Hellraiser
When it comes to today’s horror films where many filmmakers emphasize mood and atmosphere over gory carnage (or vice versa), one can wonder what the final products could be like if all of those elements were combined into one visceral pot. In that case, look no further than this Immortal Horror Classic from 1987, directed by renown horror writer Clive Barker and one which succeeds beautifully at setting its dark tone early on while combining with extremely gory FX work (which still holds up better today than most CGI), all as it tells a story that can be described as nearly Shakespearean in its breadth and scope. The story concerns Larry Cotton (Andrew Robinson, an Immortal Movie Villain in his own right for playing the Scorpio Killer in Dirty Harry), a wimpy, nebbishy regular guy (whose unspectacular presence actually makes him more similar to a real person than a movie character) who moves back into the family homestead with his wife Julia (Claire Higgins). Little does he know that right before they were married, Julia had had a fling with his depraved, thrillseeking brother Frank (Sean Chapman) and still secretly carries a torch for him mostly because of the fact that it had resulted in the absolute best sex of her life. Worse, it turns out that Frank is now undead, what’s left of him buried under the floorboards and gruesomely revived after Larry cuts his hand on a nail while moving in. Revealing himself to Julia, he implores her to bring him more victims so that he can become whole again on the scant promise that they will run away together when he resumes a more human-like appearance. Clearly the most interesting character is Higgins’ Julia, an obviously once decent (if shallow) woman whose decadent descent into evil (by a choice she clearly makes) by rejecting the stability and comfort of her husband for the lustful physical fulfillment of the man she once had and longs to have again is especially potent, certainly as we watch more and more of her humanity slip away, and Higgins definitely plays it to the hilt by making her role both sympathetic and repugnant. Indeed, Barker’s character development skills are in full force here, establishing everyone’s personalities and identities beautifully, right down to Frank himself (whom is developed more through photos and flashbacks). As for Robinson, the guy who once played one of cinema’s most legendary psychos is admirably restrained for the most part playing a milquetoast putz, until a late plot twist that allows him to do what he does best to tremendous effect; Special mention must be given to Ashley Laurence as Kirsty, Robinson’s loving daughter whose protective nature of her father causes her to be swept up in the horror as well, and Barker should be commended for not casting a typical Hollywood starlet, but a natural, beautiful everyday girl (with just a hint of babyfat) who comes across as a realistic yet plucky horror heroine that the audience can easily root for, a common staple among the greatest horror films of the era (though the less said about her later character transformation in the reviled Part 6 of the series, the better). Then there are the Cenobites (led by Doug Bradley in his first appearance as the iconic Pinhead), self described as “angels to some, demons to others” and are the main ones responsible for Frank’s mangled state, managing to send chills down one’s spine just by their mere entrance (greatly enhanced by the pitch perfect orchestral score by Christopher Young) who appear late in the film to Kirsty and threaten to take her away as well, only to be spurred on by her to seek revenge on Frank for having escaped their clutches. Perhaps the beauty of these hideous characters is that they are NOT necessarily evil, but are simply otherworldly beings merely serving their purpose for those that open the mysterious puzzle box (a staple of the franchise) and seek their macabre services, while it’s the HUMAN characters like Julia and Frank that are the real evil villains of the piece. Again, special mention must be made of the extreme yet effective gore, in some ways making the film feel like a grindhouse classic yet still managing to execute story ideas and themes that elevate it immeasurably above all others in its genre, thus making it (in this humble reviewer’s opinion) truly the greatest, scariest, most effective horror movie ever made…
10/10