Hellraiser: Le pacte

Despite appreciating horror very much (with a lot of classic ones out there, such as 'Halloween', 'Nightmare on Elm Street', 'The Texas Chainsaw Massacre', 'Night of the Living Dead' and 'The Exorcist', plus the best of Hammer House of Horror), even if not my favourite genre, it took me a while to get round to watching the 'Hellraiser' franchise. Due to having so much to watch and review, and the list keeps getting longer and longer.

This is the film that started the franchise off, and not only is it by far the best of the 'Hellraiser' films it also for me, and quite a few others it seems, is one of the stronger horror films of the 80s, though not quite of all time. What is meant by being by far the best of the 'Hellraiser' films is that it is the only one to be above very good, the nine sequels were very variable (leaning towards the disappointing) and the latter films particularly are suggestive of the franchise having run its course.

'Hellraiser' is notable for being the directing debut of celebrated and extremely talented author Clive Barker. His books have always been hugely compelling, with intelligent exploring of ambitious themes, vivid attention to detail and characterisation, meticulous atmosphere and distinctive chills and sense of dread, his popularity is more than well deserved. He also adapts his source material 'The Hellbound Heart', a terrific book and even better than this already very good film, and all those qualities are lifted off the pages onto the screen. It is also notable for introducing us to Pinhead, who would justifiably become a horror icon.

By all means 'Hellraiser' is not a perfect film. The ending is schlocky and at odds with the rest of the film, which was up to then very disturbing and remarkably intelligent and the ending felt like it belonged somewhere else.

Also felt that Barker's direction did occasionally show his inexperience, namely in some unfocused and not always necessary close-ups.

Most of the time though he does a great job, capturing the spirit and atmosphere of the book with ease and the momentum is never lost. 'Hellraiser' is genuinely scary with plenty of chills, unnerving dread, nail-biting suspense and a hair-raising sense of claustrophobic tension. It is very graphic but not in a cheap way, going over the top with the shock value and not pointlessly so, traps that it could easily have fallen into and ones fallen into so many times in horror. Personally thought the Cebonites were used well, they are still terrifying and using them as catalysts rather than focusing too much on them (mentioned already very well) added to the mysteriousness, they look good too.

It's not just scary though. 'Hellraiser' has truly inventive storytelling stemming from a unique premise back then and seldom equalled now. It also has some abitious themes like pain and desperation that are handled intelligently, giving the film some emotional power and surprising dimension not always found in horror, it is just so wonderful to find a film with a great concept seen recently that lives up to it and exceeds it even. Just want to say this is not trying to knock the genre at all, in case it's sounding that way. 'Hellraiser' holds up well on the visual front, some eerie camera work and lighting, the effects are far from amateurish and the make-up manages to be some of the most effective of the 80s.

The script is thoughtful with Barker's prose all over it and the characters show his attention to detailed characterisation, nobody is bland or annoying. The music doesn't seem to have pleased everybody, for me it was haunting and didn't dimish the atmosphere at all. Was surprised too by how good the acting was, have seen some terrible acting in horrors recently so this was refreshing. What a staggeringly frightening performance from Doug Bradley and Clare Higgins is particularly good of the rest of the cast.

Summing, very good with many great elements. 8/10 Bethany Cox

Finally got around to watching this one. I was not into horror as a kid but as I approach middle age, it has been fun to visit these types of films for the first time.

The basic plot of Hellraiser is straight out of a1930s horror or suspense anthology radio program. This is a morality play and quite similar to those on those old-time programs like "Suspense" or "The Mysterious Traveler" people listened to up through the 1950s. However, the hellish images, nasty depictions of torment, and gross, practical gore effects give a nice coat of fresh paint to this type of story.

The direction is OK but certainly has a B-movie quality at times, much like the rest of the production. Claire Higgins is great, though. Ashley Laurence is not a great actress here but is strikingly beautiful. You could make this movie today with almost the same script and make it much scarier or even nastier if you wanted. But I think it's nice to keep it a bit cartoony, keep it fun, not nasty.

The practical gore effects still hold up for the most part. Some of the skin looks excessively rubbery but still very wince-inducing in a few scenes (especially the famous "nail on the wall" scene). Does it look real? No, but you can appreciate the work and lack of dated CGI.

No jump scares here. The movie's horror relies more on the nasty gore and hellish depictions of torture and torment.

Anyway, this is a fun movie I think. Not a great one. Mediocre acting, a very genre script and OK direction. However, it delivers fun, oldschool thrills, not far from what your grandparents heard on the radio.

I'm not sure whether to give this a 7 or an 8. I think it may deserve an 8 just based on fun factor.

Julia is forced to kill for her brother in law Larry, who's dabbled with powerful, but malign forces and been turned into a decayed, monstrous like creature. Larry is trying to regain his physical being in order to escape the creatures, The Cenobites.

Hellraiser is definitely one of those wonderful 1980's video nasties, I'm not a hundred percent sure I'd put it in the same category as Halloween or Nightmare on Elm Street, but I'm not sure if that's because of this film, or some of the atrocious followups.

Special effects that would have been quite advanced for the time, there's lots of blood and gore, and that scene where Frank initially appears is quite something.

At times it's really quite sadistic and nasty, the kind of film that you'd sneak on as a youngster, and have a few sleepless nights over. At times it's menacing, sickening and just downright twisted, yes it may look a little dated in parts, but I think it holds up well.

Great music throughout, it's so dramatic, it perfectly fits the tone of the film. The makeup is terrific, especially The Cenobites.

Clare Higgins steals it for me, I think she's great, definitely something of the femme fatale.

What is so interesting, is just how little Pin Head actually appears, even if people don't know the film.or the story, he's quite well known, he's hardly in it though.

The story holds up pretty well, I'd say it's perfect for an update, but I'm not sure that the followups have offered much.

7/10.

Contrary to what one might conceive in their minds BEFORE watching this classic horror movie, it should be said that Clive Barker has delivered us a real gem of a horror story, packed with intensity, both emotionally, as well as physically. "Hellraiser" is about love, lust, pain, and pleasure. It's been called an "otherworldly tale of pain and torture". It's been referred to as a grim, Gothic romance. Needless to say, it's gore following is much more in numbers than that of the "Lord Of The Rings" trilogy. Truly, this film is everything one see's it to be, from a romance, to a gore show, to a good ol' fashioned scare show. Either way, it's a fine film regardless. I might add, however, that it may come as a surprise upon first viewing. What is surprising, is the way it plays out very dramatic. Our characters are very down to earth, each with their own personal idiosyncrasies and inner demons, not to mention personal strengths. Each of them stands like a look at the different human desires, fears, joys, and sorrows. It plays out like a grim, Shakespeare play. A man and woman, Larry and Julia Cotton, moving into a home where memories dwell upon like haunting spirits. Larry is a charismatic optimistic gentleman, full of love and compassion for his wife, and his daughter, Kirsty. Julia is a human relic of baggage and fallen dreams, because she bears so many dark secrets, one of which is an affair with Frank, her husband's younger brother. Frank is alive, and replenishing himself after a rather nasty encounter with a Pandora's Box. Larry's blood, spilled over a hardwood floor, brings Frank back to life from an excruciating death, in one of the finest special effects sequences in cinematic history. Once Julia and Frank reunite, their love is more dangerous, and powerful than imagined. Together they conspire in the grand tradition of "McBeth" and "Othello", to reign in pleasure once again. Enter Kirsty, Larry's daughter, and Frank's niece. A warm hearted, but determined soul who crosses paths with Julia and Frank before they can finish their diabolical plan. Kirsty eventually encounters the dark secret beheld Frank upon his death, a puzzle box. It brings pain, pleasure, and death. Creatures of darkness; the Cenobites, angels to some, demons to others, come to Kirsty when she accidentally calls upon their ghoulish powers. Once unleashed, they must take someone back, and Kirsty knows now, how Frank is back, and she intends to return him to his deathly justice, and save her family...

The writing is just remarkable. Clive Barker has given us people, humans, planted in their own desires, and determinations, and he tears them apart with fear, pain, death, destruction, and total degradation. The Cotton family are the perfect example of purity, torn to shreds by hate, lust, and anguish, and he takes great glee in showing us all the gory details.

The production is a real high! This is what the best type of films are made of. Real, gory, bloody human remains, connecting to each other in divine sequence, to create a 100% greedy man. The colors are plenty and gorgeous. The look of the blood, and the shine of the lights, and the way the actors are lit... It's just beautiful. The music of the film is brilliant. Composer Christopher Young chills the film, and drenches it with his dramatic variation of the main title, and the rest of the music contains harsh strings, brass horns, music box cues, and rhythmic cues that speed the pace up with action.

Clive Barker is such a great writer and director, and filmmaker altogether. He has given us a great thriller that crosses the line between reality and fiction, in great taste and color, literally. It's no wonder twenty years later, the film stands on it's own, aside from it's sequels, and remains an ultimate horror classic to end them all...well some of them anyway. It's not the only horror film to portray itself intellectually, and it certainly has it's gore effect to an all time high. Still, it's quite a dashing and artful film, and always a treat to watch every time.

Hellraiser was a bloody good film but part of me wishes I hadn't seen it because it made the hairs on the back of my neck stand up. I remember renting it out on video along with A Nightmare On Elm Street back in the late 1980's. I thought Freddy Krueggar was bad but those cenobites scared the you know what out of me.

The acting is good throughout the film and praise must go to everyone. The characters were very interesting characters from the humans right up to the cenobites.

There was a lot of gore in this movie and it was quite sick at times-not a film to watch if you're eating.

The storyline of the film is a very intriguing one and very original indeed.

But those cenobites didn't half scare me particularly when that pinhead said, "We will tear your soul apart!" Then again, that is what a good horror is all about-scaring the you know what out of it's audience.

If you're looking for a quality horror movie of the 80's then check this one out. Just don't be surprised if it sends you hair grey.