Hellraiser (1987):
Although Clive Barker’s Hellraiser
series saw a rapid decline in quality (especially in the later sequels)-- the
first two films are classic entries into the horror genre. The first film is
based on Barker’s novella, The Hellbound
Heart, although it does take some liberties with the storyline. It concerns
a mysterious puzzle box that supposedly grants whoever solves it infinite
pleasure and delights. However, it is actually a gateway to Hell and summons
evil demons known as Cenobites to torture the hapless victim. The leader of the
Cenobites, known only as Pinhead (Doug Bradley) is one of the most iconic
figures in horror. He is the embodiment of dark inclinations with his S&M
bondage outfit and face covered in embedded nails. His famous line: “Oh, no
tears please. It's a waste of good suffering!” perfectly captures what his character
is all about. He cares not for your whimpering—he is here to ferry you to your
torture.
Clive Barker himself directed this film (though none of the
subsequent ones) and so it is the one that is the most pure. Barker has always
had a strong sexual element to both his films and novels with Hellraiser ramping up the sexuality ten-fold.
There are strong BDSM influences in both the look of the film and in some of
the relationships between the characters. It explored the correlation between
pleasure and intense pain in a way no other horror film did before it. That
being said, the plot is disjointed at times, which is an issue in several other
Barker films, and it resolves a little too quickly in the third act. The
Cenobites look incredible and they have some of the finest makeup and costumes
I have ever seen. In the later films they get silly with the different kinds of
Cenobites but they are truly frightening in the first two movies.
The musical score is great too, done by horror film composer
Christopher Young. There is a definite sweeping symphonic flair to the music
and it has the now classic Hellraiser
theme interwoven throughout. It is one of my all-time favorite film scores. The
gore in this movie is no slouch either, with plenty of practical effects that
still hold up visually today. What keeps this movie from being excellent is the
weak characterization and disorganized plot. It makes for an uneven viewing
experience but does not render the film unwatchable. Time has been kind to this
film and it has attained cult status with many horror film enthusiasts.
Score
Hellbound: Hellraiser
II (1988): Tony Randel took over the reins from Clive Barker (though Barker
stayed on as producer) to direct the second film in the Hellraiser franchise. This iteration is my personal favorite in the
series as it develops the mythos immensely and has incredible images and
concepts. Some of the characters from the first film reappear in surprising
ways, which is somewhat rare for horror movie sequels. They usually reboot
everything except the main monster/creature--most likely due to director
changes or studio interference. Hellbound
has a much bigger budget than the first film and it shows with the backgrounds
and set pieces used. We get to see the inside of the dimension that the
Cenobites hail from and the depiction is incredibly scary and unnerving. There
is a heavy Lovecraftian influence in both the story and the look of the film
which is a welcome addition.
The story is still the weak point in this film, but it’s a
little more coherent than the original Hellraiser.
It has a better flow from scene to scene and the climax is exciting and epic in
scope. My one quibble with the story is they attempt to humanize Pinhead and
make him into a sympathetic character which is at odds with how he was in the
first film. It takes away his power to frighten because the fact that he has no
empathy for humans is one of the main reasons he is so terrifying. This starts
a trend that continues into the later movies and, in my opinion, cheapens the
character. Fortunately, it represents a small portion of Hellbound and doesn’t ruin the mood too much. The Cenobites are
much scarier within the confines of their home world and it’s enjoyable and
fascinating to be able to witness it in its complete glory. It is one of best
sequences in the film and is Barker’s vision realized fully—even more so than
the first movie.
Christopher Young returned to make the score for Hellbound and it surpasses his first one
by far. It’s more grandiose and ambitious and also makes use of effects and
sound design with interesting results.
Everything about this film is bigger and better than the previous movie
and most fans agree that it is the high point of the series. For some reason, although
the franchise became quite popular and profitable, each successive movie seemed
to have lower and lower budgets. After a while, they lose all of the poetic
qualities as well and turn into torture porn. This isn’t Shakespeare, I get it,
but the little class it did have goes straight down the tubes. The third film
is still decent but I don’t like any of them after that. As Frank Cotton says
in the first film: “Jesus wept.”
Score
-Michelle Kisner
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