The Hellraiser series review

Hi there! Here's writing wild_nausea, your almost daily horror reviews bringer. Bored with masses of half-products made by Hollywood nowadays? No fear, here I have a couple of solutions. Well, actually, one good solution. Some may have already heard about the famous series. Myself, I have heard some rumors or seen some images(well, Pinhead is the famous one in the Internet) – but nothing more.

'Oh, no tears, please... It's a waste of good suffering'.
- Pinhead

Perhaps I should warn some not to put the film on, but after the above quote most of the light-hearted people will think twice. Indeed, it's the suffering what unites the series(there are 8 parts so far). Considering this, we're not so far from gore. Throughout the movies we see lots of blood, flying intestines, cracking skulls and bodies being mutilated. It's no joke. For me, the one who finds rotten.com not enough, it's no problem, but I've heard opinions about the movie and some were saying that the biggest advantage – or, for some, disadvantage – were the gory landscapes. The plot is here just an intermezzo. And the fact is, that all the blood and things which you have inside are extremely detailed. For those, who get nauseous after cutting themselves fingers, here's a free advice: Don't watch. But still, if you enjoy masses of blood in the screen, you will simply love it.

The next thing reoccurring in the plot is the so-called Lament Configuration, a mysterious box originally built by the man called Lemarchand. According to the movie and core series, if you solve the riddle hidden behind the Lament Configuration, you open sort of interdimensional gates leading literally into hell. Ironically, the box itself doesn't appear like something threatening, rather like a mechanical riddle. The mechanism is sought by many for the promise of experiencing many unspoken pleasures.

When the seals are off and the gates are finally open, they arrive. Cenobites.
Who are cenobites? The more we talk about them, the more their origin is obscure. Some would call them inhabitants of other dimension, some demons, some devils, some would understand them as a damaged product of psychopath's mind. Whatever they would be, in the original Hellraiser they appear as horribly mutilated and deformed beings. Those are called 'Surgeons from Beyond' and appear to have some control over the phenomena occurring after opening of the box. One of them, for example, the Pindhead, is a male figure with pins nailed to his head and clad in weird, latex-like costume, bringing to mind some means of S&M inspirations of the author. The titles of his also appear suggestive: 'Dark Prince of Pain', 'Angel of Suffering', 'Leviathan's Lord of the Damned'.

''Jesus... Wept.''
- Larry in the Hellraiser I

The series from the very beginning feature high-quality gothic vistas and grim, ill-omened mood. Locations remain very detailed, yet still keeping the climax of pain, suffering and weird tales written by Clive Barker. Besides gory actions, movies tend to deal with such topics like loneliness, perversions, sex, human's limits, deterioration of mind exposed to evil from beyond, psychopathy, greed, sins and lust. Things we like the most.

'We have such sights to show you...'
Pinhead talking to Kristy in the first part

All in all the movie series are worth recommendation. If you're seriously bored with the 'Twilight' or yawning watching the 'Midnight Meat Train', time to get back to the classics. Hellraiser, maybe not the freshest series, but generally worth considering. It's like with junk food – you like it or not, but tasting it is a must. Like with all the classics.

Cheers,
wild_nausea