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Sunday, 30 June 2013

Sunday Mournings: Hellraiser

Sunday Mournings - Every Sunday we will take a look back at a classic horror movie from yesteryear, but with the rose-tinted spectacles firmly put to one side. And for the first Sunday Mourning a personal favorite; Clive Barkers Hellraiser.

Hellraiser is 1987 cult classic horror movie written and directed by the Prince of Darkness himself; Clive Barker, based upon the short story The Hellbound Heart, which itself first appeared in the collection of short stories The Books of Blood between 1984 and 1985.




Starring Ashley Lawrence as the unlikely heroine Kirsty Cotton, we were taken into the dark world of obsession, desire, pleasure and pain, and all because of a box called the Lament Configuration...

Left a house by his late grandmother Larry Cotton (Andrew Robinson) and his wife Julia (Clare Higgins) move in. Finding evidence that Larry's brother Frank (Sean Chapman) recently squatted there Julia remembers her secret affair with Frank during her engagement to Larry. After scratching his hand on a wayward nail-head Larry seeks medical attention from Julia, but as they leave the attic where Julia was remembering Frank a drop of Larry's blood is sucked into the floorboards and a naked, fleshless Frank emerges.
While holding a house warming party Julia becomes distracted by strange sounds in the attic and upon investigating alone discovers Frank. Initially wary she warms back to him and ultimately promises to return him to his full self, by bringing men home for Frank to feed upon.
Although her husband Larry is oblivious to any of this, his daughter from a previous marriage Kirsty (Ashley Lawrence), has never liked Julia and becomes suspicious of her step-mothers actions. Sneaking into the attic Kirsty comes face-to-face with her uncle Frank and more importantly the all important puzzle box. Escaping from the house with the box Kirsty is overcome and faints, later waking in a hospital.
Given the box she was found unconscious with she solves the puzzle of the box creating a doorway in her hospital room wall. Investigating within she is soon attacked by a strange creature whom tries to steal the box from her. returning to her hospital room she finds the doorway and the creature gone but is soon approached by four leatherclad, pale-skinned abominations. Kirsty soon realizes it is from these that Frank has escaped from and strikes a deal with the groups leader (Doug Bradley) - to return Frank to them in her place. The leader accepts.


Returning to her fathers home she confronts Julia with the box and shows her father the Attic, to find Franks fleshless remains dead on the floor, her father claiming to have put him out of his misery. As her father leaves the attic the leatherclad group remain, wanting Franks killer. Kirsty flees the attic and beseeches her father to leave with her before realizing her folly - Frank has taken Larry's skin to hide from the Leatherclad group, which he earlier named to Julia as the Cenobites.
His confession overheard he is taken back by the Cenobites, whom also claim Julia in the chaos when Frank turns against her. The Cenobites then attempt to also take Kirsty back with them to their realm, but Kirsty is able to solve the puzzle of the box returning them and destroying the house. Reunited with her boyfriend during the escape Kirsty places the box on a bonfire, but a homeless man walks into the flames and picks up the box before transforming into a skin and bone dragon and flying off into the night.

For those that had never read any of his books Hellraiser was a shocking insight into the imagination of writer/director Clive Barker. His themes of sex and change, pain and pleasure, magic and demons are as prevalant throughout Hellraiser probably more so than any of his works.
Hellraiser was so successful it has spanned eight sequels, though each installment progressively got worse than the one before, with the last installment Hellraiser: Revelations even featuring a new, unsuiting actor as the leader of the Cenobites, commonly referred to as Pinhead. Though he has become one of the most recognizable horror movie villains, Barker has never liked the pop culture name the character has adopted.



There are, of course marked differences between the original short story and the first movie. Aside from Larry being called Rory in the Hellbound Heart, the biggest change is that originally Kirsty was a neighbour and friend with long hidden feelings for Rory. The change from desiring friend to estranged daughter suits the story much better, adding a greater sense of threat and giving her actions more justification.

There has also been talk and rumor the past few years of a possible Hellraiser remake. Normally one would be against such a prospect but with eight lacklustre sequels a remake might actually be what the franchise needs. Given, of course that it is done properly with pre-planned sequels that expand the story and characters, with a more suitable actor in the role of Pinhead and a modest enough budget, it is possible that Hellraiser could once again be terrifying rather than eye-rolling.

Hellraiser was a cult classic, but with many sub-par sequels the franchise needs fresh blood, a new planned direction, a worthy cast and a production company willing to invest what the franchise needs, and that just isn't Dimension Films.

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