Hellraiser

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For other topics with similar names, see Hellraiser (disambiguation).

Hellraiser
Hellraiser DVD
Directed by	Clive Barker
Produced by	Christopher Figg
Written by	Clive Barker
Starring	Andrew Robinson Clare Higgins Ashley Laurence
Music by	Christopher Young
Cinematography	Robin Vidgeon
Editing by	Richard Marden Tony Randel
Distributed by	New World Pictures
Release date(s)	September 11, 1987
Running time	94 min.
Language	English
Budget	$1,000,000 (estimated)
Followed by	Hellbound: Hellraiser II
IMDb profile

Hellraiser is a 1987 British horror film exploring the themes of sadomasochism, pain as a source of pleasure, and morality under duress and fear. It is based on the critically acclaimed novella The Hellbound Heart by Clive Barker, who also wrote the screenplay and directed the film. In the UK, the film was titled Clive Barker's Hellraiser. It is the first film in the Hellraiser series, having spawned seven sequels as of 2006. This movie was number 19 on the cable channel Bravo's list of the "100 Scariest Movie Moments".

[edit] Summary

Hellraiser stars Sean Chapman as Frank Cotton, Andrew Robinson as Larry Cotton, Clare Higgins as Julia Cotton, and Ashley Laurence as Kirsty Cotton. It also introduces an unnamed character dubbed Pinhead by fans, as his head is etched out in a grid of incisions with large pins inserted at the intersections. He is the lead Cenobite, played by Doug Bradley. The Cenobites are presented as distorted humanoid beings, "explorers of the further regions of experience; demons to some, angels to others," from a dimension where death can be suspended indefinitely. Their existence is an eternal exploration of all that the body and mind can experience. Their world is a realm of endless sensuous experience, though this takes the form of endless experiments in pleasure and pain without the possibility of death as a release. Of the Cenobites' mission, Pinhead famously says, "We will tear your soul apart".

The beginning of the film revolves around a legendary antique puzzle box (otherwise known as the Lament Configuration) rumored to be the key to a mystical realm of unimaginable sensual pleasure. The gilded box is in fact a gateway to the Cenobites' world. When the puzzle is solved it summons the Cenobites, who seize the opener of the box and remove him to their realm of endless experience.

Frank Cotton, an impulsive and violent man who, having become weary of the various earthly pleasures, searches for the legendary box, which he hopes can lead him to sadistic pleasure beyond what life can provide. He realizes too late that the Cenobites' idea of sensuality may not be perfectly aligned with his, as he is condemned to an eternity of torture. His body is ultimately reduced to a flesh and blood residue in the attic floorboards of his parent's house.

Some time after Frank's disappearance, his brother Larry and family move into the old abandoned house, and a drop of blood from a relatively minor accident causes Frank's body to begin regenerating from the residue in the floor boards. His heart reforms and begins beating, and the bone and organs of his body return, but he lacks skin and flesh. Julia, who was his lover while engaged to the mild-mannered Larry, succumbs to Frank's entreaties, and agrees to help him. A large portion of the plot focuses on the moral tensions resulting from Frank using his previous relationship with Julia to persuade her to commit murder for his rejuvenation. She begins seducing men, luring them up back to her house and up to the empty attic room where Frank hides, and kills them, providing the blood needed for his body to regenerate and his spirit to escape from the Cenobites. Frank consumes their bodies, regenerating more of his own flesh each time. Kirsty learns of the grisly scheme, but is too late to save her father, whose skin Frank steals and wears. Kirsty recovers the puzzle box and accidentally solves it, summoning the Cenobites. She begs them to spare her, and offers to lead them to Frank in exchange for her freedom. Pinhead is eager to recapture the one who has escaped them, and tepidly agrees. Kirsty entices Frank into stabbing Julia -- and manages to deliver Frank to the Cenobites. As the hundreds of hooks from the torture devices tear his skin once more, Frank dryly remarks, "Jesus wept."

Still unsated, the Cenobites seek to take Kirsty as well, despite their deal with her. But Kirsty solves the box again, and uses it to return the Cenobites to hell. She then attempts to burn the box, but it is taken from the fire by a mysterious flying skeletal figure that disappears into the night. In the next scene, the box is shown in the hands of the merchant (who originally sold it to Frank), asking a prospective customer, "What's your pleasure?".

[edit] Soundtrack

Clive Barker originally commissioned a soundtrack for Hellraiser from the industrial band Coil. But the music they supplied was rejected, and Christopher Young provided a more traditional orchestral score for the finished movie. Coil's score, which was apparently described by Barker in a complimentary manner as being "bowel churning",<ref>http://undergroundmusiclibrary.blogspot.com/2005/11/coil-interview.html</ref> has been released in isolation as The Unreleased Themes For Hellraiser and as part of the compilation Unnatural History II (CD) (1995).

Christopher Young went on to contribute the soundtrack to the first sequel, Hellbound: Hellraiser II, for which he won a Saturn Award for Best Music. Subsequent movies in the series used music by different composers.

The Swedish death metal band Entombed recorded a cover version of Young's score (along with sample quotes from the film) and released it on their EP Hollowman.

[edit] Film series

As of 2006, there have been eight feature-length movies produced in the Hellraiser series, plus several fan-produced short films (see below). Clive Barker directed the first feature himself, though he also had executive producer credits for the second, third and fourth films. He was only credited as character creator for the remaining films in the series.

• Hellraiser (1987)
• Hellbound: Hellraiser II (1988)
• Hellraiser III: Hell on Earth (1992)
• Hellraiser: Bloodline (1996)
• Hellraiser: Inferno (2000)
• Hellraiser: Hellseeker (2002)
• Hellraiser: Deader (2005)
• Hellraiser: Hellworld (2005)

[edit] Fan films

There is an expanding base of Hellraiser-themed fan films that are either complete or in various stages of production.

• No More Souls was written and directed by makeup effects guru Gary J. Tunnicliffe. It was released as a hidden feature on the commercial DVD release of Hellraiser: Deader.<ref>http://us.imdb.com/title/tt0436636/combined </ref>

• The Hellraiser Chronicles: A Question of Faith<ref>http://www.cenobite.com/forum/showthread.php3?s=&threadid=2333</ref> was the first completed fan film and is a British short film that was completed in 2004. Directed by R.N. Millward (Cherry Orchard), this film was designed to recapture as much of the mood and atmosphere of the original as possible. This film is currently in DVD mastering.<ref>http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0496614/</ref>

• Skankobite<ref>http://www.skankobite.com/</ref> is a Hellraiser parody fan film, made by David Lindabury in 2005. The film's runtime is 8 minutes and is available on DVD.<ref>http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0479156/</ref>

• Hellraiser: Prophecy<ref>http://www.hellraiserprophecy.com/hrp/</ref> is a crossover fan film, combining the themes from Hellraiser and the 1995 Christopher Walken film The Prophecy. This film was completed in March, 2006, and premiered on 24 March 2006 at I-CON XXV<ref>http://www.iconsf.org/</ref>. The total runtime is 22 minutes. Two teaser trailers are available at the official website <ref>http://www.hellraiserprophecy.com/hrp/</ref>. The film has been reviewed by the Reel Horror Podcast<ref>http://media.libsyn.com/media/vidhack/reel_horror-ep11-03272006.mp3</ref> and The Horror Podcast<ref>http://www.allaboutmedia.co.uk/horror/hps02ep01_121006.mp3</ref>. The fan film was released on the Internet via YouTube in two parts<ref>http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5hZE_cZ1QiY</ref><ref>http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QuL9tMhvEwg</ref> on October 31, 2006. <ref>http://www.youtube.com/</ref>.<ref>http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0805545/</ref>

• Hellraiser: Apocalypse is a web-only parody.<ref>http://www.shitmovies.net/movies/web-exclusive-shit/hellraiser_apocalypse.php</ref>

• Hellraiser: Early Grave is a four-minute short depicting a lone military officer's run-in with the forces of Leviathan<ref>http://www.cenobite.com/forum/showthread.php3?s=&postid=134256</ref> . This film is currently in production. A trailer is available online.<ref>http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OgeQKGSs_2M</ref>

• The Hellraiser Chronicles: Life-bringer is a project from the creator of two fan films, Obsession (abandoned) and Game of Chance.<ref>http://www.cenobite.com/forum/showthread.php3?s=&postid=134348</ref> The film is in post-production.

[edit] DVD releases

According to Amazon.com, there are two releases of Hellraiser. A 94 minute version released in 2000. It has 5.1 and mastered in THX. It also lists a 118 minute version released in 1998 with 2.0 audio, but this is false and no such version exists.

[edit] Remake

On October 20, 2006, Clive Barker announced via his official website that he would be writing the remake to the original Hellraiser. He will not be directing the remake, but he will join as a producer along with Bob Weinstein. <ref>http://www.clivebarker.info/intsrevel15.html</ref>

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• Hellraiser at the Internet Movie Database
• Hellraiser: The Hellbound Web
• Revelations - The Official Clive Barker Resource Constantly updated news on upcoming projects and a fascinating archive of comment from Barker and others.
• Hellraiser on Clive Barker fansite
• Hellraiser: Online
• Hellraiser Gallery: A regularly updated blog dedicated to Hellraiser and all other works by Clive Barker.

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