Hellraiser [Blu-ray]

The movie at its simplest level is a retelling of a story that goes back to Goethe's Doctor Faustus and beyond--when you sell your soul to evil forces, you will regret it. Frank Cotton is a despicable, uncaring man who has grown bored with life's most extreme pleasures. When he hears about and eventually acquires a puzzle box which can open the door to a new world of perverse pleasures, he finds out that one man's pleasure is another man's pain under the tutelage of the Cenobites. Somehow, he manages to escape the other world, and when his brother's blood is spilled in his chamber of horrors, his body begins to reform itself. More blood is required to complete the job, and his brother's wife Julia supplies it by picking up men at bars and bringing them home for Frank's nourishment. The prim and proper Julia was ravaged by Frank soon before her wedding to Frank's brother Larry, and she enjoyed the experience so much that she will do anything to get Frank restored to vaguely human-looking life. Larry's daughter Kirsty, played by Ashley Laurence in her motion picture debut, discovers what is going on and manages to get her hands on the puzzle box. When she is introduced to the Cenobites, the fun truly begins.

The Hellraiser series degraded into a sad mimicry of itself in later movies, but the original vision personally sculpted by the masterly hands of writer and director Clive Barker is a horror masterpiece. The Cenobites are one of the most unusual, fascinating "bad guys" ever dreamed up in the imagination of man. They really don't appear too often in this film, and Pinhead (played by the great Doug Bradley) is never referred to by this name even in the credits. When they do appear, with Pinhead enunciating such great statements as "No tears, please. It is just a waste of good suffering" and "We will tear your soul apart," they are truly horrifying, mysterious, and larger than life. Less is definitely more when it comes to the prominence of Pinhead and his demonic associates in the movie.

Those who dislike horror probably have sense enough to stay clear of Hellraiser. Those of us who revel in extreme horror delight in watching it. If you are an intermediate-level horror fan initiated by the Scream and Freddy/Michael/Jason movies, here is your chance to really test your horror mettle.


A classic of the genre.   May 27, 2000
Edward Gordon Brown
18 out of 19 found this review helpful

In 1986, Clive Barker wrote a novella called "The Hellbound Heart" which was and by all means still is a brilliant example that in a space of roundabout 160 pages a skilled horrormaster like Barker can convey horror and suspense enough to shock and scare the reader. Barker is the same one who says that there are no new stories, only new ways to tell. It is a refreshingly original story rich in gruesome details. Then, in 1987, Barker himself got the opportunity to adapt his novel to the screen. This film immortalized the legendary villain called Pinhead, played by Doug Bradley. The film is just as gruesome as the book if not more. I'd say that I had no doubt the film would be faithful to the novel because after all it was the novel's writer who was directing the movie in the first place! I just rewatched Hellraiser last night and I reread the book today. It's short enough to be read in one sitting...and compelling enough, too! To me this film is a contemporary masterpiece of the genre. It's not only an excuse to show flayed, skinned glistening on screen, no. Unlike what others say, there is a story here too, and to me at least, it's a very original one. Andrew Robinson, Claire Higgins and Ashley Laurence give very good performances to back up this film...but the real heros behind it are director/writer Clive Barker and the special effects creator, Bob Keene. The scene with Frank's reanimation has got to be one of the grossest and most stunning effects I've ever seen. And also, considering this film only cost one million dollars to do, I think that that price was a bargain. Congratulations to all!


Another great job by Anchor Bay!   April 24, 2009
D. J. Glen (Saint Louis, MO)
15 out of 16 found this review helpful

I watched this Blu-ray last night and the picture quality is amazing and definitely on par with Anchor Bay's previous releases (Halloween '79, Dawn of the Dead '78, Day of the Dead '85 and Masters of Horror Season 1). I haven't checked out the special features yet, but this release is worth the price for picture quality alone. Anchor Bay have really set the bar. Now I wish they'd announce release dates for Hellraiser 2, Creepshow 2, The Hills Have Eyes ('77), the Phantasm films, Sleepaway Camp and Masters of Horror Season 2, not to mention Near Dark (which I think might now be licensed to Lionsgate). Thanks for a great job AB!!!


Beautiful -- In A Completely Disgusting, Ugly Way...   April 2, 2005
Andrew Estes (Maine)
27 out of 33 found this review helpful

Clive Barker's 1987 masterpiece, "Hellraiser," is a little more challenging than your average Freddy Or Jason movie. It bears little resemblance to what was popular in horror at the time, and yet it's still a hit, and still strikes a chord with a massive audience. If you've ever seen it, you can't forget it. As many times as I've seen it, I still get uncomfortable (in a good way) and find new things to appreciate.

"Hellraiser" is an extremely well made, mature movie that isn't for everyone, not even for every horror fan. There is no campy humor to it, no relief from the drama. It digs deep, and really brings to light just how ugly the world can be, and how cruel and senseless people can be, often under the spell of love. This is all performed, of course, by Julia and Frank (Claire Higgins and Sean Chapman), two very intense lovers who find themselves in a bind. See, it's not bad enough that Julia is actually married to all-around nice guy Larry (Andrew Robinson), who is in turn, Frank's brother, but apparently uncle Frank has a taste for the spicier things in life and finds himself in Hell after playing around with a puzzle (Pandora's Box, anyone?). In order to resurrect Frank, who is all but a mass of bloody tissue and bones, hiding out in an empty room in Larry's house, Julia lures innocent, albeit, horny men inside with the promise of a good romp. What they get, however, is usually a hit to the head with hammer, often repeatedly, and a visit with Frank, who sucks their blood from their body, which in turn makes him stronger and glues him back together, so to speak. However, there's a race against time here, as the Cenobites -- grotesque creatures of Hell who inflict unimaginable torture on anyone who solves the puzzle -- are looking for Frank after he escapes their clutches. Add to that, Larry's snoopy, attractive and intelligent daughter Kirsty (played by Ashley Laurence) is onto their scheme. Things get very dirty, very gross, and very bloody in the 93 minutes this movie runs. However, the gore (which is well acheived for it's time) is not what makes the movie crawl under your skin. It's the horrible things that Julia does for Frank, for her forbidden love. Just the fact that humans can be this ugly in real life is enough to make you uneasy. Aside from the far-fetched situation, this movie isn't that far removed from the real world. This vision, unfortunately, took a backseat in later sequels (starting with Part 3) to the character of Pinhead (whose name actually isn't mentioned in this installment) and the attempts to turn this into another "A Nightmare On Elm Street" type franchise failed miserably. I usually don't look down at horror sequels, I love 'em, but the only other installment that holds up as well as the original is part 2. But I digress.

"Hellraiser" is a fantastic film, one that any genre fan should see at least once. It's different, it's bold, and it's risky, but it works. It's very gloomy, so I recommend you put yourself in the right mood before watching it. Clive Barker crafted the perfect horror film here, and considering the current horror movie climate, this history lesson is worth repeating. It won't exactly "Tear your soul apart," but it will make you very uncomfortable.


The best Hellraiser yet!   May 15, 2009
M. Blouin (So Cal)
8 out of 8 found this review helpful

Anchor Bay has really put together a nice Blu Ray here. Lots of bonus features and an excellent presentation of a classic horror movie. I didn't expect the movie to look this good, especially after owning quit a few Anchor Bay DVDs. The film looks excellent, the sound is great, and the movie itself holds up extremely well considering it is over 20 years old. This is a must have for all Hellraiser fans or even fans of horror that haven't seen this classic. I totally recommend this disc.