Hellbound: Hellraiser II 1988 Anchor Bay Entertainment   Buy It Now

As with many horror films, good box office totals usually mean a sequel (or more). Since the original Hellraiser was made for a paltry $1 million and grossed well over $20, a follow up was inevitable. Combine that with the fact that the studio had already realized the potential to expand the dark world of Hellraiser, and you’ve got yourself franchise material. Of course, many sequels fail to match the glory of the original, as many a film buff has seen, with films such as Nightmare on Elm Street and more recently with the new installments of the original Star Wars trilogy. Hellbound however, was destined to be a film that in many ways would transcend its predecessor.

Following the events of the original Hellraiser, Kirsty Cotton finds herself in a mental institution. It seems that her story of hellish demons, walking corpses, and evil puzzle cubes is a bit unbelievable. Dr. Channard however, has been fanatical about the Lament Configuration for years and has sought a means to solve the puzzle and unlock its secrets. Having knowledge of the events that transpired in the Cotton house, Channard revives Julia in hopes of having his desires granted. However, Channard will soon discover the real price of seeking the enigmas of hell, and Kirsty soon finds herself among "old friends."

Hellbound does quite a bit more than just expand on the mythos of the original Hellraiser and in fact takes many of the conventional ideas about hell and creates something more memorable. Honestly, this film is more for the Cenobites than anything else. In the original their appearance was brief and much of the film was set up. Knowing that the Cenobites were the main draw and appeal to the film however, Hellbound delivers plenty of demonic screen time.

Although there are many things that make Hellbound a unique film, most interesting is the impression of hell. We’re all used to hell being a place filled with fire and brimstone, with tortured souls writhing in agony, and a horned overlord sitting comfortably on his throne. Hellbound delivers us quite a different version however. Clive Barker’s hell is comprised of a huge labyrinth filled with the emotional fears of those trapped within. There’s no fire, only a bleak and desolate maze, and instead of Satan, we’re given Leviathan, the geometric faceless ruler of hell.

It may seem as though Hellbound borrows from the original film, and although it does, it takes those same ideas and creates something different. Frank’s return from hell was accidental, whereas Julia was brought back intentionally. Solving the Lament Configuration this time is intentional as well. The statement that the Cenobites have been summoned by desire is completely accurate. Even with some borrowed ideas however, one thing that Hellbound definitely does is take the gore factor up a notch or three, which will surely delight those that have only seen the original.

Visually, Hellbound is more stunning and devious than the original creation that spawned it. Expect to see quite a bit of interesting camera work, that can be quite vertigo inducing. Some disturbing gore scenes combined with both erotic and macabre imagery help complete what is a spectacular combination of visceral and mental horror. Hellbound is unlike any other horror film ever created, and remains unparalleled to this day. Also take into consideration the brilliant and haunting soundtrack scored by Christopher Young and Hellbound moves into a realm of being almost disturbing.

Contrary to popular belief, the DVD liner notes state that the infamous scene of the morphing Cenobites, long believed to be available on the Japanese laser disc, was never put into any complete version of the film. However, the Japanese version of the film did contain one scene that was unavailable until now. Although it’s brief, there is an additional scene that’s been dubbed "Kirsty’s room." However, you’ll have to purchase the DVD to discover more about this scene. As with the original Hellraiser DVD, Hellbound contains an additional informative featurette as well as insightful audio commentary.

Personally, I feel that Hellbound is not only one of the best films of the Hellraiser series, but it may in fact be one of the best horror films ever to be put to film, and definitely is one of my top 10 favorite horror films. This is definitely not only a great look at the mythology of the Hellraiser series, but also an interesting glimpse into the mind of Clive Barker. When you take into consideration the face of the modern horror film, it’s fantastic to see that a film like Hellbound still holds a high place in the annals of terror and can show that a movie can go far beyond the tame scenes presented to filmgoers these days. Definitely pick this disc up, it’s time to play.

-mike-
 

Directed by: Tony Randel   Written by: Clive Barker & Peter Atkins   Cast: Clare Higgins Ashley Laurence Kenneth Cranham Imogene Boorman Sean Chapman William Hope Doug Bradley Barbie Wilde Simon Bamford Nicholas Vince

DVD Features: Widescreen Presentation Full-screen Presentation Audio Commentary with Director Tony Randel, Ashely Laurence, and Writer Peter Atkins Featurette: The Lost Labyrinth Theatrical Trailer Still Gallery