Hellraiser

Despite appreciating horror very much (with a lot of classic ones out there, such as 'Halloween', 'Nightmare on Elm Street', 'The Texas Chainsaw Massacre', 'Night of the Living Dead' and 'The Exorcist', plus the best of Hammer House of Horror), even if not my favourite genre, it took me a while to get round to watching the 'Hellraiser' franchise. Due to having so much to watch and review, and the list keeps getting longer and longer.

This is the film that started the franchise off, and not only is it by far the best of the 'Hellraiser' films it also for me, and quite a few others it seems, is one of the stronger horror films of the 80s, though not quite of all time. What is meant by being by far the best of the 'Hellraiser' films is that it is the only one to be above very good, the nine sequels were very variable (leaning towards the disappointing) and the latter films particularly are suggestive of the franchise having run its course.

'Hellraiser' is notable for being the directing debut of celebrated and extremely talented author Clive Barker. His books have always been hugely compelling, with intelligent exploring of ambitious themes, vivid attention to detail and characterisation, meticulous atmosphere and distinctive chills and sense of dread, his popularity is more than well deserved. He also adapts his source material 'The Hellbound Heart', a terrific book and even better than this already very good film, and all those qualities are lifted off the pages onto the screen. It is also notable for introducing us to Pinhead, who would justifiably become a horror icon.

By all means 'Hellraiser' is not a perfect film. The ending is schlocky and at odds with the rest of the film, which was up to then very disturbing and remarkably intelligent and the ending felt like it belonged somewhere else.

Also felt that Barker's direction did occasionally show his inexperience, namely in some unfocused and not always necessary close-ups.

Most of the time though he does a great job, capturing the spirit and atmosphere of the book with ease and the momentum is never lost. 'Hellraiser' is genuinely scary with plenty of chills, unnerving dread, nail-biting suspense and a hair-raising sense of claustrophobic tension. It is very graphic but not in a cheap way, going over the top with the shock value and not pointlessly so, traps that it could easily have fallen into and ones fallen into so many times in horror. Personally thought the Cebonites were used well, they are still terrifying and using them as catalysts rather than focusing too much on them (mentioned already very well) added to the mysteriousness, they look good too.

It's not just scary though. 'Hellraiser' has truly inventive storytelling stemming from a unique premise back then and seldom equalled now. It also has some abitious themes like pain and desperation that are handled intelligently, giving the film some emotional power and surprising dimension not always found in horror, it is just so wonderful to find a film with a great concept seen recently that lives up to it and exceeds it even. Just want to say this is not trying to knock the genre at all, in case it's sounding that way. 'Hellraiser' holds up well on the visual front, some eerie camera work and lighting, the effects are far from amateurish and the make-up manages to be some of the most effective of the 80s.

The script is thoughtful with Barker's prose all over it and the characters show his attention to detailed characterisation, nobody is bland or annoying. The music doesn't seem to have pleased everybody, for me it was haunting and didn't dimish the atmosphere at all. Was surprised too by how good the acting was, have seen some terrible acting in horrors recently so this was refreshing. What a staggeringly frightening performance from Doug Bradley and Clare Higgins is particularly good of the rest of the cast.

Summing, very good with many great elements. 8/10 Bethany Cox

When I was first watching this movie I was thinking "why is this so popular" but then out of no where I found my self absolutely loving it.

It has such a magnetic quality to it. The story is different from most horror movies. It has lore and a whole world. The acting isn't good but it has such an 80's charm. The whole thing does.

The special effects...they are all practical. It looks so good. It must have took hours to get some of them looks perfect!

I can understand now why this movie has such a large following. It is just unique and has such allure.

Hellraiser was a bloody good film but part of me wishes I hadn't seen it because it made the hairs on the back of my neck stand up. I remember renting it out on video along with A Nightmare On Elm Street back in the late 1980's. I thought Freddy Krueggar was bad but those cenobites scared the you know what out of me.

The acting is good throughout the film and praise must go to everyone. The characters were very interesting characters from the humans right up to the cenobites.

There was a lot of gore in this movie and it was quite sick at times-not a film to watch if you're eating.

The storyline of the film is a very intriguing one and very original indeed.

But those cenobites didn't half scare me particularly when that pinhead said, "We will tear your soul apart!" Then again, that is what a good horror is all about-scaring the you know what out of it's audience.

If you're looking for a quality horror movie of the 80's then check this one out. Just don't be surprised if it sends you hair grey.

Wow!! This was a good horror flick. The acting and plot is good. This movie gets better every viewing. If you want a movie that will scare your socks off, Rent Hellraiser. better yet, buy the movie. This is one Horror movie you should not miss. It's the BOMB baby.

I give this film 8 out of 10

This surely is a very refreshing and original horror movie to watch. It doesn't has the usual formulaic ingredients in it, such as monsters or a murderous psychopathic serial killer on the loose. No screaming teenagers and no dark haunted places. All we have this time is a cube, that opens doors to hell and unleashes the bringers of pain; Pinhead and friends, who want to play with you forever.

But even that story is being somewhat pushed to the background and it focuses more on a family, of which the wife falls madly for the the no good brother of her soon to be husband. The brother however messed with the cube and got stuck in Pinhead's hell of pain. He however managed to escape it but only in a skeleton form. He needs blood to slowly regain his body and asks the wife to kill for him. This is were most of the movie its 'horror' comes from.

The movie doesn't get its horror aspects from its normal usual scare- or gross out moments. It's more a movie that works on its atmosphere and story development. Perhaps it's also due to the restrained budget, that simply forced the film-makers to be creative with the things they had at hand. The movie is no big Hollywood production and as a matter of fact it actually is an UK movie, that still got obviously aimed toward the American market as well though, in terms of its overall style.

And even though the movie was low-budget, the movie certainly did not look that way. Also its effects such as its make-up and the effects used for the more gory parts of the movie are really great looking. The make-up of course helped to make Pinhead an horror icon-figure, though in this movie he isn't even called by the name Pinhead, which was only a name that got developed later for marketing purposes.

The movie also features a great musical score by Christopher Young, that fits the movie really well. It's one of his more memorable works.

A real original horror movie, that has grown into being a classic already.

8/10

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