Ceris' 31 Days of Horror Challenge: Day 17 - Hellraiser

So yesterday’s film was Hellraiser, I have no idea what it was about all I know is I’ve met Doug Bradley and he is genuinely such a nice guy!

The very first scene and the dirt under the guys fingernails makes me want to hurl! This does seem a somewhat dodgy transaction that is almost certainly going to end badly! There is also a man in a dark room surrounded by candles playing with a box which suddenly sends out bursts of electric and hooks dig into his skin.

Art by BeastPop

We are next at a house that needs some serious 'hinching' and we are treated to a view of Pinhead for the first time. He picks up a piece of skin to reveal an eye and when he closes the box the room that was covered in bits of rotting flesh and chains goes back to being normal.

A couple have inherited the house and Larry is trying to convince his wife Julia to live in the house. While exploring the house they discover that Frank - Larry's brother has been staying at the property - his housekeeping skills leave much to be desired! Julia find pictures of Frank in ..... interesting positions with a lady among his things, and she keeps a photograph of Frank and has these weird flashbacks to when they first met. Larry's daughter Kirsty arrives and is talking to Julia who is acting very strange and walks into the room upstairs in the house - wait Frank is the guy who was playing with the box at the start! Julia and Frank obviously had some sordid affair and the photos made Julia jealous.

Larry manages to practically amputate his hand on a screw while moving a mattress and declares he is going to faint and throw up - he needs to get a grip! He shows Julia and the blood that falls onto the floor seems to be absorbed into the floor boards and create a creepy heart that beats. Right so some creepy creature is now appearing out if the floor boards covered in what I assume is Larry’s blood that it has stolen for itself. The special effects are actually quite good in this even though it’s 30 years old.

I’m pretty impressed with their home interior skills because apart from the one room the house looks good now! So I’m thinking as Julia had such a connection to Frank, she is drawn to the room as this is where he died. Julia leaves a dinner party at the house and goes upstairs to the attic where she is confronted by the skinless corpse of Frank. Corpse Frank tells Julia he needs blood to help him rejuvenate. Kirsty and her boyfriend leave the house and Julia spots a creepy looking guy watching her from behind a warehouse door.

Julia agrees to help Frank. I have NO idea what the scene with Kirsty, white feathers, a blood stained table and a baby crying is - I get it’s a nightmare but I don’t understand it! Julia starts her mission to bring Frank people to feed from by going to bars and seducing men and bringing them back to the house. She doesn’t seem at all phased by killing this man for Frank - at this point I don’t know who is scarier her or corpse Frank! I suppose at least it’s working, Frank is now able to stand up by himself and he looks more like the muscle skeletons from Biology lessons in high school than some creepy decomposing body. Julia moves the remains of the man she picked up in the bar and locks herself in the bathroom to get rid of the blood spattered over her body!

Frank basically blackmails Julia into killing another 1 maybe 2 to help him heal fully and escape the Cenobites. Kirsty is working in a pet shop and the creepy stalker comes in and start eating the live crickets - I really shouldn’t be eating while watching this! Bloody hell Frank is looking good - Julia is obviously doing her job properly! Later that night they are watching the boxing while a thunder storm rages and Frank is making a lot of noise. Larry goes to investigate abs Julia is shitting herself thinking he will see Frank but it’s only rats - who have been nailed to the wall! Larry and Julia start to have sex and Frank appears from the wardrobe with a knife and slices open a rat.

Kirsty sees Julia taking a man into the house and follows her in. Kirsty interrupts Frank feeding on the latest guy and he traps her in the room and attacks her. Kirsty finds the box and realises it’s Franks weakness and throws it out the window allowing her to escape and grab the box on the way out, however she collapses. Kirsty wakes up in hospital and is given the box - she seems thrilled by that .... not! She solves the box and summons the Cenobites which I’m not sure is the greatest idea!

What the hell is that? It’s like a naked scorpion- slug hybrid! The Cenobite leader appears and tries to kill Kirsty who tells them Frank escaped them and she can take them to him. Pinhead tells her he needs to hear Frank confess himself and says they can maybe let her go then but if she cheats them they will tear her soul apart.

Frank tells Julia he needs new skin and that Larry will be home soon - so I think we all know what Franks plans are - bye bye Larry! Kirsty arrives back at the house demanding to see Frank and is happy he is okay - although she clearly hasn’t spotted the dodgy skin job! Flarry (Larry who is really Frank) tells Kirsty he killed Frank and it’s all over now. Julia shows Kirsty the body in the attack that she thinks is Franks but the Cenobites aren’t fooled! Kirsty tries to escape and discovers Frank’s true identity - Frank tries to kill Kirsty but stabs Julia instead and drains the live from her - so much for true love!

Frank follows Kirsty the the attic - I assume with the intention to kill her - but the Cenobites have heard his confession to killing her father and agreed they have the man they want. Frank is fuming that Kirsty set him up but before he can attack her, chains appear and hook into him before tearing him apart...gross. The Cenobites decide they want Kirsty anyway, but she takes the box from dead Julia and banishes the Cenobites before her boyfriend turns up and they both leg it out the house which is now falling around them.

Kirsty throws the box onto a fire thinking that will be the end of it - but obvs not. The creepy stalker due walks into the fire and picks up the box before catching on fire and revealing his true form and flying off into the night. The film ends with the box back with the Chinese man selling it to a new customer!

I enjoyed this film more than I thought it would...a lot more than I thought I would. I won't lie though it put me off the food I was eating whilst watching it. I did get a bit confused at points but it made sense in the end!

#Hellraiser #31DaysofHorror #Pinhead #Cenobites #CliveBarker #Review #FilmReview