Hellraiser - 1987

When someone says “Hellraiser” does your mind go to a place with puzzle boxes, cenobites, and most importantly, Pinhead? It does... Wonderful! Glad I am not the only one. Let’s chat about it, shall we?

Pinhead is one of those characters that can be terrifying just with his look alone. His skin has a creepy white blue tint, with his completely black eyes, and let's face it, he has more piercings than anyone else in the entire universe. His voice has a very creepy, memorable quality, so much so that if I say “We have such sights to show you.” You can’t help but hear that in Pinhead's voice.

The makeup artists and special effects artists get such huge kudos for the work they have done on this film. It is really a visual treat. The sets are minimal, but they add to the atmosphere to the movie. I have never been a real fan of attics anyways, and now I am even less of a fan. I love the fact that the plot has an interesting enough story to keep you engaged and wondering what is going to happen next. But, in my case, it could be the excitement of knowing what’s coming after seeing the film for the millionth time. There is also the fact that the soundtrack actually helps the movie. There is nothing worse than a film that the music and background sounds don’t help set the tone.

Of course, there is the most famous prop I think. In my opinion, it might be almost if not more recognizable than Jason’s Machete or Freddy’s glove. And that is the puzzle box. Now you first see what happens when you open the box pretty early in the movie, they don’t make you wait on that one. It is pretty gory. However, there is not really an explanation of what it is or why it does what it does at that time. It is a beautiful piece, and I love the fact that it doesn’t look sinister at all. It just looks like a wooden box trimmed with brass and gold and has some sort of symbols all over it. At some point, this box will be a part of my collection

Ok, so let’s talk about someone other than Pinhead. (I know, I can’t believe I said that either). But, really there are some great actors in this movie that play their roles very well.

So, where to start……

Hrm... I think Frank is a great place to start since he is the reason we see this unfold in the first place. Frank is a thrill seeker and believed he had seen it all until he heard about the puzzle box. Once he opens the box, I think he got a bit more than he bargained for, becoming a toy for the Cenobites to use in their twisted experiments. He is played by British actor Sean Chapman. Chapman does a great job of making Frank not someone you want house-sitting for you or watching your children.

Alright, next we have….Julia..... ah, Julia, the woman we all love to hate. She is Frank’s sister in law, Larry’s second wife, and Kirsty’s stepmother. She plays the cold, brooding, “evil” stepmother so well. I don't have anything nice to say about this woman, from her awful 80’s makeup that dates this movie to her hairstyles that look they are out of an 80’s fashion mag. If you have no idea what I am talking about, within the first 5 seconds of seeing her, you will totally get it. She is not a fan of moving to London with Larry and doesn’t even try to fake that she is. She is never warm, compassionate, or caring at all. I will give huge kudos to the woman behind Julia, Claire Higgins (most recently being a part of the Dr. Who universe as Ohila). For being a woman who doesn’t like horror movies, she did a great job in this one.

I think it is about time to talk about Larry, poor, oblivious Larry. This man is clearly a putz. There is money or something else involved for him to have a wife like Julia (which is not necessarily a good thing). About the only thing, this guy has going for him is his daughter, Kirsty, who I’ll talk about in a minute. There isn’t a lot to say about this guy other than he is everything Frank is not. He is reliable, smart, boring, and wimpy. But, he genuinely does care for both Julia and Kirsty and would like them to get along. Now the actor behind this boring man is Andrew Robinson, and though you may not recognize his name. You will recognize his face and then try to figure out where you have seen him before. I’ll save you the trouble of having to IMDB him. He has starred in films such as Dirty Harry with Clint Eastwood in 1971, ( The Killer), Ryan’s Hope from 1976-1978 (Frank Ryan), Mask with Cher in 1985 (Dr. Vinton), and as recently as JAG in 1999 and 2004 (Admiral Thomas Kly). He is more of a television actor but I have always been a huge fan of his. I love him, but Larry….. Man… I feel for ya.

Alright, we are coming to the end of the line here, but before we discuss the man everyone loves to be frightened of, let’s talk about Kirsty. I love Kirsty and her strength. She is not your average horror movie heroine, first of all, she looks like a real woman, not a swimsuit model. Plus, she stays dressed throughout the film. (I can hear the disappointed sighs). But really, it is refreshing that even in the late ’80s there were heroines out there that did more than run around half-naked and scream for help until the “hero” comes to rescue her and the only reason that she survives is because of the hero. She is spunky and does not need someone to save her, she is pretty good at that herself. Now as for Ashley Laurence, the actress who plays our favorite heroine, She has had a pretty great career, from sharing the screen with Kevin Sorbo in the Hercules series to ER. She is by far my most favorite character in this film.

Alright, you have been patient long enough. Let’s talk Pinhead. The face that can haunt your nightmares. The most articulate and intelligent villain to come from the 1980s when most villains were silent or were sarcastic killers. He is the leader of the Cenobites who are creatures that used to be humans and are now Soul Harvesters. We don’t learn much about our favorite cenobite from this film other than the box is his and it is not a good thing to open the box. So since we don’t have much information about Pinhead himself, let’s talk about the man behind the pins. Doug Bradley, he has had roles in quite a few other horror movies as well as voicing “The Emperor” in the Star Wars: The Old Republic video game. He is also in the Movie Monster Hall of Fame for his role as Pinhead. It is said that Pinhead’s personality is a tip of the hat to Christopher Lee’s portrayal of Count Dracula. (Don’t worry, we will talk about him in the future as well). His three cenobite minions actually do have names, they are Butterball, The Female, and Chatterer. As we explore the other films in the series we will have the chance to learn more and more about our dear Pinheaded friend..

To me, this is a film you watch when you want a “whole film”, meaning good acting, sets, atmosphere, characters, and most importantly a story to keep you wanting to watch. Not gonna lie, there are a couple of dull moments, but they end pretty quickly and you are back into the story.

Alright let’s see where this lands on our rating scales:

2 of 5, one real sex scene and some bra shots

2 of 5, not a huge body count

3 of 5, there are some pretty gory and bloody scenes

3 of 5, there are some jump scares as well as some scenes that are pretty violent and intense.

1 of 5, between the language, violence, blood, themes, and special effects, this is not a very “family-friendly” film nor is it a good starting point for someone just starting to watch horror movies.

Recommendations:

Cabin in the Woods

Any other of the Hellraiser films

Candyman (Any in the series)

Pumpkinhead (Any in the series)

Lord Of Illusions