The first Hellraiser movie was release in 1987
The 1980s produced a slew of horror films, one surprising addition was HellRaiser. The name seems a little misleading after watching, because Hell seems more like some extra-dimensional space than any previous notion of purgatory. As the antagonist, Frank Cotton explains, he was trying to find the ultimate experience where heaven meets hell. But it doesn’t really matter, if you believe the Cenobites are Demons or some sort of trans-dimensional aliens, what is important is that this movie is both horrifying and original when paired against the other horror films of the time. Its stand out cult like following lead to many sequels (even though none of these had much budget or production value). Good news is that there is a new HellRaiser out this year, but one should see the original, written and directed by the twisted Clive Barker, to really appreciate it.
Frank Cotton (Sean Chapman) begins the story by seeking out a special puzzle box for which he drops a load of cash. We see him again in his religious icon laden home, on his knees encircled with candles as he begins to “play” with the magic box. He is transported to another realm which is the epitome of an S/M dungeon, complete with an imposing dungeon-master and his grotesque servants. The imagery is intense but in my humble opinion pales in comparison to Frank’s return to our realm (perhaps the creepiest thing I have ever witnessed).
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Frank enlists the help of his sister in law Julia, who is as obsessed with Frank as he was with experience seeking. She becomes a black widow spider, luring men into her home and brutally murdering them, all the while keeping up pretensions of normalcy with her husband Larry. But he knows something is wrong as asks his daughter Kristy to speak to her step-mom. When she goes to see her, she finds the puzzle-box and accidentally reopens it.
