Horror "Hellraiser" Remake

[chintai80]

watched this last night and enjoyed it a lot.

whereas the original felt weird and icky, this one was tailored to be a more mainstream and slicker reimagining.
there was some of the typical horror movie cliches, but overall this was done well.
the creep factor in this was great.

they combined elements from the first two films, but did their own thing with it -- it's a good allegory for addiction. or an allegory for how people keep making bad decisions that drag down friends and family around them.

i thought that was a nice change-up from the previous films.

the new cenobite designs are A++, imo.

Spoiler

and i liked how the cenobites are portrayed almost like zombies this time, where'd they walk slowly. and just wait...there's an unsettling quality to that which upped the creepy factor in this.

i agree with what others have said - this is probably the next best hellraiser film after the first two.

 

[squeekness]

Just watched this. It was a decent film but not mind-blowing or anything. The story was different enough that this felt more like a sequel than a remake to me -- not a bad thing. A solid B anyhow.

 

[Joe Von Zombie]

I found it rather dull.

The visual effects looked good. The special makeup and costumes looked good. Direction looked good. I thought the ironwork cage around the house was a neat idea, almost making the house like a type of puzzle box itself.

Script was weak. Characters and their performances were weak. Just wasn't memorable at all. Just nothing in particular was really memorable about it. I don't feel like any new ground was actually broken here. Hellraiser has largely been irrelevant as a horror franchise for like 30 years, and that remains the case.

If you're expecting a horror franchise reboot to break any kind of new ground, you're gonna be disappointed. The entire point of these reboots is IP clean up. When you have a franchise as blatantly disrespected as Hellraiser has been, all it has to do is be passable. Even with it's warts, this is easily the second best entry in the series. The Boom Studios comics still reign supreme though.

 

[Doctor Jones]

Never seen the original. Would ya'll recommend watching that one first before going into this new one?

Not story wise but in terms of filmmaking yes. Barker is a pretty unique storyteller.

 

[chintai80]

Not story wise but in terms of filmmaking yes. Barker is a pretty unique storyteller.

the original HR is rough around the edges, but i think clive barker did a really good job considering he had absolutely zero experience in directing at the time.

it is like a grimy and raw indie film but with lots of atmosphere.

the new film took all that and refined it into a cleaner package. which is both good and bad.

 

[Matt.S99]

Quite enjoyed this remake! Not as good as the first two (which are two of the best horror films IMO) but pretty awesome for what it was! I really liked how the cenobites looked here. Hoping for a sequel! Jamie Clayton’s Pinhead was pretty great

 

[Maximus One]

I will say, I wish there was a bit more to Clayton’s Pinhead. Like, Bradley always spoke with this gravitas and just all around confidence that just had this insane level of resounding presence. I’m not saying Clayton didn’t, but I feel she was a bit understated. I just wish she felt a tad bit more human with a little more personality. She felt otherworldly and demonic which, was awesome. I just think Bruckner could have brought out a bit more in her. That’s one reason I’m dying for a sequel with her returning. I wanna see her with more screen time and bit meatier role.

 

[chintai80]

I will say, I wish there was a bit more to Clayton’s Pinhead. Like, Bradley always spoke with this gravitas and just all around confidence that just had this insane level of resounding presence. I’m not saying Clayton didn’t, but I feel she was a bit understated. I just wish she felt a tad bit more human with a little more personality. She felt otherworldly and demonic which, was awesome. I just think Bruckner could have brought out a bit more in her. That’s one reason I’m dying for a sequel with her returning. I wanna see her with more screen time and bit meatier role.

doug bradley had stated he played pinhead as a being who was in mourning for his forgotten humanity.
so you still get a sense of some residual humanity left in him.

clayton's performance took it the other way - otherwordly as you said, and i liked that since it differentiates itself from bradley's.
i'm not sure clayton's version of pinhead was ever even human to begin with.
her version feels ancient. like a demonic being who's probably been around since forever.

 

[Maximus One]

doug bradley had stated he played pinhead as a being who was in mourning for his forgotten humanity.
so you still get a sense of some residual humanity left in him.

clayton's performance took it the other way - otherwordly as you said, and i liked that since it differentiates itself from bradley's.
i'm not sure clayton's version of pinhead was ever even human to begin with.
her version feels ancient. like a demonic being who's probably been around since forever.

Oh yea, I completely agree. As I was watching the movie, I kept thinking about what her backstory could be and I was just drawing a blank because she didn’t feel human at all. I like it but at the same time, I just kind of want more.

 

[Sawyer]

 

[SaxAndViolins]

Loved loved LOVED this film

Felt like a true Hellraiser film after years of generally sub-par sequels

Clayton was the stand out as Pinhead. She was absolutely delightful and delivered what was one of my favorite scenes of the whole film

"There's so much more the body can be made to feel

And you'll feel it all before we're through"

Ma'am stop, I am already gay

 

[Closerframe]

Finally forced myself to finish this last night and I can conclude that despite the incredible character designs, the human main cast made the entire experience insufferable. It really surprised me given the director’s filmography, but overall, it felt more like a Netflix movie.

 

[Sawyer]

 

[Sawyer]

“He’s in the Order of the Gash!” sent me into orbit.