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| Images courtesy of Arrow Films |
Did you even know that there are 11 entries in the Hellraiser series? That makes it tied with Saw (with its forthcoming eleventh movie), trailing both the Friday the 13th (12) and Halloween films with 13. Those are just the ones that come to mind. What makes this revelation so surprising is that, for many moviegoers, the Hellraiser series disappeared from the theatrical ether after the disastrous reception of the fourth entry, Bloodline. Since then, Pinhead and the Cenobites have been relegated to the dustbin of straight-to-video sequels, which is a damn shame considering the indelible imagery this series and its creator, Clive Barker, have imprinted on our cultural psyche. To turn a phrase from Wes Craven’s New Nightmare, “Everyone knows who Pinhead is. He’s like Santa Claus.”
So it was with nostalgic masochism that this writer sat down to revisit the first four films in the series that (dis)embodied the term “Torture Porn” over a decade before the term became popularized by Hostel and the aforementioned Saw movies. The four-disc Hellraiser: Tetralogy set from Arrow finally gives fans of these Cenobite sensations the dark and grimy 4K polish they’ve long needed. With an aesthetic that thrives on deep shadows and pure sadism, the visual palette greatly benefits from the HDR treatment, and accompanied by occasionally stunning directional sound from the 5.1 remixes, Christopher Young’s operatic themes also do a lot to enhance the atmosphere. But how do these twisted tales of the macabre stand up to scrutiny? Let’s find out.
Hellraiser (1987) - Written and Directed by Clive Barker
Everyone remembers picking up the box cover to this movie at the video stores when we were kids, and reading that infamous tagline from Stephen King: “I have seen the future of horror, and his name is Clive Barker.” Whether or not Mr. King was correct, we’re still talking about these movies almost 40 years later, and that says a lot. Thematically, this is still the richest and most cohesive of the series to date. In his feature film debut, Barker’s purely visceral approach to the imagery and makeup effects still make this a very fun watch… if you stretch your definition of the word “fun” to its skin-ripping limits. Hellraiser is not a film anyone puts on for "entertainment" in the same way they’d happily pop in any slasher film: Barker attempts to evoke real terror, and occasionally succeeds, telling a truly gothic tale of a doomed love story that requires human sacrifice to resurrect itself from the bowels of Hell. It's in these moments that Clare Higgins becomes of one the genre's ultimate femmes fatale, feeding unsuspecting men, and potentially her husband (Andrew Robinson from Star Trek: Deep Space Nine) to her skinless lover. Speaking of which, the dead body reassembling itself from a few drops of blood has always been a triumph of reverse animation paired with practical effects. It’s in the awkward dialogue dubbing and inconsistent pacing where Barker lets himself down, but where he fumbles, the design team is happy to pick up the ball and run it to the end zone. Hellraiser still shines as an example of concept and style actually winning over substance. The Cenobites, Pinhead in particular, are not to be forgotten, and the film gets a shot of adrenaline every time they appear.
Hellbound: Hellraiser 2 (1988) - Directed by Tony Randel
Sequels that come out only a year after their predecessor ordinarily tear themselves apart under the weight of studio demands for a release date. Hellbound is one of the few exceptions to that rule. Not only is it an equal to the original, it surpasses it in scope, ambition, and definitely with gore. From the moment Clare Higgins reappears from the blood-soaked mattress she met her demise on (doubled under astonishing skinless makeup by Deborah Joel), Hellbound sinks its teeth in like a hellhound, and drags us to the finish line through a literal maze in the pits of Hell. Ashley Laurence also returns, this time dropped into a mental institution with Lieutenant Gorman from Aliens and a mute puzzle-solving Imogen Boorman. Together they have to team up against the Cenobites and a psycho psychiatrist with aspirations for afterlife agony. If you feel like you’re sort of revisiting the Cliff’s Notes of Nightmare on Elm Street 3, you’re not alone, and that actually works in the movie's favor: While the first one was more fixated on the villainous Julia, Peter Atkins’ screenplay for this film places Ashley Laurence’s Kirsty centerstage, giving us a focal point that may feel more traditional, but actually gives the audience an emotional anchor that makes the viscera more effective. Sure, the matte paintings don’t hold up as well with its warts on full 4K display, but there’s still a charm and a craftsmanship on display in Hellbound that arguably makes it the best of the series.
Hellraiser 3: Hell on Earth (1992) - Directed by Anthony Hickox
This is where things began to go downhill, and honestly, all you have to do is look at the box cover: It's literally just the original poster with a cityscape in the background instead of Christian Grey’s pool house. That’s a really bad sign, considering the producers had 6 years to make this film, and yet it comes off as perfunctory before the first frame gets projected. With that being said, Waxwork director Anthony Hickox really does try, and manages to score some solid points in the plus column. The design work on Pinhead’s plaster monolith is some of the most memorable in the series, the cinematography is often excellent, and of course he has Terry Farrell (Jadzia Dax on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine) in the lead. Here comes the but: Arrow’s 4K transfer really reveals the seams of the visual effects, done while CGI was still in its infancy. This is no Terminator 2 or Jurassic Park. The effects are so low resolution it pulls you out of the movie every time it cuts from 3840 lines of resolute beauty to 720 lines of pixelated barf. The ambition is commendable, but not cohesive with the film’s modest budget and the technology of the time. Just as jarring is the inclusion of an unrated cut that splices in additional footage from a VHS master Doug Bradley must’ve been using to balance his coffee table. Granted, these extra minutes do provide a lot of character development, especially for Pinhead, who we learned used to be human during the opening moments of Hellbound. The subplot of Pinhead’s human side warring with his Cenobite self is very compelling and would’ve made for an interesting film in its own right. Instead, we’re left with a game but ultimately forgettable performance from Farrell, doing her best to carry forward a film series without a real focus beyond its ability to make us cringe at the variety of torturous gore effects it can throw at us.
Hellraiser: Bloodline (1996) - Directed by Kevin Yagher
As the one that killed the franchise’s theatrical presence, the history of Hellraiser: Bloodline and its production is far more interesting than the film itself. Released under the Alan Smithee pseudonym, makeup effects master Kevin Yagher refused to take credit for the final product. Why? Because this film was murdered in the editing room by Joe Chappelle, who was brought in to reshoot and rewrite Yagher’s vision, resigning it to a fate shared by his own Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers. That film also has a reviled theatrical cut that's been overshadowed by a far superior Producer’s Cut that became a hot ticket item on the eBay market for years before finally getting a proper release on home video. Likewise, the work print of Hellraiser: Bloodline circulated as poor quality bootlegs until Arrow finally included it in their full Hellraiser box set. For this reason alone, owning this set should be a goal for any fan of the series. The work print of Hellraiser: Bloodline, played as a double feature with the theatrical cut, is like attending film class without a professor. This is one of the best examples of conveying just how essential good editing is to telling a story. The footage used in both cuts of the film is nearly identical, but its presentation, pacing, chronology, and atmosphere couldn’t be more different, even though both versions showcase some truly stunning cinematography. While it’s still not Kevin Yagher’s film, the work print is a drastically better movie, with a story that’s much easier to follow and, shock of all shockers, get invested in. The performances are nothing to write home about, but it is nice to see a young Adam Scott dressed in full Victorian garb, and Valentina Vargas is gleefully malevolent as the Empress of Hell. It’s still not a good movie, but the gift of the work print to view alongside the massacred movie we got in theaters does make it a fascinating one, and given the short runtime, both can be screened in under 3 hours. Welcome to Oblivion.
— Blake O. Kleiner