Images
‘Hellraiser’ Star Shares Rare Cenobite Makeup Test Photo
This might be the coolest thing you see all week.
The 1987 classic Hellraiser introduced not only Pinhead but also his army of Cenobites, characters that went on to appear in so many sequels that it’s honestly become hard to keep count – though if you are keeping score, the franchise to date includes nine films, with another on the way. Characters like Butterball and Chatterer are as iconic as Pinhead himself, and thanks to a rare makeup test photo that’s just been unearthed, you can now see them all as you’ve never seen them before.
As shared by Hellraiser actor Nicholas “Chatterer” Vince over on Facebook today, the test photo shows off the original incarnations of Pinhead, Butterball, and Chatterer (known as Poor Bastard at the time), and Vince noted the changes that were made before filming actually began:
Doug’s pins were literally pins, but didn’t ‘read’ on camera; so were replaced by ‘nails’ and he gained black contact lenses to cover his blue eyes. Chatterer’s teeth are pointed here, but Clive thought I didn’t look human, so the teeth you see in the film are replicas of mine taken from the molds for the dentures I wore.
Vince also posted a photo of a makeup test call sheet, dated exactly 30 years ago today.
Check out these awesome pieces of horror history below!
We have an exclusive first look at A Man in the Woods With an Axe, a blood-soaked, genre-twisting homage to 1980s slasher films.
Spanning four decades, A Man in the Woods With an Axe begins in the summer of 1987 before pushing into the modern era, weaving together timelines and perspectives in a way that builds both dread and intrigue.
Drawing inspiration from genre standouts like Tucker and Dale vs. Evil, Hatchet, and The Cabin in the Woods, the film blends visceral horror with moments of dark humor, creating a uniquely balanced experience that honors tradition while carving its own identity.
Writer-director Dillon Brown (Primal Darkness) aims to deliver everything fans crave from a slasher while boldly subverting expectations with a mid-film twist that redefines the story.
“This is an unapologetic love letter to the films that made me fall in love with horror,” Brown tells Bloody Disgusting. “But I didn’t just want to recreate that feeling; I wanted to challenge it. About halfway through, the film takes a turn that completely changes how you view not only this story, but the genre itself.”
Brown describes the vintage-inspired production as “far and away the bloodiest film I’ve ever made,” with practical effects helmed by Cody Ruch (The Mill, Pig Hill), an instructor at Tom Savini’s Special Make-Up Effects Program.
From Horror Dadz Productions, A Man in the Woods With an Axe is currently in production and targeting an early 2027 release.
You must be logged in to post a comment.