Hellraiser (1987) Reviews

• Unique and twisted

  Gafke2004-03-14

  This is one of the sickest and most depraved horror films of its time, and I love every minute of it. Where other films had only touched on the barest suggestion of the link between sex and death, Hellraiser shoves that fact right in your face. Frank Cotton (who starts out the film as the main character) is a soulless man who lives only for life's pleasures. He will go to great lengths to satisfy his lusts, and thinks nothing of who he may be stepping on to get there. He is offered a small, strange puzzle box called The Lament Configuration by a strange man in what looks and sounds to be a Mid Eastern market. The box, he is promised, will open the gates to a world of pleasures that no mortal can possibly imagine. Frank takes the box, but he doesn't understand that the pleasures the box offers are to the demons who live within it. The Cenobites, sadomasochistic creatures who live eternally beyond the gates that the box can open and close, take great pleasure in ensnaring new human victims to toy with, imprisoning them forever in a labyrinth of pain and suffering. Frank disappears, and many months later, his brother and sister-in-law come to live in the abandoned home. The film then switches gears and gives us a new main character: Julia. Julia, the wife of Frank Cottons brother Larry, is a cold woman. Beautiful and immaculate, she is icy and distant and seems to derive no pleasure from anything, least of all her husband and his daughter from a previous marriage, Kirsty. Julia's only private joy are the memories she has of Frank, with whom she once had an affair. Frank seems to be the only man who was never intimidated by Julia, treating her roughly and breaking down her defenses. Little does Julia know that Frank never left the house; he is upstairs, in the attic, having escaped from the Cenobites and now biding his time until he can return to a world of flesh and blood. When Larry accidentally injures himself and bleeds on the floor of the attic, Frank is brought back, feeding on the fluid and slowly regenerating, growing back bones, muscle and skin. Julia soon discovers the terrible secret in the attic. After her initial shock and disgust, she agrees to help Frank, for whom she still lusts, and begins bringing him men she picks up in bars. She bludgeons them to death and Frank feeds on them, each one helping him in his regeneration. The film then switches points of view once more and Kirsty becomes the main character. Kirsty, who has never liked the pretentious, frigid Julia, becomes suspicious. Her suspicions are soon confirmed when she comes face to face with "Uncle Frank" and barely escapes his bloody clutches, the Lament Configuration in her hand. She accidentally opens it, and when the demons within, led by the now-famous Pinhead, threaten to take her back with them to their dimension, she makes a deal: she will lead them to Frank, and they can have him instead of her. From there on out, it is a countdown; will Kirsty find Frank in time? Can her father be saved from the adulterous couple plotting against him in his own house? Or will it be too late for all of them? This is another sex-equals-death film, but with a slightly updated feel. Julia is Bad; she cheats on her husband and likes her sex rough. Kirsty is Good, but she is no virgin, living with her boyfriend and eagerly engaging in premarital sex. Larry, a dull-as-paste husband who seems to genuinely love his wife but doesn't quite understand how to treat a woman, falls victim to his own blandness. He never sees what's coming because he possesses no imagination, no foresight; he is just the everyday, mundane man mowed under by his own unspectacular existence. Frank is the ultimate Bad; he is a user. He likes sadism, but not when it is turned on him. The Cenobites are the real reason this film was so successful; expressionless zombies in black leather and fetish wear. Led by the majestic Pinhead, they come into our world equipped with chains and hooks and all manner of painful devices, literally ripping their victims apart without batting an eye. They are what Frank wants to be, but Frank is not strong enough. He collapses beneath the weight of his own ego; he wants to think he is a god, but he is only an insect after all. This film received an X rating when it was first released, but seems pretty tame now. The gore effects are only a tad dated, but they're still quite shocking. I think the X rating might have been due more to the films unrelenting sadism than anything else. It's sick and remorseless, but that's not to say it's bad. It's innovative. Nothing like it had been seen up to that time, and it still remains an original. It never imitates; it's all fresh and frighteningly new and should be appreciated for that if nothing else. Followed by one pretty good sequel and a handful of really bad ones, this first installment remains the best. Should be seen at least once.

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• "Come to daddy."

  Backlash0072001-10-02

  This truly is groundbreaking horror from the highly imaginative mind of one Clive Barker. Hellraiser is one the best horror films ever made, let alone to come out of the eighties. It proves that slasher flicks don't rule the horror screen. There are other, better movies in the genre. The Cenobites are outstanding. They completely steal the show. Pinhead (played by Doug Bradley, a name that would become synonymous with Hellraiser), Female, Chatterer, and Butterball are awesome in all their gory S&M glory. Someone once said that if you assembled all of the horror icons at a dinner table, Pinhead would be the only one using silverware. After watching this movie again, that seems to be a very true statement. Aside from the Cenobites, Frank is an extraordinary sight to behold. Bob Keen's effects team has outdone themselves. The entire world that Barker has created astounds me. He's really pushing the envelope here. The dark imagery and the concept of the Lament Configuration are incredible. Why aren't more original movies made? Today they all seem to rip off the same concepts. Hellraiser is a completely original eerie experience. It's one of the few films I can think of that was unique and has stayed unique after all these years. There are a lot of opinions about the sequels. Mine is stop after Hellraiser II as II is the end of the truly dark nature that these films have (although III is certainly a guilty pleasure). If you haven't yet, see this highly exceptional horror classic immediately. It is undoubtedly one of my all time favorites.

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• A Most Misunderstood Horror Film

  rockproductions2005-07-18

  I love to read what others say about "Hellraiser," but it never fails to amaze me, even in regards to people who love this film, how much many misunderstand it. People write on & on what great horror icons the "Cenobites" are, & yes this is true, they have made a huge impact to cinema horror, but the "Cenobites" are not what this truly intelligent horror film is about...no, not at all! This is a film about Frank & Julia. Frank will stop at nothing to find the next thrill, even if it means his physical & metaphysical destruction. Julia is the cool aloof wife of Larry, Frank's brother. Julia is seduced by Frank's dark & sadistic sexual aura, though that same aura lay dormant in Julia until Frank awakened it by seducing Julia before her wedding to Larry. "I'll do anything," Julia desperately confesses to Frank to keep his affection. Little does Julia dream that in the future that will be exactly what she has to do to keep Frank, after he unleashes "the Box," & its horror, the Cenobites. In what is truly an Oscar worthy performance, Julia (Claire Higgins) the aloof, but so far non-threatening wife transforms into the murderous, cold, calculating queen bitch, to resurrect & have Frank. To bad we've not seen more of her in other films. Yes, "Hellraiser" is about treachery in the family, the worse sort, deception & murder. "Hellraiser" is about blind love.(Spoilers) Larry's unswerving devotion to Julia, which makes him the last to know, & seals his doom. "Hellraiser" is about the tragic plight of Kristy trying to save her father. What could be worse than knowing a loved one is going to be murdered & you could not stop it? "Hellraiser" is about real life plausible situations that are better off left alone, the darkest part of the human psyche, to want something so bad you're will to sacrifice anything & anyone to achieve it, maybe even your self. "Hellraiser" aptly uses the theme of don't tempt fate ("the Box"), unless your prepared to be taken by it, as the "Cenobites" so profoundly demonstrates. So yes, the true monster of this story is ambition & want. The "Cenobites" are just a cataclysmic vehicle (a very disturbing one) to carry Julia & Frank to their just deserts in the end. "Hellraiser" made the "Cenobites" seem like ultimate bogeymen by giving them little screen time & keeping them mysteriously cryptic to the audience, something later films could've benefited from. Thus "Pinhead" & crew were much more menacing & potent in this first, & by far the best, most intelligent film of the series, & in horror cinema.... But again, it was Julia & Frank, & their ambition & want that were the true terrors here. Nothing is more disturbing & horrific than discovering someone(s) you love & trust will eventually murder you. Chilling!

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• Trash to some, a horror masterpiece to all those who know what they're talking about!

  The_Void2005-10-27

  I have seen Hellraiser many, many times; but my most recent viewing of the film was different to the rest. It was different because this was the first time that I've seen the film since reading Clive Barker's novel "The Hellbound Heart". The novel both enhanced my enjoyment for the film, and exposed some of its flaws. With the book, Barker really allows the reader to get inside the character's head, which ensures that the horror is more shocking. His descriptions are also a lot more macabre than what is shown in the film, and the way that certain things in the book are missed out/abridged shows some of the wasted opportunities of the story. This isn't really a criticism of the film, but rather of books being turned into movies on the whole. People often say that the book is better than the movie; and in this case it's true! Even so, Hellraiser is an absolute classic horror film, and easily one of the best of the eighties; not to mention all time. The plot simply follows Frank Cotton. Frank is a man in search of unknown pleasures, and in order to achieve that he buys a mysterious music box. This box does give out pleasure; but it's inflicted by a band of demons, known as 'Cenobytes' - and their idea of pleasure differs from Frank's! The story picks up when Frank's brother and his girlfriend, Julia, move into the house where Frank was taken... The main reason Hellraiser stands out among horror films is because of its themes. Barker weaves shades of love, eroticism and, of course, pain and pleasure into his tale of demons and scarred flesh - and this really makes the film. We can care for the characters and what happens to them because of what Barker puts between them, and it's always evident that this film is head and shoulders above the rest of the schlock-horror sub-genre. The special effects, particularly on the screen time surrounding Frank, are simply stunning and show how real effects beat all this CGI rubbish hands down, while also showing that a low budget can be overcome. The film is never gratuitous with its gore or effects either, and everything in this film is there because it has to be. This is what annoys me about non-horror fans - films like this are dismissed by them because they're "too gory" or "stupid" - but Hellraiser breaks the mould because it's a truly original story and the way that Barker implements a macabre love story amidst a plethora of shocking horror is extremely skilfully handled, and more than challenges many of the so-called 'A-class' films. A writer directing his own work tends to ensure that it will get proper treatment, and this is mostly true here. Some things have been changed from the book for no apparent reason (mostly with the characters of Larry and Kristy), but the only thing that really annoyed me was the ending. I suppose it's due to the time that it was made, but the ending feels tacked on to me. Barker's ending in the book was perfectly judged - just open enough to hint at more, while closing the story enough so that the reader is satisfied. Here, we have a schlock finale that is entertaining, but pulls away from the closed atmosphere that Barker has spent the film creating. This film differs from most other eighties horror films because of the fact that the actors are a talented bunch. You come to expect bad acting from this sort of film - but Hellraiser has none of it! The entire cast shine, with Clare Higgins making the biggest impression as the evil Julia. This was Clive Barker's directorial debut, and at times, it's clear that this is the case; but Barker makes the best of his locations, and while his camera sometimes feels enclosed; it fuses with the tragic music brilliantly, and all this helps the film to create that fabulous atmosphere so convincingly. Overall, I have pointed out a couple of flaws here; but I really can't bring myself to give this masterpiece any less than full marks. The originality on display throughout Hellraiser is astounding, as is the atmosphere and the performances pulled out of the actors, along with the fact that this film has entertained me many times and is still as good today as the first time I saw it. All of this ensures that Hellraiser will be an endearing favourite of mine for the rest of my life. If you consider yourself a fan of horror and haven't seen this; shame on you. Make sure you read the book, too!

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• It ain't SUPPOSED to be Macbeth, here folks....

  Skippy-191998-12-28

  In a decade of cheap, exploitive slashers, we finally get this one. Relief. Instead of some maniac ripped from Halloween, we get a simple wooden box. Simple, or so Frank thought. What results is a cinematic masterpiece, a great mix of gore and violence, as well as a great musical score and some nice drama. The acting is fine, but there are imperfections. One common complaint: The characters are not pleasant enough we can latch onto them. Maybe that's because these seem more realistic than the characters we CAN latch onto. Just a thought, don't jump on this. What really gets me, though, is the people calling it down, saying it's not quality entertainment. Come on guys, if it was SUPPOSED to be Shakespeare, it would not advertise as being able to "tear your soul apart." The presence of the cenobites was originally intended not to carry the story but to emphasize it. As usual, the sequaes ignored it. Hey, merchandizing. This is the only one of the series that depends on the story more than the demons. We hardly ever see the infamous Pinhead at all. all in all, this was a fun movie. No Shakespeare, but it's not supposed to be. Just dramatic, gory, groundbreaking horror, delivered to us excellently by Mr. Barker.

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