Category: Hellraiser
AWOB18: Hellraiser: Judgment
(March 16, 2019)Hellraiser: Judgment. Gary J. Tunnicliffe. 2018. ☆★★★★ This is another Hellraiser sequel made for pure reasons: Several years later, Dimension Films was required to make another Hellraiser film to retain their rights to the series, giving Tunnicliffe a chance to propose his vision to the studio. Well… it’s… inventive… I guess the idea is to … Continue reading AWOB18: Hellraiser: Judgment
AWOB11: Hellraiser: Revelations
(March 16, 2019)Hellraiser: Revelations. Víctor García. 2011. ☆☆☆★★★ The impetus for some of the previous Hellraiser movies is sometimes obscure, but this one is straightforward: The film was produced in a matter of weeks, due to an obligation on Dimension Films’ part to release another Hellraiser film or risk losing the rights to the film series. Due … Continue reading AWOB11: Hellraiser: Revelations
AWOB05: Hellraiser: Hellworld
(March 16, 2019)Hellraiser: Hellworld. Rick Bota. 2005. ☆☆☆★★★ This is the third and final Hellraiser movie directed by Rick Bota, and this time he’s got somebody vaguely famous to play the lead: Lance Henriksen. And according to imdb, it had a generous $5M budget, so it’s pretty flush in a Hellraiser context. And, yet again, it’s based … Continue reading AWOB05: Hellraiser: Hellworld
AWOB05: Hellraiser: Deader
(March 15, 2019)Hellraiser: Deader. Rick Bota. 2005. ☆☆★★★★ This is the second in a trio of movies made by Rick Bota/Tim Day/Carl Dupre/Ron Schmidt (and people) as director/writer/producer combos. Weirdly enough, it’s the only one that’s only available on DVD, while the first and third movies are on bluray. What’s up with that? Oh, Weinstein Bros: Like … Continue reading AWOB05: Hellraiser: Deader
AWOB02: Hellraiser: Hellseeker
(March 15, 2019)Hellraiser: Hellseeker. Rick Bota. 2002. ☆☆☆★★★ Hey! Ashley Laurence, who was in the first two movies, is back! As with the previous movie, this apparently originated in a script Dimension Films had in storage that they altered to add some Hellraiser characters. (The Weinsteins are always so thrifty.) This horror movie feels refreshingly old-fashioned. I … Continue reading AWOB02: Hellraiser: Hellseeker
AWOB00: Hellraiser: Inferno
(March 15, 2019)Hellraiser: Inferno. Scott Derrickson. 2000. ☆☆★★★★ Heh:: Like Hellraiser: Hellseeker (2002) after it, “Inferno” was originally a non-Hellraiser related horror script owned by Dimension. To save money on writing a completely original Hellraiser story, the script was quickly edited to insert the Pinhead and the Cenobites. Well, that’s promising! Now I’m picturing a production company … Continue reading AWOB00: Hellraiser: Inferno
AWOB96: Hellraiser Bloodline
(March 15, 2019)Hellraiser Bloodline. Kevin Yagher. 1996. ☆☆☆★★★ Pinhead… In… Spaaaaaaace. This is the final Hellraiser movie that got a theatrical release. And:: [It’s] the last [film of the franchise] to develop [its] story around the original premise rather than simply tacking Hellraiser elements onto a pre-existing script. As such it’s one which, for all its problems, … Continue reading AWOB96: Hellraiser Bloodline
AWOB92: Hellraiser III: Hell on Earth
(March 14, 2019)Hellraiser III: Hell on Earth. Anthony Hickox. 1992. ☆☆★★★★ After two movies that have a quite homey feel to them, this seems more… professional. I’m guessing it was made in the US? It has that American feel to it. Grips and best boys that are in the union. The first two Hellraiser movies may not … Continue reading AWOB92: Hellraiser III: Hell on Earth
AWOB88: Hellbound: Hellraiser II
(March 14, 2019)Hellbound: Hellraiser II. Tony Randel. 1988. ☆☆☆☆★★ Well, that’s an odd way to start a sequel: We get a very… intense… recap of the first movie! Before the titles! All the famous one-liners and excerpts from the most gruesome scenes. I don’t think I’ve seen it done that blatantly before. And then we’re off: Several … Continue reading AWOB88: Hellbound: Hellraiser II
AWOB87: Hellraiser
(March 14, 2019)Hellraiser. Clive Barker. 1987. ☆☆☆☆★★ This is pretty scary right from the get go. It’s an original way to introduce the audience to the horrors, too: Give us glimpses of the fantastic, and drench it in blood. Barker is of the Carpenter school of horror movies: Show it all; don’t hint at it. And then … Continue reading AWOB87: Hellraiser
A Weekend of Blood
(March 14, 2019)Last year, I re-read a bunch of 80s comics published by Eclipse Comics, and among these were a a bunch of adaptations of Clive Barker short stories as well as a couple of fannish books about him. I quite enjoyed reading his Books of Blood at the time: They were something new and fresh in … Continue reading A Weekend of Blood