August 3rd, 2012
Pinhead
Created by Clive Barker
Pinhead is not always mentioned along with the other horror movie icons. The big three are Freddy, Jason, and Michael. The next tier includes the likes of Leatherface, Chucky, and probably Ghostface too. Then there are the often-forgotten guys, like the Leprechaun and Pinhead. Even so, he’s easily recognizable and has nine films to his name. The problem is that, unlike the big three icons, most of the sequels to Hellraiser have gone straight to home video. Without a theatrical release there were very few ads for the movies, which has forced Pinhead to lurk in the shadows while the more popular slashers hog the spotlight.
Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: Pinhead
Posted in IX Circles of Hellraiser | No Comments »
August 2nd, 2012
Hellraiser: Revelations (2011)
Directed by Víctor García
Hellraiser: Revelations, the ninth and most recent entry in the series, seems to be universally hated. It was hastily written, filmed in a few weeks, and released without fanfare. The studio made no attempt to hide the fact that they only made Revelations because they were contractually obligated, lest they lose the rights to a potential remake. All of this makes perfect sense when you watch the film. I’m not about to claim this is a great movie, but it’s certainly not as bad as you think.
Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: Revelations
Posted in IX Circles of Hellraiser | 1 Comment »
August 1st, 2012
Hellraiser: Hellworld (2005)
Directed by Rick Bota
The strangest of all the Hellraiser movies is Hellworld. It’s easy to label any of the sequels after Hellbound as a departure in style, but this one takes things further in a new direction than any Hellraiser film has gone before. There are elements of psychological horror, which have always been a major part of the franchise, but the plot focuses on a group of good-looking young people who contribute to the ever-rising body count. In other words, Hellworld is the first true slasher in the series.
Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: Hellworld
Posted in IX Circles of Hellraiser | No Comments »
July 31st, 2012
Hellraiser: Deader (2005)
Directed by Rick Bota
Hellraiser: Deader is yet another sequel based on an original, non-Hellraiser script and released straight to the home video market. Inferno and Hellseeker could be mistaken for genuine attempts to revitalize the series, as opposed to stories rewritten to include Hellraiser elements. Deader, on the other hand, is forced into the series continuity and sticks out like a sore thumb.
Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: Deader
Posted in IX Circles of Hellraiser | No Comments »
July 30th, 2012
Hellraiser: Hellseeker (2002)
Directed by Rick Bota
If you are looking for a sequel to Hellraiser and you want a psychological thriller with a sleazy protagonist, skip Inferno and go straight to Hellseeker. This, the sixth film of the series, is by far the best of the Hellraiser movies that was released directly to home video. It is also the first of three in the franchise directed by Rick Bota. Most importantly, Hellseeker reunites Pinhead and Kirsty Cotton for the final time.
Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: Hellseeker
Posted in IX Circles of Hellraiser | 1 Comment »
July 27th, 2012
tennessee lottery
![""]("http://jimmmcshane.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/05_1-300x175.jpg" "\"Hellraiser:")
Hellraiser: Inferno (2000)
Directed by Scott Derrickson
After Bloodline, Dimension Films decided to begin releasing subsequent Hellraiser sequels directly to the home video market instead of releasing them theatrically. Apparently, they also decided these sequels would only require a tenuous link to the mythology of the franchise. The first example of this is Hellraiser: Inferno, a subpar psychological thriller. Pinhead, the Lament Configuration, and the Hellraiser name all make token appearances in this practically-unrelated film.
Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: Inferno
Posted in IX Circles of Hellraiser | No Comments »
July 26th, 2012
ca lottery
![""]("http://jimmmcshane.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/04_1-300x221.jpg" "\"Hellraiser")
Hellraiser: Bloodline (1996)
Directed by Kevin Yagher, Joe Chappelle
Jason Voorhees, the Leprechaun, and yes, even Pinhead, have all made the seemingly-inevitable trip to outer space. But Hellraiser: Bloodline, the fourth entry in the Hellraiser series, is nothing like Jason X or Leprechaun 4. The film takes place in both the distant past and the distant future, telling the story of the cursed Merchant bloodline. We learn the origin of the puzzle box known as the Lament Configuration and we are introduced to Angelique, the first really noteworthy Cenobite since Pinhead himself.
Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: Bloodline
Posted in IX Circles of Hellraiser | No Comments »
July 25th, 2012
nh lottery
![""]("http://jimmmcshane.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/03_1-300x234.jpg" "\"Hellraiser")
Hellraiser III: Hell on Earth (1992)
Directed by Anthony Hickox
No horror franchise is made up entirely of great films, and the Hellraiser series is no exception. The second film is a surprisingly good (yet still inferior) continuation, and the third marks a gradual decrease in overall quality (which is much better than a steep drop). Hellraiser III: Hell on Earth delivers more of what we should expect after the first two films: more gore, more Cenobites, and more history of Pinhead and the Lament Configuration. But because it differs in tone and style from the first two, this third movie just feels out of place.
Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: Hell on Earth
Posted in IX Circles of Hellraiser | No Comments »
July 24th, 2012
georgia lottery
![""]("http://jimmmcshane.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/02_1-300x221.jpg" "\"Hellbound:")
Hellbound: Hellraiser II (1988)
Directed by Tony Randel
The one and only motivating factor a studio has for producing a sequel is to cash in on the success of a film. In many cases, anything that made the initial film original (and therefore successful) is absent from the sequel. So while Freddy Krueger did appear in Freddy’s Revenge, that film was nothing like (and much worse than) the original Nightmare on Elm Street. There are many great sequels that take a series in a different direction from where they started, such as Aliens moving further from horror and closer to action or Evil Dead II incorporating so much slapstick comedy. Then there are rare sequels, like Halloween II or Hellbound: Hellraiser II, that are almost seamless continuations of their predecessors.
Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: Hellbound
Posted in IX Circles of Hellraiser | No Comments »
July 23rd, 2012
arkansas lottery
![""]("http://jimmmcshane.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/01_1-300x219.jpg" "\"Hellraiser\"")
Hellraiser (1987)
Directed by Clive Barker
Hellraiser came out at a time when slashers and horror franchises were at an all-time high in popularity. The film was popular and a financial success in spite of being neither a typical slasher nor part of a franchise. Obviously, there have been several sequels since the original, but it was initially intended to be a standalone film. It also contains some conventions of slashers, but breaks away from the usual structure of films in the subgenre. Considering that the film was made by a young and extremely inexperienced first-time director, Hellraiser really has no business being as good as it is.
Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: Hellraiser
Posted in IX Circles of Hellraiser | No Comments »
