I remember seeing previews for the Hellraiser movies when I was a kid and being scared by them then. Watching this movie by myself for the first time, I found it retains the frightening elements that stood out to me in the past. Hellraiser is equal parts spiritual/psychological/contemplative horror and gore. The highlights of the film are the Cenobites -- minions of hell and purveyors of sinister, dark pleasures beyond the threshold of mortal perception.
The movie begins with Frank, a guy on a mad quest for said dark pleasures beyond the human realm of perception, who purchases a strange box and naively summons the Cenobites to appear. Frank disappears and his brother, Larry and Larry's wife, Julia, inherit the house. Of course, the box is still present, Frank isn't quite dead in the typical sense, and hideous hi-jinks are bound to ensue.
Hellraiser set a benchmark when it came out, with a new standard of mainstream horror and gore. Several scenes had to be edited or cut out of the film to receive an appropriate "R" rating for theatrical release. But it is not merely a gore-fest, but features psychological and dark spiritual elements that are far more curious and horrifying than any of the violence. Indeed, merely these psychological elements would have been enough to scare the viewer, but combined with the excellent make-up and dusty atmosphere the movie becomes a very vivid, intoxicating experience.
My main qualm with the whole movie was how the film paced so slowly in the middle and focused so much on the family members, yet never really exposed very much about them. We don't see much about the dynamics or quality of the love triangle between Julia and Frank or Larry. We do understand how they are linked in theory, but it's so impersonally displayed -- they might as well be silhouettes. The same goes for Larry's daughter, Kristy, and her relationship with her stepmother.
This detracts from the movie because it is a fairly lengthy film (almost 2 hours) which takes place mostly in one dimly lit house. And though the demonic Cenobites (the lead one being the famous recurring 'Pinhead' character) are the notable centerpiece of the film, they appear sparingly -- though to great horrific effect when they do.
This is notable of the first Hellraiser film, the only one completely written and directed by Clive Barker: the Cenobites are not typical character villains, but horrific spiritual entities that lay beyond our sensory perceptions. Their ghoulish power exceeds mere evil; they are deep, authentic arbiters of the desire realm. In this sense, Hellraiser distinguishes itself from its contemporary horror films -- typical slashers, "torture porn" and suspense-horror. The Cenobites are not really villains because they are beyond human and have no hunger for victims. They answer and "assist" those who summon them, whether or not the summoning is intentional. In fact, the most disturbing facet of these characters is how mesmerizing and intriguing they are, how potently ugly they are, and how easily the viewer is pulled in while they're on the screen. That infatuation is genuinely scary.
The later films would fail to capitalize on this subtle-yet-sophisticated brand of horror and degenerate into average or above-average supernatural-slasher films. But the first one is fairly true to Clive Barker's literary vision and features amazing special effects. Even today the hideous, gory make-up and sinister creature designs are steps beyond anything else in film. This is a truly dark film, one which takes cues from H.P. Lovecraft and may have inspired the brilliant Japanese animation, "Berserk".
The movie begins with Frank, a guy on a mad quest for said dark pleasures beyond the human realm of perception, who purchases a strange box and naively summons the Cenobites to appear. Frank disappears and his brother, Larry and Larry's wife, Julia, inherit the house. Of course, the box is still present, Frank isn't quite dead in the typical sense, and hideous hi-jinks are bound to ensue.
Hellraiser set a benchmark when it came out, with a new standard of mainstream horror and gore. Several scenes had to be edited or cut out of the film to receive an appropriate "R" rating for theatrical release. But it is not merely a gore-fest, but features psychological and dark spiritual elements that are far more curious and horrifying than any of the violence. Indeed, merely these psychological elements would have been enough to scare the viewer, but combined with the excellent make-up and dusty atmosphere the movie becomes a very vivid, intoxicating experience.
My main qualm with the whole movie was how the film paced so slowly in the middle and focused so much on the family members, yet never really exposed very much about them. We don't see much about the dynamics or quality of the love triangle between Julia and Frank or Larry. We do understand how they are linked in theory, but it's so impersonally displayed -- they might as well be silhouettes. The same goes for Larry's daughter, Kristy, and her relationship with her stepmother.
This detracts from the movie because it is a fairly lengthy film (almost 2 hours) which takes place mostly in one dimly lit house. And though the demonic Cenobites (the lead one being the famous recurring 'Pinhead' character) are the notable centerpiece of the film, they appear sparingly -- though to great horrific effect when they do.
This is notable of the first Hellraiser film, the only one completely written and directed by Clive Barker: the Cenobites are not typical character villains, but horrific spiritual entities that lay beyond our sensory perceptions. Their ghoulish power exceeds mere evil; they are deep, authentic arbiters of the desire realm. In this sense, Hellraiser distinguishes itself from its contemporary horror films -- typical slashers, "torture porn" and suspense-horror. The Cenobites are not really villains because they are beyond human and have no hunger for victims. They answer and "assist" those who summon them, whether or not the summoning is intentional. In fact, the most disturbing facet of these characters is how mesmerizing and intriguing they are, how potently ugly they are, and how easily the viewer is pulled in while they're on the screen. That infatuation is genuinely scary.
The later films would fail to capitalize on this subtle-yet-sophisticated brand of horror and degenerate into average or above-average supernatural-slasher films. But the first one is fairly true to Clive Barker's literary vision and features amazing special effects. Even today the hideous, gory make-up and sinister creature designs are steps beyond anything else in film. This is a truly dark film, one which takes cues from H.P. Lovecraft and may have inspired the brilliant Japanese animation, "Berserk".