Hellraiser Review

The 1980s has to be a definitive decade in the horror film industry. It was the decade of spectacular special make-up effects, which made many of the monsters more realistic. This made the experience much more frightening. It was also a decade of extreme gore and violence. Clive Barker's Hellraiser is no exception to this fact. This film is very violent, and it is not for the faint of heart whatsoever. It is for that group of few people who can stomach this type of film. I will be reviewing this film today. As always I will give a brief summary, and then my own opinion with likes and dislikes included. So, here we go! Let the movie mania begin! WARNING This review may contain spoilers!

 

BRIEF SUMMARY

Hellraiser was released in 1987, and starred Andrew Robinson, Claire Higgins, Ashley Laurence, and Doug Bradley as the frightening Pinhead the Lead Cenobite! This film was based on Clive Barker's novel The Hellbound Heart, which centers around an unfaithful wife named Julia (Higgins) who discovers the zombie of her dead lover, Frank, who is being chased by demons known as the Cenobites, who mix pain with pleasure. Julia is forced to find victims for Frank so he can become whole again before the Cenobites take him back to their hell. Meanwhile, Kirsty (Laurence) becomes more and more suspicious of Julia's actions. 

LIKES

• The atmosphere of this film is absolutely morbid, but that is what I like about it. This film is not afraid to show it's true identity, which is misery. It is a miserable film, but in a good way. The first 2 minutes of the movie shows you right away that this film is not going to end well. 
• The Cenobites are wonderfully eerie and frightening, especially Pinhead the Lead Cenobite! He is a great leader, and Bradley put on a great performance. They show no remorse, and love to get pleasure from the suffering of others.
• The scene where the Cenobites come to Kirsty is my favorite scene of the movie because you really see how horrible these demons are, and they scare me to this day.

The Cenobites!

• The gore factor in this film is fascinating. To me, it is that film that went there! Barker didn't care about the squeamish, as long as he made a good horror film.
• The film score is great as well! It really drew me into the atmosphere of the film, especially the music that played when the Cenobites were near. Plus, it made the film feel very epic.

DISLIKES

• I didn't like Frank. His character seemed way too menacing to me. At times, his anger factor gets a little annoying at times.

• While I realize the story is what makes the film hold up, I still wish the Cenobites had more appearances, but on the other hand, the few scenes that they are in make me appreciate them even more.

OVERALL
This film is a strong horror story, and is highly recommended if you are looking for a gory scary movie!

RATING 8/10 

That is my review of Hellraiser. I hope you enjoyed it! Stay tuned for more reviews from me, the Movie Maniac!