It’s really interesting how an entire series could be built on visions of Hell, torture, bondage and necrophilic imagery. Then again, when entering the worlds of Clive Barker, you could never really know what to expect to see or read.
Barker, a multi-faceted artist, started getting published as a writer in 1984 producing such works of fiction as “The Damnation Game” (which was an interesting spin on the Faust deal with the devil story) and “The Hellbound Heart” (another interesting spin on the Faust story and the storyline we’ll be focusing on).
“The Hellbound Heart” and its first film counterpart “Hellraiser” (written and directed by Barker) set up a world that is, in a way, real. The real part is that it takes place in the northern side of London. Then there is the world behind reality, one that is seen only by those who have enough of a desire to summon it by solving the Lament Configuration puzzle box. In that regard, a lot of people tend to misunderstand that the cenobites, a group of demonic tortured souls, are villains. Sorry, but you’re wrong.
“Hellbound: Hellraiser II” made this painfully obvious by having Pinhead (played by Doug Bradley through the entire series) say, “It is not hands that summon us. It is desire.” Sure, they torture their victims for eternity or at least until they’re deemed worthy of joining in with their ranks. “Hellbound” follows Kirsty, the main character from “Hellraiser,” as she tries to save her dad from Hell as other rather deviant forces throw her back into confronting the cenobites. It’s incredible but if you see this one, it’s better to see the original since “Hellbound” takes place just after the first movie and makes a lot of references back to the first. It’s just a good idea to watch the first before the second.
Where “Hellraiser” and “Hellbound” were largely confined to one area, a house and a mental institution respectively, “Hellraiser III: Hell on Earth” was a bit more widespread, taking place in quite a bit of a city. It was well done and is one of the best in the series. The good thing though is the fact that, even though it is connected to the first two, the story is different enough that you can start off with the first or third and not really miss much. Sure there were some things that were off about it, like some of the special effects showed at the seams and some of the acting was bad. Then again, nothing is perfect.
“Hellraiser: Bloodline” is a bit of an odd movie to talk to about. The good thing about the movie is that it gives the series a stronger back-story. That being said, the story spans from somewhere around the 1700s to the 22nd Century. You’re following the bloodline of the maker of the puzzle box, as they are slowly tortured and destroyed, generation-by-generation. The bad thing is, it was one of the first movies in a franchise that took its series “In Space.” If it works, it’s actually pretty cool. However, horror franchises going “In Space” is like TV’s “jumping the shark.” It’s where most horror franchises go to die. “Bloodline” comes close to executing the concept the right way.
Even though the franchise did go to the place where horror series go to die, “Hellraiser” is one of the few series that actually continued on with something resembling quality. This is true even though the rest of the big-budget movies, outside of the coming “Hellraiser” remake rumored for release in 2011, were straight-to-video. “Hellraiser: Inferno” had an interesting spin on things. It was more of a crime movie than a horror movie. However, it still was a “Hellraiser” movie. So things like desire, punishment and Hell were everywhere. You followed a corrupt cop as he hunted down a serial killer known only as “the engineer.” However, things aren’t quite right with the investigation. “Inferno” is one of the more underrated “Hellraiser” movies. You’re expecting some level of sexuality, violence and depravity. It’s there. What some people could’ve been complaining about with the movie though is that it is a morality play, even more so than the previous four. Even in that regard it’s not bad. Sure, some of the cinematic jumps it makes get to be a bit ridiculous, like where they try to throw a Western feel for one scene into the mix about halfway through the movie. Still it isn’t bad.
“Hellraiser: Hellseeker,” for a “Jacob’s Ladder” clone, wasn’t as good or as bad as it could’ve been. It was the last passable big-budget “Hellraiser” film released. They ended up bringing back Kristy (the main character from the first two movies), though she apparently ends up dying early – maybe. In this regard it’s also a bit of a cinematic clone of the game “Silent Hill 2.” The majority of the movie is spent following her husband as he tries to find her. It isn’t bad and, at least for the series, is fairly original. Many of the twists in the movie also make it obvious of what inspired some of the plot elements. Still, it’s well made. The acting is fairly decent. The special effects are incredible.
“Hellraiser: Deader” and “Hellraiser: Hellworld” seem like two completely different movies with the “Hellraiser” license just shoved into them. What worked with “Deader” was the fact that it was an interesting story. A reporter finds out about a cult in Romania whose leader claims the ability to kill his cultists and raise them from the dead. She gets sucked into their world as she investigates for a story. It is an interesting premise and sounds like good horror. However, it doesn’t seem like a “Hellraiser” movie. If you watch it as a regular horror movie, it’s actually not bad. Still, for the franchise it’s in, it’s horrendous. It lacks the art and storytelling of the other films in the series. The only good things that make it seem like a “Hellraiser” movie is Doug Bradley (Pinhead in all of big budget “Hellraiser” movies thus far) and his performance.
Shot back-to-back with “Deader” was “Hellworld” and they were both released in the same year. “Hellworld,” with the craze of the MMO’s that was building up between 1999 and 2005 when the movie was released, took almost the same turn as “Wes Craven’s A New Nightmare.” It took a “real-world” threat and made it fiction, only to make it a real world threat – kind of. It’s also a bit of a revenge story and has obvious ties to the Shawn Woolley suicide over “Everquest” debate that popped up in 2002. The premise of the movie is that someone gets so engrossed in an online game that he kills himself. Conveniently, three years later, on the anniversary of the young man’s death, there is a party for people who play the hit game, “Hellworld.” Then, slowly, the main characters are picked off one by one by cenobites – possibly. It’s a cool premise and is one of the better executions of it. However, as a part of the franchise, it was almost as bad as “Deader.”
If you’re looking for something to make your Halloween just a little more interesting, the “Hellraiser” series as a whole is a pretty good bet. It has moments of spookiness and thought-provoking stories. If you can find them on Youtube, the fan films “Hellraiser: Prophecy” and “No More Souls” might also be up your alley.