How sad is this?

At first rather annoying in its heavy emphasis on reenactments, this movie ultimately proves fascinating, simply because the complicated, highly dramatic tale it tells still almost defies belief.

Exactly the movie you think it is, but not the movie you want it to be.

Blistering performances.

Okay, even if you haven't seen 'Hellraiser' then you're probably aware of its existence simply by browsing video boxes in the rental store. It was the one that made you stop, stare and ultimately either run away and have nightmares for the rest of your life, or rent it out as quickly as possible just to see what it was all about. Although, based on today's movie-watching trends, the average film-buff has probably never taken a wander up and down the aisles of a Blockbuster store and therefore has never seen 'Pinhead's' screaming face in all its glory.The basic premise of 'Hellraiser' revolves around a supernatural puzzle box that, when opened, unleashes a quartet of mutilated demons, known as 'Cenobites,' who want to tear your flesh from your body – simply for their enjoyment! And, when your typically wicked stepmother's evil lover returns from hell to stir up trouble among her (vaguely) happy family, she agrees to help him in his quest to escape the pursuing Cenobites by generally murdering unsuspecting men in order to give him the required amount of blood. Unfortunately, this doesn't bode well for her legal husband or his daughter.I mentioned that if you've seen the front cover of 'Hellraiser' then it would stick in your head (like a load of pins to be precise). That's because most marketing was centred around the 'lead Cenobite' or 'Pinhead' as he was duly christened. If ever practical make-up was used to good (and horrific!) effect it was here. The Cenobites do really have to be seen to believed. 'Hellraiser' isn't for the faint-hearted – there's tonnes of blood and gore, mainly involving skinless corpses running around murdering people. Now, that in itself may be enough to put people off watching it, however, as I said, it's the Cenobites who are the real stars.For some they may not be in the film for as long as audiences may have liked (a fact that was somewhat rectified in the sequel), but, when they're there, they do steal every scene (and possibly your soul). I haven't read the book that 'Hellraiser' was based on, so I can't really comment on how well it adheres to the source material, but, for once, the writer (Clive Barker) was actually allowed to adapt his own work for the big screen. I don't know how faithful it is, but I do know that it's a memorable experience that die-hard horror fans need to see. Just don't eat anything before you sit down. If you're afraid of the 'red stuff' in general, this one really isn't for you.

The big screen adaptation of Clive Barker's very own novel; The Hellbound Heart, Hellraiser tells of Frank. Being an unsavoury, lecherous man he wishes to experience the extremes of pleasure and pain. To achieve this he purchases a supernatural puzzle-box which when solved, he is torn apart by hooks on chains. After some time passes Franks brother Larry, his second wife Julia and his daughter Kirsty move in to the very house that Frank was killed in. After accidentally cutting himself Larry's brother seeps through the houses floorboards, and resurrects his deceased brother who is discovered by Julia. She previously had an affair with her brother-in-law and it's clear that their fling has still left an impression on her. Being skinless and incomplete as a trio of demonic being called Cenobites had rid him of his body, he persuades his former lover to lure unsuspecting male victims back to the house so that he may feed upon them them so as to regenerate his body. However, when things take an unexpected turn when Kirsty stumbles across her evil uncle.Hellraiser is one of those movies which has so much good things going for it but at the same time it has much that is wrong with it. The directorial debut of Clive Barker this had the potential to be something great, and indeed with his innovative talents as a storyteller there is a cracking horror yarn here. Chalk full with eroticism there is most definitely themes of sadomasochism with the monstrous Cenobites decked in leather clad gear, and are something akin to fetishists. To Barker's credit he didn't do an altogether bad directing job in some areas given this was his first movie as director, however the altogether inconsistency in the quality of acting makes one wonder if this would have benefited from a more experienced filmmaker at the helm. In the main antagonist Frank who is played by two actors, the pre-deceased version and the resurrected zombified incarnation we have one of the most twisted, vile and perverse creations that have been brought to the screen to say the least. Unfortunately both actors, Sean Chapman and Oliver Smith speak with such gravelly, voiced intensity that it feels artificially hokey and takes away from the sheer menace of the character who is left under-developed and two-dimensional. Ashley Lawrence as the main heroine Kirsty is overall fairly decent while Andrew Robinson as her good natured, oblivious father Larry is solid enough for the most part. However the biggest standout is Clare Higgins as Julia, the "wicked stepmother" of the movie who manages to be a reluctant seductress and bored housewife while injecting real humanity and vulnerability, making her an interesting villain. More so I would wager than Frank.One interesting aspect to this, is the Cenobites or more notably Pinhead (who is listed in the end credits as "Lead Cenobites") are really only a secondary threat in this, only making their presence made in the final third of the movie. Actor Doug Bradley who incidentally attended the same Grammar School as Barker, brings a chilling ominous tone to the lead Cenobite and delivers a grandiose performance in the relatively brief time he appears on screen. The make up effects by eighties standard are indeed impressive as are the overall design, although the puppetry effects used in a couple of scenes haven't stood the test of time too well. Barker however does manage to create something of a otherworldly ambience and there is some striking visual flair. This can't entirely compensate though for some of the stilted acting from some of the supporting players, and moments where it strays in histrionic melodrama. Especially in the flashbacks to Frank and Julia. This was a flawed but noble attempt to bring what I can only imagine was a great story, given the reputation of it author, to the screen. It just doesn't all come together quite as well as it should although there's still much to admire.

Review of the Scarlet BoxIf 2014 was the year of Nightbreed, then 2015 has been the year of Hellraiser. First we saw the release of Clive Barker's The Scarlet Gospels which was a wonderful send off to everyone's favorite cenobite Pinhead. Then we were given the exhaustive and highly entertaining documentary Leviathan: The Story of Hellraiser and Hellbound: Hellraiser II which I consider to be the final word on the making of the first two films. And finally to end the year, Arrow Video has given the fans The Scarlet Box which contains new 2K remastered transfers of the first three Hellraiser films and is loaded with all sorts of cool (old and new) extras that should please any hardcore fan of the series.Read the rest at http://www.clivebarkercast.com/2015/11/29/review-the-scarlet-box/

The scariest thing about Hellraiser isn't the part where uncle Frank is ripped to pieces and turned into a jigsaw puzzle, but that a piece of crap like Hellraiser could be popular and even get a bunch of sequels.Hellraiser isn't scary in any real sense. It's not a movie that makes you twist and turn in bed. It doesn't make you think. It's just disgusting, like finding someone's hair in your food. You're not sure if you want to finish it.I'll admit that some scenes are creepy, but it doesn't help when the rest of the movie is sadistic and perverted garbage. "But...but the cenobites are scary-looking!" Not really, but so what? If I wanted that, I could just make scary faces in the mirror and shout "boogah!!!" (To be honest, I'm not even sure if I have to make any faces)The movie also has a lot of sexual content. Why? I don't know. "Because people have sex in real life! It's natural". You know what happens more often than sex? Toilet breaks. Yet we never see Bruce Wayne pull down his pants and place his butt on the rim in any of the Batman movies. There are no graphic pee scenes in the Wolf Man. Like the gory violence, it's just pointless. It doesn't add anything to the plot. It's probably there to show how disgusting uncle Frank is. "Ewww, look at uncle Frank, he's so horny and skinless".There's a hilarious scene where uncle Frank, after having killed and skinned his brother, puts on the skin and impersonates him to fool the main character. I'm sorry, but it's impossible to take it seriously. It's like something you would see in a very violent Bugs Bunny cartoon.The cenobites aren't much better. Even back when I was a kid and saw pictures of Pinhead, I couldn't understand why he was supposed to be scary. In fact, all of the cenobites look like members of a gay club who played with matches or toothpicks. Disgusting isn't the same thing as scary. There's a reason why we don't make horror movies about dog poop...yet.The Stephen King quote can't be real. "I have seen the future of horror, and his name is Clive Barker". If that's the case, Stephen King should consider eye surgery. And Clive Barker should get a face lift. It's probably something Stephen King mumbled in his sleep when he dozed off during the making of Maximum Overdrive.If you want real horror movies, just watch classics like Nosferatu, The Wolf Man, BBC's Dracula miniseries from the 70s, Dead of Night (1945) or the original The Thing. "What's your pleasure, sir?" Using the Hellraiser DVD as a frisbee.