Hellraiser: Revelations

Having grown up with horror movies and been exposed to the numerous big horror franchises, I am no stranger to the "Hellraiser" movies, and must admit that I have been watching them ever since the first one came out. However, I am sad to say that since the third movie or so, the franchise has been on a steady declining spiral, and the stories have progressively strayed from the original idea.

This ninth movie was a bit of a surprise to me, as I came upon it by sheer luck. I hadn't even heard about it, and honestly, I thought they had finally put the franchise to rest after a number of disappointing movies. But I was wrong.

So I sat down to watch this movie, and I must admit that I was appalled to see that Doug Bradley wasn't in the role as Pinhead. That was an insult to us fans of the movies (or fans of the first handful of proper "Hellraiser" movies, at least). But still, I gave it a go.

That being said, I have got to be blunt honest. Doug Bradley was (and always will be) Pinhead. Stephan Smith Collins is a really bad substitute. I am not saying that he is a bad actor, as I am not familiar with his work outside this one movie, but he didn't have that diabolic charm and wit that Bradley brought to the Pinhead character. Nor did he have that iconic voice that we all have come to love (or fear, whichever you prefer). So the Pinhead portrayed in "Hellraiser: Revelations" was a mere cheap imitation of the original Pinhead.

As for the story in "Hellraiser: Revelations", one thing only has to be said: "are you kidding?" The story in this ninth installment was a rude insult and a downright copy of the storyline from the first movie. Sure the setting was changed and small adjustments made, but the overall storyline and plot was the exact same thing. Which leads me to ponder on whether or not this movie was necessary? Wouldn't it had been better to just let the franchise lie dormant? Surely this wasn't the best they could come up with. And also, just why did Doug Bradley pass on this? Leaves you with something to think about, doesn't it? And leaves you with a somewhat vile aftertaste in your mouth.

"Hellraiser: Revelations" dragged on forever, just retelling the story that we were introduced to in the first "Hellraiser" movie, so it was basically just pointless repetition. A way to introduce the franchise to new viewers? I don't know, but for us who have followed the growth and decline of the franchise, it was a rude slap on the face.

The movie leaves little room for the characters to develop and grow, despite the actors/actresses doing their best with their given parts. You just never really buy into the characters, and they are lacking depth and credibility.

Having seen every single "Hellraiser" movie since the very first, this one is without a doubt the most boring, pointless and far-strayed from the original plot. It is worth a watch if you want to see it just to have watched all of the movies, but that is about it. There is nothing new here; everything is just a re-write of old material. It is like brewing coffee on an old and already used coffee filter. It was horrible.

One of the things "Hellraiser: Revelations" had working for it, was the effects. There weren't a lot of special effects, though whatever little they did use worked out well enough. Personally, I could have used a lot more of the traditional wicked torture and torment that is associated with the Cenobytes and the "Hellraiser" series.

I have seen "Hellraiser: Revelations" now, and I can honestly say, despite being a "Hellraiser" fan, that I will not be making a second return to this movie ever!

This was the worst film in the series by far. I understand it was rushed out but the script seems to have been written by a 10 year old.

The characters were cardboard cut-outs. Actually I think I would have had more of an emotional connection to cardboard than the cast.

The storyline and I use the term in the loosest possible sense was so jumbled it was nigh on impossible to keep track of what was happening and when it was happening.

I am so glad Doug Bradley refused to appear in the film as he would have shone so brightly among the others the screen would have just been a white light.

So Revelations. Well if the word is translated as Apocalypse I think I was a valid title.

Don't bother to see this film unless you enjoy staring at wet paint.

In this ninth installment of the Hellraiser franchise, two friends discover a puzzle box in Mexico, which opens a gateway to Hell.

I hardly even want to write a review about this crock of rubbish, because others already have and have done a better job.

Dread Central wrote, "Not only does this entry make all the other sequels seem great in comparison, you could easily confuse this for some Hellraiser mockbuster from the folks at The Asylum." This is spot-on, as they have stolen everything good from the first two films -- Pinhead, the mattress rebirth, the homeless man -- and made them into pale comparisons.

No one has been harsher than Scott Weinberg, who called the film a "contractually-mandated piece of intentional garbage that exists for no other reason than pure, simple greed... This is amateur hour stuff all the way, and it'd be almost endearingly, stupidly enjoyable if this witless cinematic refuse wasn't dancing on the grave of a true classic of the genre." Ouch!

But seriously, what is with the chubby Pinhead who has somehow lost his British accent? The only way this even makes sense is by assuming it just happens to be another demon that imitates the look.

The worst movie in the hellraser franchise without question. I thought some of the previous movie attempts were quite bad, but this one gets the prize! The basic plot is not the worst ever filmed, but there is nothing original, and simply walks in the path of the hellraser "mythology" without adding anything new. The acting is average, sometimes bad, and the direction simply gets the job done.

The reason that this movie is worst than the rest, is the fact that Doug Bradley refused the part of Pinhead, so it went to someone it shouldn't have. Stephan Smith Collins, the new Pinhead, is simply terrible for this part. It is not only the fact that the tone of his voice is NOT Pinhead "material", but his facial structure does not sit well with the make up, and the result is a fat looking Pinhead. I suppose they eat quite well in Hell these days, so he gained a few pounds (lol).

I have to mention that they did fine work in the make up department. However, make up alone is not enough to support an entire movie. It is a surprise that this movie event went out on DVD the way it is. It is a waste of time to watch in my opinion. I suggest that any Hellraser fans still out there, read the new comic book by Clive Barker from now on, instead of watching these terrible movies...

I gritted my teeth and gave it a chance, but in the end there is no escaping it. No Doug Bradley, no Pinhead. No Pinhead, no Hellraiser. It's not worth talking through the awful script, the mediocre effects or the below par acting, others have covered those in existing reviews. My only comment would be that the actors on screen know they are making a fail movie and it shows on screen. And when the fake Pinhead arrives on screen, it's game over. After watching this, I looked up the interviews with Doug Bradley to find out why he didn't get onboard with the project, after all, he's been involved with every Hellraiser film so far. I would recommend watching the interviews BEFORE the film, it might save you 90 minutes of your life that you won't get back.