Hellraiser
| release date | September 18 1987 |
| studio | Dimension Films |
| director | Clive Barker |
| writer | Clive Barker |
| starring | Andrew Robinson, Clare Higgins, Ashley Laurence, Sean Chapman, Oliver Smith |
| rating | R |
| tagline | Demon to some. Angel to others. |
| trailer 1 | Trailer #1 |
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CLASSIC!!!
Just watched Hellraiser tonight for the hundredth time. It is an amazing piece of horror movie making. From the very start to the last two minutes, your heart is pumping, fearful of what is going to happen next. The twists and turns are great, keeping the story alive, and the introduction of the great S&M Cenabite Pinhead is classic. There is so much in this film that just makes you sit as the credits roll, wishing it were longer. I was hooked by the first minute of the film.
I can’t recommend it highly enough!
classic
i love these movies and i agree they are must see classics! all of them. these movies along w/ halloween, were probley what started me on horror films!
This movie scared the shit out of me as a kid and still gets me at times. Definitely recommended!!!
An absolute classic. So original, brutal, and memorable. The Cenobites will live on in my psyche for the rest of my days. Clive barker is truly a visionary.
Great movie. Pretty scary and definately some horrifying images captured on the screen. Pinhead is one great character. A must watch.
“Jesus wept” are you kidding me! This is how it is suposed to be done. These were the days when America was at the fore front of horror. Say what you will about the eighties, but they were the golgen age of American horror. Although a nightmare on elm street is my favorite movie, I can’t in good conscience say that it is superior to hellraiser. Wonderfull pre-cgi effects, gore, iconic villians, perfect in every way. These were the days when writers and directors were free to be as dark and taboo as they wanted. The cenobites manage to be the most evil and vile creatures imaginable, and at the same time have a sort of pureity and grace to them. This is truely a masterpiece. I usually say to each their own, but if you don’t like this one, you are FUCKING STUPID!!!
Good movie very gory so memorable and so entertaining now was it the scariest horror of all time NO. Does it come close NO. I’d put it in the top 20′s. I liked how the cenobites were created and I love their image and the special effects are in the top 5 for any horror films special effects. Great film if you’re a gore fan this is highly recommended acing is decent (better than most horror films) a true gore fest and a scary film especially when the cenobites first showed up. A great film and highly recommended.
This was a great horror movie. It was really gorey, the acting overall was good, the story was incredibly good, the music though very little, was great. This is a great classic. Although, I did think this movie was kind of slow at the beginning, but ended with a blast with Pinhead and the Cenobites, I loved the ending.
Wow this movie is amazing…. being i was only 2 yrs old when it came out, for its time its amazing, super gory super good. cant ask for anything more in a horrror movie this would capture any audience and keep em glued to the screen. Instant Clasic
barker’s best film. saw this on xmas eve. when it 1st came out, it held me from start to finish. this is one of the great classics that made me love horror so.
Definately one of the best movies I’ve seen lately. Don’t know why it took me so long to see this classic gem, but it was well worth the wait. Pinhead is intense, and his little cennobites are fucking scary/hilarious/nasty. Very well done with a fairly complex storyline for a horror movie. I would be intereseted in the seeing the more recent ones, but I’ve heard they drop off in quality after this one.
This is a good movie. I don’t think it’s as great as most people think, but it has some great special effects and a decent story.
clive barkers directorial debut based on his novel, the hellbound heart, is pretty good. pinhead ranks up with the best of the boogeymen. doug bradley brings the character to life. former dirty harry villain, andy (the scorpio killer) robinson is great as a main character. the presence of the cenobites in the film is what gives it its creepiness. great gore effects.
A horror classic from the mind of a master. What makes Hellraiser stand out is the complex and truly original story line. Judging by the poster you would think Pinhead dominates the film but he doesn’t as that honor falls to the character of Julia and her manipulative ways. She is a far scarier villain. Pre CGI effects still hold up and what effects they are, outstanding brutal and horrific. When Pinhead and the Cenobites appear the film takes a u turn into even more painful territory and some of Pinheads short dialogue really shows what type of visionary writer Clive Barker really is and the affection he shows for his ‘villains’. “Demons to some, Angels to others”. A decent into hell and a must see for all Clive Barker fans
one of the best most awe inspiring and genuinly terryfying experiences ive had watching a movie
This is hands down my favorite movie of all time. Pinhead is one of the greatest horror movie characters in history, the storyline is fresh and the acting is great for back then. This movie has a great scene where a man gets pulled apart by chains, Hellraiser is a truly great film that is just another piece of artwork in the great Clive Barkers portfolio.
This is my favorite horror movie all time.
This is by far my favorite horror movie. Clive Barker is the greatest horror writer of our time. I love all of the characters in this film from the innocent Kirsty, to the true bastard that is Frank. The cenobites are maybe the best horror movie villains ever. The make-up effects in this movie are amazing. I miss the days before CGI nearly ruined horror. Favorite scene in the movie has to be when Frank regenerates from under the floor. This scene was done via claymation and it still looks more realistic than almost anything done with a computer nowadays. Read the book. It’s just as good. The remake had better not suck.
This movie is just down right awesome!!
Bloody well done.
Highscores to all Hellraisers!
I hadn’t watched Hellraiser for a good 6yrs…so I decided to watch it again seeing that my Girlfriend hasn’t seen it…..What can I say..It was great. I like the fact that the Cenobites were not over used and kept to the shadows most of the time….giving a aura of menace. The acting is solid and consistent….although the Engineer monster is looking rather dated now and you can see the stand on which it’s hung….but that’s just a small nit pick. One the whole it was a dark, brooding and atmospheric film….also my girlfriend love it…
well i loved this movie…at first i hated it…it was freaky at first but up until an hour into the movie it was boring…than Ashley Laurence found out what was all happening and she took the box ands was transported into the cenobite world and than all hell broke loose…while the monsters were still kinda cheap it still freaked me out and i loved the last half hour!!!!!
im torn on hellraiser its good but not awsome great make up effects love me some barker though!
One of the finest horror’s to date. Clive really pulled on something with this. Weather its the mystery surrounding the Cenobites, or the memorable characters, either way he hit it right on the head. The Cenobites are awesome alone, and its great how they are never over exposed. Always in dark places, and never explained as to what, or how they became what they are. Pinhead himself was great, I love the opening scene, such a great usage of techniques. It shows us what we are in for with out giving to much away. After the film is over your left thinking “what the hell were those things!?” Forget the sequels, Apart from Hellbound and Hell On Earth. this will go down in history as one of the greats.
Loved this movie! very interesting plot, gory, good acting, great score, and a great movie!!
About as awesome as awesome can get. It’s got a cool story with really cool effects and The build up that led to the second Hellraiser was great. I love this movie. I can watch it all day. Pinhead is probably my fav Horror Icon!
One of the most original twisted horror movies to date. Who the fuck thinks of this stuff? Clive Barker, that’s who. Give the guy a medal for Christ sake. Speaking of Christ, sure he wept when he saw this movie.
dude this movie was awesome i loved it great movie
Good movie with a good story but wierd ending. Watch this Movie!
An absolute classic that was completely different from everything else going on in the `80s. Shockingly still holds up to this day.
I have no clue why this is such a classic. Pinhead wasn’t scary, he was barely in this and played no part, even in the sequel. This is the only HellRaiser film that had a nice storyline. It’s a good thing they didn’t do a Michael vs Pinhead theme. No wonder why it’s hard for Dimension to get a remake put together for this.
A great horror classic, good plot and good acting!
This is a great horror classic, The Cenobites were awesome!
one of the best horror movies in history!
this is a great movie!
Hellraiser is a great movie. Notice I don’t use the word amazing, because it isn’t. Despite what all these Clive Barker fans are saying below, this isn’t that good. Yes, the gore is “wonderful”, yes the acting is superb, yes there is a plot. But there isn’t much else to it. The star, Pinhead, isn’t actually the star, he isn’t even in it much. Hellraiser is a good classic, but watching it now just makes it feel dated. The special effects are wonderful, don’t get me wrong, but there is nothing here to really get excited about, so, I’m not going to write any more and go ahead and state my score.
7/10
Very bloody and gory…it was…good
One of the greatest horror films ever.
Torture at its finest. I have loved this movie since a kid and it has remained one of my favorites.
Not bad. Very good gore effects and some crazy ass moments. I will say the Cenobites are badass.
This is definately one of the classics! For the time this movie was made in, I don’t think anyone could imagine the torture along side the horror that is this, Hellraiser. I just bought this movie not even a week ago and it’s gonna look good in my collection. Hellraiser in itself is raw, original and above all, insane, grant it, it takes quite a while for the movie to get where it needs to be and the story is still out of reach but the dialogue is memorible, and the general idea and notion make up for the time wasting. The biting Cenobite bugged me and so did the fat one, I guess the only reason why they do is because this would be an awesome group of people if it weren’t for those two. This movie has been underlooked all these years and needs some attention. This is a down right awesome movie and it needs it’s respect like we give Halloween and I’m sure you know the others as well, but if you look at Pinhead more than once, you’ll see what I’m talking about.
great movie pinhead is badass
At the time this was released it was one of the goriest films I had seen. Despite what we have been bombarded with over the last several years, still holds its own. The ceneobites are just badass. But as every horror franchise seems to be, its several sequels fail miserabley in comparison. Not including Hellbound or Hellraiser III in my opinion. The more it became direct to video, the more it lost its luster, and that’s a shame.
A great movie, pinhead is one of the most least apprechiated horror icons beside candyman.
Sorry everybody but i have never understood what the big deal is about this movie. The cenobites are really cool. What really made me cringe was the ending, the special effects were horrible, yes even for 1987. I just wish pinhead was in it more. I must admit that because of the pinhead image and all the talk about pinhead, I wanted this movie to be about pinhead and his “friends” but it wasn’t. The stpemother was fucking annoying and its one of those movies where you know shes just gonna fuck shit up and why is she soo stupid if someone came back to from the dead you would think to be on the side of the living. Keep in mind i do respect it as a classic
Hellraiser is a great 80s horror/fantasy flick that is very original, directed by Clive Barker, one of the most prominent horror novelists.
Some crazy creatures based off torture and sadomasochism, Pinhead and the Cenobites are badass and the movie is gory as hell (pun not intended). Will you open the box?
Great horror movie. The atmosphere is amazing.
The first time I watched this, I was pretty disappointed because I found the movie to be slow and because the cenobites “died” too quickly. But now I’m starting to fall in love with the classics and look on the artistic side of films.I watched it a second time, and I actually think it’s pretty good! I think everyone will agree that the cenobites should have been the main subject of the film. Anyways, great effects, the cenobites are really cool, and the music is awesome! Not the best Hellraiser movie, but a great start to the series. At first I was for the remake, but now I’m not so sure. We know its gonna suck because of the 3D shit!
Meh. The idea was original, and the gore was great for its time, but I didn’t find this to be at all scary or creepy.
Instant Classic, one of the best horror movies ever made.
One of the best horror movies ever made.
Reccomended!
didnt care for it.
This movie is on my Top 5 Horror movie list! Hellraiser is a horror film exploring the themes of pain as a source of pleasure and morality under duress and fear. It is based on the critically acclaimed novel The Hellbound Heart by Clive Barker, who also wrote the screenplay and directed the film. It’s said that Hellraiser is an erotic horror film, but in my opinion an obsessive love is the biggest issue here. A man experienced all the thrills and is looking for the ultimate satisfaction, hoping to find it in a beautiful and mysterious puzzle box, which should contain the ultimate experience in pleasure, once opened. But it’s hell he finds inside. Being tortured there he’s trying to find a way out, with the help of his once-upon-a-time mistress! And she’s doing everything to supply his need of flesh to recover! But hell doen’t give up on a lost soul so easy….and Pinhead isn’t the forgiving type! The Pinhead character wasn’t supposed to be the major role in the movie but became one of the most famous horror icons of all time!
This movie might be a little bit disturbing, seeing it for the first time, and yes sex, lust and getting pleasure out of pain are major issues but it’s one of the best surreal horror film of the 80′s! It also shows the destructive power of love and makes yourself questioning : How far would YOU get…. for love…. for pleasure….or the ultimate thrill……. I love it and I love the puzzle box which is one of the coolest horror item ever created for a movie!
The Hellbound Heart is one of my favorite horror novels. Hellraiser is inspired by the novel and for the most part very faithful. Both the novel and movie were written and directed by the master of horror Clive Barker. Hellraiser looks great for its time the gore and some of the kill scenes were done very well for a movie from 1987. If you have never watched Hellraiser do it now!
An amazing movie.
Clive Barker directs, from his novella ‘The Hellbound Heart’. Definitely the best of the series. Part 2 was really good, and Part 3 was at least entertaining, but they start to go downhill for me after that. Doug Bradley as Pinhead is a true horror icon.
This was one of the first horrors I ever watched loved it classic.
loved it. classic movie Clive barker should make more movies
It might be that I waited too long to watch this movie, but I didn’t enjoy it at all. It makes me wonder if I would have enjoyed it more when it originally came out.
i expected more pinhead, but its still a good story with great gore
One the best horror films ever. Yup. Clive Barker rox my sox. “WHAT IS YOUR PLEASURE SIRRRRRR?”
Obviously Barker’s best film and the only Hellraiser that I really like. The others are OK but they don’t hold a candle to this one. Beautifully sadistic and disturbing, I love the gore in this movie. I’m not a real big “Pinhead” fan but any horror buff should check this out at least once.
I saw this when it came out. Have not seen it for years now. But it was my favorite horror for years. And from my favorite author. So my rating is based on my memory of 20 years ago or so.
Some films make me feel dirty. I don’t know what it is they just make me feel unclean and want to shower constantly, Hellraiser is one such example, the effects are gruesome, the sets are foul but it works for the film’s atmosphere and without these things it would not be a successful film and I suppose in a way it could be called delightfully disgusting. This film is not really a film that caters for everyone’s tastes, it caters for a particular interest, and this is the main reason it cannot be classed as a masterpiece.
The film follows Julia, Claire Higgins, who encounters her husband’s brother who she once had relations with. He manages to persuade her to help him restore himself after he has escaped from the Cenobites, who are essentially Sado-Masochists, after he opened a box that lead him to the Cenobites and the path to Hell.
The story is very close to the novella, The Hellbound Heart, it is based on apart from a few changes, which could be seen as big, Pinhead is not in the original source material, a female Cenobite with nails in her skull is present but she is hardly important, it is a notable change because Pinhead would become the pivotal role in the franchise. Kirsty is not Larry’s daughter (In the novella he is called Rory), she is a neighbour who has a crush on Rory, thereby not having a love interest for Kirsty. Overall it is a faithful adaptation but Barker felt the changes necessary for film and who can argue with that?
Barker’s directorial debut is a fantastic effort, lucky some authors don’t have the ability to pull it off well like he has here, take Stephen King for example…, and Barker does deserve to be commended for his courageous effort. The film explores the dark side of human sexuality, lust more to the point; it explores how some people are willing to disregard love for a lustful feeling. In Julia’s case it consumes her entire being and throughout the film we see her descent into darkness and this is sometimes more disturbing than the entirety of the film. The film also divulges in the theme of curiosity, which is cohesive throughout Barker’s works, and does ask us the audience a question, would you open the box? People open it for a variety of reasons not just to experience new pleasures; sometimes it is just plain old curiosity playing its role, which is disturbing in itself.
The make-up is a particular thing that I found interesting and to this day it still astounds me, lots of effort went into it this is evident for everyone to see, one particular scene, Frank’s return from Hell, does feel strangely poetic for something so despicable and does conjure images of Lucifer falling from heaven, which then adds to the film’s anti-Christian feel. Every detail has been thought through, be it veins and muscle on Frank or the Cenobites and their attire. But, the film is not without its problems, the American dubbing of Frank for one and in places it is slightly over the top and feels unnecessary but as Barker himself has said “It’s a misshapen baby, but it’s mine”.
Skip to the End
8.5/10
Still as disturbing as the day it was released and at the time of release it must have been a breath of fresh air from the many Halloween rip-offs that were being released, left, right and centre.
While not quite as good as the Hellbound Heart novella, this movie delivers. There are so many iconic aspects of this movie namely, the cenobites, The Lemarchant configuration, the chains, etc. A true classic in all senses of the word. Masterful.
I recently just watched this again to see if I had just missed something the first time. Nope, I still don’t get it. I guess I also don’t like the sub genere, the weird psychedelic stuff like phantasmagoria and Uzumaki. But I understand that alot of people like this movie and I do at times enjoy pulling my mouth open and chitterinh my teeth together, so I won’t knock it too bad, I just don’t get it.
Easy “Five Skulls”. This is from the man HIMSELF and it’s bad-ass. How could a reviewer and fan of Clive Barker give it any less. Hell yeah, the vision I had in my head when I read “The Hell-Bound Heart” was far more terrifying. This movie is pretty f’n scary though. Especially, the look of the Cenobites. Mr. Barker is an illustrator as well and did some storyboard work on this, much like Tim Burton does on his own stuff. So this is ALL Barker, and it’s really great. Fuck you.
good but i wanted to see more of the cenobites but otherwise great movie i want to read the book now
What the F**k is not to like about this debut by Sir. Barker?
Hellraiser! What an awesome, classic. Great gore, weird story and great shots. This film feels ahead of it’s time in many ways. it’s a must-see horror gem.
Score: 8.5
I love this movie. It’s very well filmed, the score is superb and the atmosphere has a skin crawling charm to it.
The first time I actually watched this movie, I wasn’t so keen on it, but watching it again has actually made me come to the realization of how good it is. It’s now one of my favourite horror films,
I love how pretty much all the characters in this film have a relatively believable personality and it’s almost sickening to come to terms with how Julia lusts over and kills for Frank.
It can be a little dissapointing that Pinhead and the cenobites don’t show up too much, however, I think that adds a little more mystery to them, and besides, the second movie briefs us a little more on their backstories. When they actually do turn up in this film though, it’s pretty damn epic.
I really like this film, it’s sick, twisted and really interesting to watch.
I love Pinhead! 5/5
Awsome Horror film! Could have stood on it’s own without the newer sequels but oh well.
One of my all time favorite horror movie.
just watched this again last night and it is fucking awesome! i love everything about this movie. Barkers vision is truly horrifying. great story, acting is allright, but the make up and costumes are absolutely brilliant! the only part of this movie that doesn’t hold up is at the end, when the bum is supposed to turn into a demon thing and fly away, looks a litle suspect but everything else is perfect. you have to have this in your collection.
Absolute classic. I didn’t know what to expect with Clive Barker’s masterpiece but I certainly didn’t expect it to be as great as it was. I was sort of expecting a bit of mess but was surprised to be viewing a well thought out and solid plot that’s fantastically imaginative and original.
Pinhead was an incredible villain, he was certainly well thought out, the rest of the cenobites were great as well though the fat wormy one with sunglasses made me laugh and so did the one who looked like Princess Anne but who cares!
Overall a really intreging, violent, frightening, atmospheric and visually brilliant horror film. Costumes and effects were really impressive even for todays standards the effects are so much better than CGI because you can see that a lot of work and care has gone into them
DON’T MISS IT KIDS!
Classic.
This is hands down my favorite horror film of all time! You hate every character, and the gore throughout the film is just great! The storyline is careful not to get in the way of the film by not having an over the top and elaborate plot. The plot is what you see is what you get. This is especially important because it shows off Clive Barker’s skill as a writer and director.
People outside of the horror community largely under appreciate this film, but there’s a reason why horror fans rave about this one! If you haven’t seen it, don’t call yourself a horror fiend until you have!
Definitely an underrated movie that gets lost in the shuffle of gory movies from the 80′s. Has equal parts grusomeness and mythology to make for quite an entertaing supernatural horror. The practical effects in this movie still hold up and are quite enjoyable. More details here:
http://thewolfmancometh.com/2011/03/23/hellraiser-1987/
HANDS DOWN “HELLRAISER” HAS BEEN BY FAR THE BEST HORROR FILM KNOWN TO MANKIND. THEY NEED TO KEEP THE LEGACY GOING BY FILMING A NEW ONE. IF NOT ATLEAST A REMAKE OF THE ORIGNIAL “HELLRAISER” & HAVE ROB ZOMBIE AND CLIVE BARKER FILM IT
IF NOT IF I BECOME A DIRECTOR IN THE NEXT YEARS I FORSURE WILL FILM THE NEW HELLRAISER AND KEEP THE LEGACY ALIVE !!!
Roger Ebert says this movie has no wit.What does that prove? Roger Ebert’s a moron. This is a scary movie, even by todays standards. So far, this is the only film in the franchise that I have seen, that said, I liked the film. However, there were some reservations; while I understnd that Pinhead is the character that most people associate with the franchise; I actually could have done without him, or any of the cenobytes for that matter. But I did’nt mind seeing them, I’m looking forward to checking out the rest of the franchise
When I first saw Hellraiser, it had already been years since any horror film had any affect on me at all. Some were interesting, some were amusing, but none of them really touched that “Oh crap, I’m not even sure I want to see the next scene!” zone. Hellraiser did.
I remember leaving the theater with my girlfriend, both of us wordless as we walked to the car, then both of us laughing when we both checked the backseat before getting in. We were creeped out.
“I have such sights to show you!” Awesome! I’ve been using that quote in project meetings at work ever since. The Cenobites broke new ground as villains which were not malicious, they were just delivering a different type of pleasure. The malicious characters we fear at first in the film are the “people” who then become eclipsed by the cenobites. We reach a point where we sort of feel sorry for the serial killers!
One of the craziest and most creative horror movies up to date, blowing fresh wind in a genre that is often ruled by cliches.
This first Hellraiser film is amazing – it is authetic in its plot, dark in its feel, and full of the creative terror that we know as horror. It is really no wonder that the storyline of this film has been kept alive to this day.
Very creepy and disturbing, one of the best climaxes i’ve seen
Hellraiser is 1 of the best Horror Movies ever made Doug Bradley does a excellent job playing Pinhead. Ashley Laurence did great too playing Kirsty.
Very Great Acting And Storyline !! Perfect !!! 10 Skulls
First time ever seeing this Movie, what the hell went through Clive Barker mind I donâe(TM)t know but I really liked the whole of the style, visuals & the idea of a puzzle box to hold a different dimension between Heaven & hell is something different which I found interesting and cool. I like the villain Pinhead & the way he say âeoeWeâe(TM)ll tear your SOUL APARTâe just made me think best quote out of an 80âe(TM)s horror movie. The story & plot was a great, while gore was speechless I donâe(TM)t what to say made feel sick & disgusted but at the same time couldnâe(TM)t look away how genius it was made all to giver. The movie is a must see for horror it just well into the 80âe(TM)s of Horror movie classics and basically is the most goriest I have seen in any 80′s horror movie and bravo to Clive Barker directories there were brilliant.
Classic must see horror film.
Excellent movie, strong protagonist and plotline, great atmosphere, the acting was superb (for the most part) and the creatures were awesome. Classic chase scene of the big bug creature coming after ‘Kirsty’ through the long corridor.
Forever in the top 20 classic horror films ever made.
I love this movie
I love this movie
I love this freakin movie
It’s definitely a must see for all horror fans!
I absolutely love this movie.
An outstanding movie from 1987. This film is a classic that has every thing a good horror movie needs. It also introduced us to Pinhead and his fellow cenobites. 10/10
A solid, eerie and nightmarishly twisted tale of romance and horror.
Hellraiser is one of my absolute favorite horror movies. THe first time i saw this my mouth was hanging open for whole film.This was a daring movie and it absolutely succeeded and is by far the best hellraiser movie i have seen. (as of this review i have only seen 1 – 6).
Theres no need for me to tell anyone what hellraiser is about because we have all seen this horror masterpiece, so i wil just say what i like about this movie. THe cast is amazing especially Ashley Laurence who carried the last half of this movie so well. The rest of the cast is amzing as well but when i think hellraier i picture ashley.
Now on to Pinhead…in this ,ovie [inhead is terrifying..his presence in this movie is intense and is easily the best time he has ever graced the screen.