Hellraiser.

Review #1589: Hellraiser.

Cast:

Clare Higgins (Julia Cotton), Ashley Laurence (Kirsty Cotton), Andrew Robinson (Larry Cotton), Sean Chapman (Frank Cotton), Robert Hines (Steve), Doug Bradley (Lead Cenobite), Nicholas Vince (Chattering Cenobite), Simon Bamford (Butterball Cenobite), Grace Kirby (Female Cenobite), and Oliver Smith ("Skinless" Frank / Frank the Monster) Written and Directed by Clive Barker.

Review:

"I see no reason to apologise for any kind of generic formation. As you know, you go back to some of the most striking images, the most lasting images, in cinema, and they come from horror films. Some people think horror films are some sort of second-class filmmaking, and the only way we can hope to bypass that thinking is by being proud of the fact that we do it."

"There was no doubt in my mind that this unnamed guy with the pins in his head had a certain je ne sais quoi that a mattress-delivery guy didn’t."

As goes the writer, goes the director, you might say. Clive Barker was originally an author, having studied at the University of Liverpool in English and Philosophy. Barker had an eclectic amount of influences growing up in terms of media that ranged from authors such as Herman Melville (such as Moby Dick, once described as his favorite novel) to William Blake to films as well. He did work in the theatre at first with plays starting in 1967 (while also occasionally doing work with 8mm and 16mm film) before moving into writing with 1985, which focused on horror and fantasy. The source material for this film was his second work in The Hellbound Heart (1986), a novella, which drew upon his experiences in hustling as a prostitute (as he did when needing to pay bills as a struggling writer). Barker was spurred to do his own film based on the experience of seeing two of his stories be turned into films (described as "cinematic abominations" by him, since he wrote both screenplays) in Underworld (1985) and Rawhead Rex (1986), with an intent to direct something cheap - enter Roger Corman's New World Pictures, which gave him $900,000 to fund the film. The design of the film was inspired by his experiences at night clubs (such as seeing people pierced for fun). He was inexperienced at the art of directing, but he managed on with a mix of fairly tolerant cast and crew that did not balk at the first time director (the one stipulation that the studio did have however came with dubbing some of the accents to make what was a British tale seem more American).

What we have here is a horror film of the senses, mixing pain and pleasure for some interesting visceral moments. It sets most of its 93 minutes within the confines of a house horror film that builds tension with its ooze of atmospheric dread that make it understandable to see why there was more than one Hellraiser film. In fact, there were nine subsequent films (with Barker only writing Hellbound: Hellraiser II while producing the next two while Bradley starred in seven of those sequels), and a television series was recently announced to be in development. In any case, the film sticks out among others of its decade in its difference from the popular aim of the time in slashers - there are moments with blood, but it seems more serious with its approach than say, A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984, although each are equally qualified in horror). To me, there are moments that remind me of the vampire story, what with a character that desires blood while being confined to a certain place for the day for others to help do his bidding, although an inspiration for the film was actually the urban legend of the The Devil's Toy Box. In any case, the real threat involves the Cenobites, who can't tell the difference between pleasure and pain that can be angels or demons depending on one's perception that seemed to have a repulsive glamour (with a design inspired by S&M clubs, as stated by Barker). One starts at first with Higgins (an actress of the stage in native London and Broadway), one who we follow along with in pursuit to deception and lust that nevertheless is compelling to follow. Laurence goes along with curiosity on the other side of pursuit with the box without being turned into a vehicle for cheap screams (her and Higgins would return in the sequel). Robinson (best known for his villainous role in Dirty Harry) also does well here as the family man needed to contrast the macabre (at least to a point). Chapman captures craven crawling with the moments needed in pursuit as the last key of the human puzzle needed in nature. The Cenobites sure are a highlight in design, and it only seems fitting that Bradley (a close friend of Barker for over a decade prior to this film) would eventually take bigger focus with each passing film, dignified in quiet tone that seems reminiscent of Christopher Lee's portrayal of Dracula - fine by me, obviously (it should be noted that the eventual name given to his character was not actually by Barker but by the crew). In general, the film works best in grisly terror for what one sees and feels from terror from the deep dark senses that found a following and place within horror that stood beyond the litany of follow-up sequels that came after it in the three decades that followed because of what Barker did to keep his vision to make the screen.

Next Time: House of 1000 Corpses.

Overall, I give it 8 out of 10 stars.