Hellraiser [WS/P&S]

MOVIE DESCRIPTION:

The feature-film debut of multi-talented filmmaker Clive Barker, this grim and surreal project is based on the writer/director's own novella The Hell-Bound Heart. The film opens with a chilling prologue in which globe-trotting pervert Frank (Sean Chapman) -- a connoisseur of sexual depravity seeking the ultimate sensual experience -- purchases a small, intricate puzzle box from an unseen dealer in an unspecified country. Upon solving the puzzle, Frank opens the door to a hellish alternate universe and is promptly torn to ribbons by a network of hooks and chains; his strewn body parts are subsequently collected by the Cenobites -- grotesque, S & M-clad denizens of hell.

The story continues several years later, when Frank's brother, Larry (Andrew Robinson), moves into Frank's abandoned house with his daughter, Kirsty (Ashley Laurence), and his new wife, Julia (Clare Higgins). An accident causes some of Larry's blood to spill on the attic floor, which somehow triggers Frank's hideous resurrection. His body only half-composed, Frank seeks the tacit assistance of Julia -- with whom he had once had a torrid sexual liaison -- in restoring him to human form. Still secretly in love with Frank, Julia assists him by seducing men from the town and bringing them back to the house so her undead lover can drain their bodies of blood. Her increasingly furtive behavior arouses the suspicions of Kirsty, who had already moved to an apartment to get away from her despised stepmother. After following Julia and her next potential victim home, Kirsty comes face to face with the still-incomplete Frank, narrowly escaping with her life...and with the puzzle box.

After losing consciousness, Kirsty awakens in the hospital, where she manages to solve the box's intricate mechanism and summon a trio of Cenobites -- including their apparent leader (played by Doug Bradley and dubbed "Pinhead" on subsequent sequels) -- who are prepared to claim her. In desperation, Kirsty offers them a bargain in which they agree to spare her soul if she leads them to Frank. Kirsty soon returns home to find Julia with her father...whose behavior has become disturbingly unnatural. Realizing that her father has become Frank's latest victim -- and that her uncle is now walking around in his brother's skin -- Kirsty hands Frank over to the Cenobites, who have particularly evil plans for their old friend. ~ Cavett Binion, Rovi

DVD FEATURES:

• Region: 1
• Number of Discs: 1
• Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1 (Theatre Wide Screen)
• Audio: 5.1, PCM Stereo
• Screen: Pan and Scan, Enhanced Wide Screen Letterbox for 16x9 TV
• Features:
  • Audio commentary with writer/director Clive Barker and star Ashley Laurence, moderated by writer Pete Atkins
  • Featurette: "Resurrection"
  • Theatrical trailer
  • Still gallery

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

• Director:

  Clive Barker

• Producer:

  Christopher Figg, David Saunders, Christopher Webster

• Screenwriter:

  Clive Barker

• Book Author:

  Clive Barker

• Cinematographer:

  Robin Vidgeon, David Worley

• Composer (Music Score):

  Christopher Young

• Musical Direction/Supervision:

  Francis Witt

• Editor:

  Richard Marden

• Production Designer:

  Michael Buchanan

• Art Director:

  Jocelyn James

• Executive Producer:

  David Saunders, Christopher Webster, Mark Armstrong

• Costume Designer:

  Joanna Johnston

• Makeup:

  Sally Sutton

• Special Effects:

  Bob Keen

• First Assistant Director:

  Selwyn Roberts

• Stunts:

  Jim Dowdall

REVIEW:

• Clive Barker's feature-directing debut is not only his strongest work as a filmmaker but one of the finest horror films of the 1980's. Barker's script is ambitious and carefully controlled all at once: the backstory weaves an elaborate mythology that is equal parts H.P. Lovecraft and S&M iconography but the author wisely roots these heady concepts in a scenario driven by a family unit of characters whose dysfunctional relationships give the viewer something to relate to. Barker the writer also works in a number of startling setpieces that allow Barker the director to show off a fully-formed set of filmmaking skills: highlights include the gruesome "rebirth" of Frank and the unnerving scene where reality folds in on itself as Kirsty unwittingly unleashes the Cenobites. Barker's stylish direction is aided immensely by slick lensing from Robin Vidgeon, who makes the film look much more expensive than its million-dollar budget, and the lush orchestral score by Christopher Young, which offsets the gruesome sights and sounds of the film with an almost romantic musical touch. Finally, and most importantly, the performances are fantastic: Clare Higgins is both sexy and scary as the unfaithful wife in thrall to the dark side while Sean Chapman exudes a sleazy charisma as Frank and Andy Robinson does a fine job cast against type as the nice-guy hubby caught in the middle. However, the heart of the film is Ashley Laurence's expressive turn as the daughter forced into fighting the film's evils: she does a fine job creating a character who is both sympathetic and resourceful (and she's also a great screamer). In short, Hellraiser is required viewing for fans of modern horror. ~ Donald Guarisco, Rovi