That'd be a good alternate title for this film. Although the franchise's most enduring and popular character, Pinhead, probably has 5 minutes of screen time in this original film (he even made the poster!), Hellraiser's major star is Julia Cotten (a brilliant icy-cold Claire Higgins) who sets the story in motion by basically being a bored, unsatisfied housewife. Yes, folks, this movie isn't what you'd think it is. In fact, it has more in common with a kitchen sink drama than it does most horror films.
For some, this would be a huge turn off, but for me, I adore it. I've always felt the best horror films are ABOUT something - not just mindless blood and guts. Clive Barker grounds his story (adapted from his own novella) in realism so that the most fantastical elements don't make us roll our eyes.
The thing is - Julia and her boring husband, Larry (the great Andrew Robinson, who gets to go from lifeless dweeb to predatory psycho throughout the course of 90 minutes), have just moved into a house previous owned by Larry's hedonistic brother, Frank. Frank's gone missing, but after Larry's cuts his hand on moving day, the drops of blood, somehow, end up reanimating his corpse (y'see, we already know Frank met a nasty end from the prologue) and he needs Julia to kill men for him so that he can drain them of their blood and become whole again.
So, why is Julia willing to do this? Well, she and Frank had a passionate, lusty affair before she married Larry and she's always pined for him (how good WAS that sex?). Julia seems pretty eager to give Frank whatever he wants. That is , if Larry's nosy daughter, Kirsty (a spunky Ashley Laurence) doesn't get in the way.
Yes, there are always some strange hellish creatures that are summoned by a demonic puzzle box, some great special effects, and inventive set pieces one won't soon forget, but writer/director Barker keeps his story beautifully grounded in the real world and doesn't forget to make his characters human. Said characters are indeed a compelling, memorable bunch with Higgins' Julia taking center stage and becoming quite a memorable anti-heroine.
This film's reputation as a horror classic is well deserved and, if you haven't seen it, check it out immediately. The film spawned a franchise with a spotty track record, but at least a few of the sequels do have some imagination and interesting ideas.
2 out of 4 found this helpful.
Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
Tell Your Friends