On this day in 1987, a British horror film titled Hellraiser was released in the UK. Made on a budget of $1 million, the film ultimately grossed $14.5 million in the US and Canada. It was the first feature-length film directed by Clive Barker, who at that point was receiving critical acclaim for his series of short stories that were collected in the “Books of Blood” series. In fact, his work was so well received that renowned horror author Stephen King stated, “I have seen the future of horror, his name is Clive Barker,” sealing Barker’s status as one of the most important figures in the horror world.
Hellraiser is a film that kicked off a franchise and, in its own ways, a new style of horror. It carried on over the years in a total of nine films (four of which were released theatrically) and a series of comic books that further delved into the world of the Cenobites and the infamous Lemarchand puzzle box. In everyday culture, we can see replicas of this box at any horror convention, how Cenobite costumes are readily available at a moment’s notice, and the swath of bands that have sampled Pinhead’s infamous “We’ll tear your soul apart!” line is nearly uncountable.
The original and its immediate sequel are widely regarded as classics in the horror community for their fantastic use of prosthetic FX, beautiful cinematography, and gruesomely erotic overtones. They also showed the strength of “final girl” Kirsty Cotton, played by Ashley Laurence, who has fought and escaped the Cenobites three times in film and also appears in the comics, although her fate there is far more sinister.
Another aspect to mention is the score, composed by Christopher Young, whose music for the sequel would earn him a Saturn Award for Best Music. The infamous bell toll is an unmistakable and immediately identifiable sound for all horror fans.
Tell us below about your memories of Hellraiser and what the film means to you!