Macabre...ish Horror Review: Hellraiser

 

Hellraiser, 1987/ 93 min.

 

 

 

 

After Frank buys a puzzle box in Morocco, he solves it one night and hooked chains appear and rip him apart. Later a figure in black appears and recovers the puzzle box, returning it to its cubed state, the attic which is still full of chains and chunks of Frank, is then restored to it’s normal state.

 

Afterward, Frank’s brother, Larry, moves into the house and attempts to rekindle his relationship with his ex-wife, Julia, who once had an affair with Frank. Larry cuts his hand moving a bed and the blood that drips on the attic floor resurrects Frank. Minus his skin. Julia soon finds Frank and because she’s still obsessed with him, she agrees to the insane task of harvesting blood for him, so that he can recover his body and they can run away together. To get this blood, Julia picks up men in bars and brings them back to the house, killing them so they can be consumed by Frank. And regenerating his body.

 

 

 

 

Soon Frank wants the puzzle box to open the portal to another realm, in his search of more carnal pleasures, he’s become a monster. When one of Frank’s feeding’s are interrupted by Julia’s daughter, Kristy, Frank attacks her but she escapes with the puzzle box and opens it later, in the hospital. She unknowingly summons cenobites, perceived as both demons and angels, they are inter-dimensional travelers, seeking carnal pleasures but since they can no longer perceive the difference between pleasure and pain, they are destructive and their presence means chaos and death.

 

 

 

 

When Pinhead tried to take Kristy, she informs him that Frank has escaped his domain. And in return for her freedom, they agree to take Frank instead. But Frank attempts to fool them by killing his brother, Larry, skinning him and wearing his skin, takes Larry’s identity and leaves his body in the attic. When Kristy returns to see her father, Larry...who is dead, he approaches her, romantically. When she rebuffs him he confesses to be Frank and killing him.

 

 

 

 

Pinhead is not fooled and over hears his confession and ensnares him with hooked chains, tearing him apart. Pinhead reneges and attempts to take Kristy anyway but she thwarts him, banishing the cenobites by closing the puzzle box.

 

There’s a lot going on in the this movie. It’s gory, bloody and graphic. This movie is oppressive and dark. It’s heavy. Has good effects and intricate story. For a synopsis of the sequel click here. You want more Hellraiser, we have more on the podcast! Find Macabre...ish Cults, Classics & Horrors anywhere there are podcasts. And remember to follow us, thank you!!

 

 

 

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