned above, leads the film into a mysterious, murderous spiral of bloodshed.
Without giving too much away, centre to this film is a puzzle box Lemachands configuration. When solved a doorway is open to another realm giving access to demons....or angels!!!
The hero of the tale is ...
markdobson 05.09.2001
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: helpful Review of Hellraiser (DVD)
Advantages: originality to some extent , the way in which it creates such a morbid atmosphere - interesting and rememberable characters such as pinhead - not as shallow as many others of this ilk Disadvantages: a tad monotonous, plus the almost enigmatic characters can work for or against a film - oftens leaves you wanting more
...a slasher film, Clive Barker's Hellraiser was quite critically acclaimed to a certain extent when it first came out..possibly because it deviates from the regular slasher scenarios set by the likes of Voorhees and good old Fred Krueger - and focuses more on the atmospheric, sadistic and altogether worryingly deeper look on death and the macabre.
Plotwise..it centres around a small metal box - with unsuspecting victims promised the pleasures of hell ... ...even dissapoint some people - hellraiser goes a lot deeper than this, and as such should be congratulated - but the only problem i had with it was the fact is relies so heavily on it's darkness it tends to drag on a bit. But it certainly had an effect - as it's three spawned sequels will testify. ...
blade4503 22.06.2001
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: helpful Review of Hellraiser (DVD)
Advantages: True horror Disadvantages: some wooden acting
...has built up in the Hellraiser series. The first scene in the first film was pretty gruesome enough, where the solving of a simple puzzle box had ripped a man's flesh to pieces and now he would inhabit a world where the pleasure ofm pain is king. The real fear is from that of the Cenobites, the creatures that nihabit the dark side of life, who have been malformed and are gruesome enough themselves. All of these aspects make for an entirely horror ...
jr1290 12.12.2000
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: helpful Review of Hellraiser (DVD)
Advantages: Good acting by Teryy Farrell Disadvantages: Not nearly as good as the other Hellraiser films
...the worst installment in the Hellraiser series, mainly because of the direction the series started going with this movie. The dark and evil Pinhead from the previous 2 films is gone and replaced with a More talkative Pinhead who spits one liners left and right. They also stray from the Phychological terror the previous films had, and try to turn it into a slasher film. Another Disappointment are the Cinobytes, which are more laughable than they are ... ...and the great sequel, but if you must watch here is the lowdown. Terry Farrell plays a down on her luck reporter, who witnesses a horrible death that involved a boy getting ripped apart by pinheads hooks and chains. As she begins to investigate the murder, Pinhead talks a extremely cocky bar owner into release him from the statue ( he is now trapped in) by bringing him victims. After he is released, we get treated to a bunch of wise cracks and a ...
Supernaut 23.11.2000
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: helpful Review of Hellraiser (DVD)
Advantages: sick as hell, great effects Disadvantages: none
...clive barkers books of blood hellraiser today remains one of my favourite horror films. Superbly acted and with excellent special effects, the sequels never quite lived up to this classic original, Pinhead and the xenobites were something new, that we hadn't seen before, and the film was genuinely scary, which was a rarity at the time. i don't know why i was drawn to the film but i watched all the sequels. One outstanding moment is the flesh growing ...
mcpoeman 22.10.2000
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: somewhat helpful Review of Hellraiser (DVD)
Advantages: Its a bona-fide scary movie. Disadvantages: Too scary?
I watched Hellraiser for the first time last night and for a horror-lover like myself, this was long overdue. Perhaps it was down to the fact that i put it off until i could muster a moments peace to dim the lights and watch it alone. This, in hindsight, would prove a harrowing plan. It takes little time in setting the scene and its clear the foundations are being laid bare for the onslaught of sheer terror that ensues. Never has a film had me so ...
thecrust 12.08.2004
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: somewhat helpful Review of Hellraiser (DVD)
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