Ash P
Let's start this month of October with a series that I had never got into because I never grew up with it either with the movie that started the franchise. The first Hellraiser. Being one Clive Barker's best work, as they have said. Ironically, this movie is based on the book that Clive Barker called the Hellbound Heart. So it's safe to say that the movie is safe in his hands, when you think about it. Just a heads up, there will be some spoilers in this.
The story is mostly about a creepy hedonist named Frank Cotten, played by Sean Chapman, buying a mystical puzzle box that's said to open a door to a realm of otherworldly pleasure. He solves the puzzle but gets sucked into that dimension where he gets hooked by chains and gets torn apart. Who resides in that dimension are creatures known as Cenobites, a group of extra-dimensional, sadomasochistic beings who cannot differentiate between pain and pleasure. After that scene in the beginning, his brother Larry Cotten, played by Andrew Robinson, and his wife, Julia Cotten, played by Claire Higgins, moved into the house where Frank lived. As they're rummaging around, we learn that Julia had an affair with Frank before marrying Larry when she'd found Frank's stash of photos with women he's been with, including her.
Larry and Julia aren't the only ones moving into the house as Larry's daughter, Kristy, played by Ashley Laurence, is moving in with them as her father married Julia as his second wife. When Julia came up to the attic to feel the memories of her time with Frank, Larry got cut up by a nail sticking out while moving the mattress upstairs. Bleeding out a lot and dripping on the floor as Julia was checking him out. To no one's surprise, the blood gets sucked into the woodwork, as if Frank was being revived slowly back into the human world. Therefore, he was reassembled back but not completely. Once Julia takes notice, Frank tells her that she should bring back more men to sacrifice so he can be whole again before the Cenobites notice that he escaped.
The premise of the movie is basically pain and pleasure, as Clive Barker has described. Makes sense as this movie certainly takes its masochism and sadism with a grain of salt. Works well on how Julia remembers her pleasure with Frank and would deliver pain among others to get that pleasure back. As with Frank, him being a hedonist makes sense, but creepy at the same time when he did tell Kristy, who I would assume was a teenager at the time, "Come to daddy." Yeah, it does go that route. It even makes sense for how the dimension where the Cenobites live, especially for the way they look. Pinhead, played by Doug Bradley, even says it himself to anyone who opened the puzzle box. It might be me saying it, but are the Cenobites really as much of a menacing force to be reckoned with? I know Pinhead is an iconic creature for the franchise, yet Frank is more of a villain for being a creep to Kristy and being a hedonist to any woman. Julia is as much of a villain, too, when she brings a man into the attic so she would knock them out with a hammer so Frank would drain their blood. Even her husband, at the end of the movie.
As far as the acting goes, it's good. Corny at best, yet it's effective for it being a soap opera gone wrong when you have a sadistic lover who takes pleasure in harming the opposite sex. I'll admit, some of them are shoved away like Larry. Steve, who is in love with Kristy. He doesn't do too much. Then you have that homeless guy who doesn't do much before he does something in the end. However, it does confuse me on his purpose when it comes to that puzzle box. The Cenobites are usually there to aura farm way before the current generation movie/anime series who does aura farm. Pinhead is the main one since he speaks more. The Female Cenobite does speak a little, and she aura farms well with pleasure.
Moving on to the effects, which they are impressive for being cheap. The time when Frank reforms into this ghoulish look after escaping the dimension is impressive. Sure, you could make the argument that the naked muscle and some of the bone showing as Frank continues to drain other men's blood to reform back to fully human looks silly. Yet you have to admit, it's impressive how he can feel and taste again. As a symbolism on the pleasure of things again after going through severe pain of being hooked and torn to pieces while he was stuck in that dimension with the Cenobites. As for the design of the Cenobites, they are pretty original for their own right from Pinhead, the Lead Cenobite, the Chattering Cenobite that only shows his teeth, the Female Cenobite who has her throat open while the ends of the hooks are attached to her cheeks and nose. Then you have Butterball, the Cenobite who has his eyes stitched and loves to lick his lips. The dimension they came from, though. That place is like the ultimate S&M site, yet it's more or less torture when you think about it.
After seeing this movie, it's interesting. Certainly not the best movie since it does have issues that I can think of, but interesting for my first time. The more I think about it as I'm writing this review, I do understand where Clive Barker was coming from when he made a movie that centers around pain and pleasure. I do see why Pinhead is iconic for his presence within the franchise. The gore being used was nice if we're talking about being hooked up a lot. The narrative goes off the rails a couple of times, but I digress. Been reading that the sequels are a whole different story after this one, and I'm certainly going to check them out to confirm. October has just begun, and so is my Hellraiser marathon.
I'll be giving the first Hellraiser seven Pinhead aura farming upon you out of ten. 7/10.
Rated 3.5/5 Stars •
Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars
10/01/25
Full Review
Eddie K
Vary interesting then I thought 8/10
Rated 4.5/5 Stars •
Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars
09/01/25
Full Review
chris m
visual horror and forgotten narrative
a fantastic horror exercise that explores the search for a balance between pain and pleasure, blending both sensations until they become indistinguishable. its atmosphere, caught between gothic and grotesque, finds its main strength in practical effects: the level of makeup, textures, and character design remain impressive, especially considering the technical context of its time.
however, the film leans so heavily on its visual power that it sometimes neglects other narrative dimensions. the universe it unfolds is unsettling and visually striking, but the script does not always delve into the complexity of its own ideas. there is interesting character development—particularly in those who undergo radical transformations. yet, a deeper exploration of certain mythological elements, such as the background of the cenobites or the nature of other dimensions, is noticeably lacking, as the focus remains almost exclusively on the visual.
at times, one can detect aesthetic echoes of 'nosferatu' and a twisted kinship with 'beetlejuice' and 'poltergeist', though these connections fail to build as solid a unique language as the film intends. nonetheless, the work does not lose its singularity and retains a certain iconic strength in its imagery.
it is not as inaccessible as its reputation might suggest; for fans of classic horror, its dark symbolism is stimulating, although the balance between atmosphere and narrative is not always satisfying. the film presents pain as an inseparable part of a sensory climax but rarely pushes this premise to its fullest extent. a rather brief ending in my opinion; i expected more development overall in its narrative, leaving me with a bittersweet aftertaste.
ultimately, it is a work ahead of its time aesthetically and technically, yet it leaves the impression that with greater narrative daring, it could have reached a depth matching its undeniable visual power.
Rated 3/5 Stars •
Rated 3 out of 5 stars
08/09/25
Full Review
Lloyd S
I wanted to check it out, but turned out to be disappointing. Crap story and special effects. Just another crap American franchise focused on murder.
Rated 0.5/5 Stars •
Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars
07/25/25
Full Review
Jude H.
Clive barkers vision of pain and pleasure is why this movie is one of the best horror movies out there. The special effects are fantastic and the movies very violent plot makes it so interesting to watch. Hellraiser is very unique and interesting movie of the horror genre. Its later sequels not worth watching but this first movie is one amazing work of cinema
Rated 3.5/5 Stars •
Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars
07/12/25
Full Review
thiago s
Filme fraco, o roteiro é fraco, as cenas de terror são fracas, a história é fraca, o elenco é fraco, e ninguém ajuda a melhorar o filme, os personagens são fracos, e o filme deveria ter cenas bem melhores e relevantes, para fazer o filme ser bom
Rated 0.5/5 Stars •
Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars
07/02/25
Full Review
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