Stream it on Hulu.
Rent it on Amazon, Google Play, YouTube, and Apple TV.
This Halloween, I have such sights to show you!
Clive Barker is a household name in horror, both in literature and cinema. Renowned horror novelist Stephen King once said, “I have seen the future of horror fiction, and his name is Clive Barker.” Although Mr. Barker is not my preferred style of the genre (that distinction remains with ghost stories and psychological thrillers), I do appreciate aspects of his creations. His feature-film directorial debut, Hellraiser, while incredibly graphic, is a profound story about the line that separates pain from pleasure, and how easily it can be crossed.
Based on Clive Barker’s novel The Hellbound Heart, the story follows a woman named Julia (Clare Higgins) and her husband as they move into a new house together. One day, while moving a mattress, Julia’s husband accidentally cuts himself, profusely bleeding all over the attic floor. Shortly after they retreat downstairs to treat his wound, the blood triggers a disturbing event. A humanoid figure emerges from the floor, and slowly takes on the physical form of a person with no skin. When Julia returns to the attic, she is greeted by the horrific sight of a skinless man claiming to be her old lover, Frank (Oliver Smith). He says that he needs more blood for a complete resurrection. Strangely, Julia complies, and proceeds to lure a handful of men to the attic for Frank to feast upon. Later on, Frank explains his situation.
It turns out that Frank discovered a strange puzzle box called a Lament Configuration; a key that can open doorways to Heaven or Hell. Out of curiosity, Frank tries to solve the puzzle box, and finds himself in the clutches of Hell demons known as Cenobites; manifestations of the human pursuit for physical gratification. However, the Cenobites are so removed from their former humanity, they have lost the distinction between pleasure and pain, and often confuse one for the other. Before Julia accidentally revived Frank, he thought his soul was forever lost in Hell. But now that he has been revived, will he escape and have a chance to start anew, or will the Cenobites hunt him down once more?
While the special-effects and make-up design is grotesque and difficult to observe, their overall quality is incredible. Make-up designer Bob Keen, who previously worked on other cult-classic films such as Highlander, Lifeforce, and Candyman (also a Clive Barker story), creates effects that are as believable as they are unnatural. His designs for the Cenobites are especially noteworthy. The most famous of them, unofficially known as Pinhead (Doug Bradley), has become the mascot of the franchise and an icon of horror characters in his own right.
The main reason I don’t rank this film any higher than I have is because of personal preferences. While I do enjoy some aspects of Hellraiser, I have never been a fan of graphic torture-porn or excessive gore. I grant you, it is not as self-indulgent as any of the SAW sequels, but it’s still not my cup of tea. At the very least, Hellraiser has a narrative justification for being as graphic as it is, as opposed to being gross for grossness sake. Even so, it’s not the first film that comes to my mind when I think of essential Halloween watching.
Hellraiser is like watching a nightmare; it doesn’t make a whole lot of sense, but it’s so visceral and strange that you can’t help but look on with uncertain curiosity. Despite the films graphic nature, there is something alluring about it that makes it worth seeing at least once. Should you be the least bit curious about it, please heed my warning of its graphic nature. Once you’ve seen it, you can never unsee it. Watch with caution.
Ladies & gentlemen, I am TheNorm; thank you all for reading.
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