Hellraiser

Theatrical Release Date: 1987 09 18 (USA)

UPC: 013138304988

Studio: Starz/Anchor Bay

MPAA Rating: R   Contains:[Violence, Adult Situations, Not For Children, Adult Language, Gore]

Summary: 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

Category: Horror

Features: Mr. Cotton, I Presume?: An Interview With Andrew Robinson
Actress From Hell: An Interview With Star Ashley Laurence
Hellcomposer: An Interview With Composer Christopher Young
Hellraiser: Resurrection
Under the Skin: Doug Bradley on Hellraiser
Audio Commentary woth writer/director Clive Barker and Ashley Laurence, Moderated by Screenwriter Peter Atkins
Trailers
TV Spots
Behind-the-scenes galleries
Posters & advertising gallery
DVD-ROM: Final draft screenplay
DVD-ROM: First draft screenplay
Storyboard gallery

Hellraiser

Format: Blu-ray

Release Date: 04/21/2009

Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1 Theatre Wide-Screen

Audio: DTHD null, DD5.1 Dolby Digital 5.1

Runtime: 93 Minutes

Sides: 1

Number of Discs: 1

Language(s) English

Subtitles: English,Spanish

Donald Guarisco

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

Cast and Crew: Pamela Sholto  Actor 
Simon Bamford  Actor 
Oliver Parker  Actor 
Raul Newney  Actor 
Sharon Bower  Actor 
Grace Kirby  Actor 
Doug Bradley  Actor 
Nicholas Vince  Actor 
Dave Atkins  Actor 
Christopher Young  Composer (Music Score) 
Clive Barker  Director 
Clive Barker  Screenwriter 
Christopher Figg  Producer 
David Saunders  Executive Producer 
David Saunders  Producer 
Christopher Webster  Executive Producer 
Christopher Webster  Producer 
Mark Armstrong  Executive Producer 
Andrew Robinson  Actor 
Clare Higgins  Actor 
Ashley Laurence  Actor 
Sean Chapman  Actor 
Oliver Smith  Actor 
Robert Hines  Actor 
Antony Allen  Actor 
Leon Davis  Actor 
Michael Cassidy  Actor 
Frank Baker  Actor 
Kenneth Nelson  Actor 
Gay Baynes  Actor 
Niall Buggy  Actor 

Country: UK