Hellraiser (1987)

This film birthed a horror icon in Pinhead and kicked off a 10 movie franchise. Join us as we wonder exactly what hell the “Butterball” cenobite might be experiencing in the original Hellraiser.

Tags: Gateway to Hell, Supernatural, Demons, Clive Barker

Show Notes:

Hellraiser (1987)

• Directed and written by Clive Barker

• Starring Andrew Robinson, Clare Higgins, Ashley Laurence, Oliver Smith, and Doug Bradley

• Synopsis: A cheating wife encounters her resurrected lover and does his bidding in the hopes that he can fully restore himself before being captured by the extra-dimensional beings in his pursuit. We’ve all been there.

• More Info: Based on Clive Barker’s 1986 novella The Hellbound Heart, Hellraiser was made on a reported budget of $1m and pulled in $14m at the box office. It continued to develop a cult fan base after its release to VHS and would spawn 9 more films in the franchise, various comic books, more novels, and a recently greenlit TV series. A large part of the film’s legacy comes from the introduction of horror icon, Pinhead. Pinhead was only credited as Lead Cenobite in this film, but the character, played with aplomb by Doug Bradley, turned out to be quite a scene-stealer and went on to become the poster boy of this franchise. 

• Our Discussion: We chat about the movie’s extreme gore and practical effects; the likability, or lack thereof, of the main character; and the suffering of the cenobites (some seem to be suffering more than others). We also talk about Clive Barker the screenwriter versus Clive Barker the director. This was his first foray into directing after he was slightly disappointed with the way some of his stories were translated to the big screen. How did he do as a first time director? And how does this film compare to two films we’ve discussed in the past: Nightbreed, which he wrote and directed; and Candyman, which he wrote but did not direct?