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When Clive Barkers’ horror masterpiece Hellraiser was released in September of 1987, it marked not only his directorial debut, but brought the writer to more of a mainstream audience. Hailed by Stephen King as "the future of horror", prior films based on Barker’s short stories failed to leave much of an impact on the horror community at large. The film Underworld came and went with little notice, and the only impression that Rawhead Rex left was a negative one at best. And although his writings in the Books of Blood series continued to receive critical acclaim and induce nightmares for legions of unwitting readers, it seemed as though film adaptations of his works just weren’t in the cards. Perhaps the dismal results of his previous films had more to do with Barker not taking more or an active role in the directorial department. It certainly had nothing to do with the source material, and it seemed that previous directors didn’t have the same vision as Barker did. So, after convincing New World Pictures to back the project, Clive Barker set out to direct what would become one of the inspirational and well recognized horror films in modern cinema. Based on the novella The Hellbound Heart, Hellraiser tells the tale of Frank Cotton, a man obsessed with forbidden mysticism and the occult. However, when he purchases and solves a rare puzzle cube known as the Lament Configuration, he finds a new meaning of pain and suffering. When his brother Larry and his new wife Julia move into the abandoned home, a minor accident allows Frank finds a means to escape the confines of hell. As Julia works to bring her ex-lover fully back from the dead, Kirsty Cotton stumbles upon their devious plan and soon finds herself face to face with hells faithful servants. Hellraiser not only helped to put Clive Barker on the map, but also gave fans a new villain to induce sleepless nights. The lead Cenobite (Doug Bradly), now affectionately known to fans as Pinhead quickly became a horror icon. Unlike other film stalkers like Jason, Michael Myers, and all their kin, Pinhead and his fellow Cenobites came across in quite a different fashion. Granted, they are quite a frightening creation to behold, but they aren’t the mass murdering psychopaths that horror fans were accustomed to. Quite to the contrary, the Cenobites were a bit more forgiving in their tactics. Despite the fact the Kirsty, having accidentally solved the puzzle box, summoned them, they were also willing to listen to her tale of the one who escaped them. Rationality in a horror villain is quite a rare thing, and Hellraiser is one of the few films in which such a trait is presented. Although all the actors in the film deliver brilliant performances in the film, the two stand outs are definitely Ashley Laurence and Doug Bradley. Laurence, who had only a few television appearances and one small film role prior to this film, had not only never been cast in a leading lady type of role, but she also had no previous work in horror films. Ashley brings a great deal to the role of Kirsty, conveying true and believable fear and terror. However, Kirsty is also not your typical female lead wherein she is always the victim, and Ashley does a magnificent job portraying Kirsty as a woman that can stand up for herself when facing such horrendous foes. Doug Bradley on the other hand may in fact be the main reason that Pinhead has stayed in the hearts and minds of fans for so long. Bradley makes the character comes across as cold and calculating, and yet intellectual. The make-up alone isn’t what makes Pinhead come alive, but once you add in Bradley’s’ monotone and chilling voice characterization, everything elevates to a more sinister level. Body language and facial expressions are yet another way that Bradley brings this character to life. Pinhead is more than just some masked serial killer out on a murderous rampage. Visually, I’ve always felt that Hellraiser has been above many of the other horror films that were put out around the same time. Barker does an amazing job with his use of lighting and doesn’t send his horrible creations into the background to be masked by shadows. There’s always been that idea that the audience can create something worse in their minds that what can be shown onscreen, but in this case I think allowing the audience to actually see the Cenobites in full form is an excellent decision. If it was left to the imagination of the viewer, than any preconceptions of the true face of the Cenobites would instantly be shattered and more than likely, the resulting feelings would be that of disappointment. The 20th anniversary edition of Hellraiser includes the original bonus features as well as a few more extras. Resurrection, offers not only some great background as to the process of getting studio interest in the project, but interviews with actors talking about their opinions on why the film has been so endearing with fans. Seeing the actors who portrayed the Cenobites minus the prosthetics and make-up is a bit strange, but also intriguing since for most fans, Doug Bradley has been the only one seen outside of his Pinhead guise. It is obvious however that Clive Barker is a bit fed up with talking about the film. This is understandable since the man has done so much other wonderful work that hasn’t really hit the same nerve with horror fans. The audio commentary by Ashley Laurence, Clive Barker, and Peter Atkins is, in some instances, even better than the featurette. Having viewed the film many times in the past, there are things that, without the benefit of this commentary, I would have missed and I’m sure that’s true for many fans. Going beyond what was found on the original DVD, you will now find an interview with Christopher Young, the composer of the Hellraiser soundtrack, and while what was originally written by Coil for the film was good, Young’s score is incredibly memorable. Some of you may only know actor Doug Bradley in makeup, but now, for those who haven’t seen the actor outside of Hellraiser, you’ll get a chance to see Bradly, and learn more about the film, in an exclusive interview. Andrew Robinson, the actor who portrays the devious Frank Cotton, is also interviewed and finally, Ashley Laurence has a separate interview, and don’t let that little brief bit in the beginning of the interview fool you. She’s really not as dim witted as she first comes across (it’s called acting.) For those with a DVD-ROM, which is pretty much everyone these days, you will also find PDF files for the first and final drafts of Hellraiser. For collectors that already own the limited edition tin that was issued by Anchor Bay back in 1998, or the standard edition that came out a few years ago, the 20th anniversary edition is a must have, and even if you one of the previously mentioned versions, new bonus features is never a bad thing if you are interested in that type of thing. Hellraiser, as you may or may not already know, is scheduled to make a return appearance very soon, not as some straight-to-video DVD that deals with computers or fantasy worlds, but a remake done by Barker himself who has grown as tired as many of the fans have of pointless sequels. Until that faithful day however, you can enjoy this masterpiece of horror cinema again and again otherwise, there is only hell to pay. -mike-
Directed by:
Clive
Barker
Written by:
Clive
Barker
Based Upon the Novella:
The Hellbund Heart by Clive Barker
Cast:
Andrew
Robinson
DVD
Features:
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