In the film…

“The perfect weekend getaway turns into a surreal nightmare and a fight for survival as a group of friends are pursued by an ancient evil in the form of four sinister clowns.”

“The simple intention is to do for clowns what Jaws did for sharks,” says Tunnicliffe. “This won’t be a campy, fun, comedy horror film – think about the craziest/weirdest moments of Hellraiser: Judgment [and] times that by a thousand, throw it into a blender with the original Evil Dead, Wrong Turn, Hills Have Eyes [among others], and you’ve got Coulrophobia.”

On reteaming with Paul T. Taylor, who played Pinhead in Hellraiser: Judgment, Tunnicliffe adds: “When it came to casting the lead protagonist, it was an easy choice with Paul. But this character won’t be the eloquent, regal character of the Hell Priest – this [will be] a visceral, sadistic killer who delights in his actions and the fear he instills.”

Tunnicliffe will also design and supervise all the special makeup characters, kills and effects with long time collaborator Mike Regan and some legendary crew: “I’ll be pulling in some favors from some ‘cream of the crop’ makeup fx heavyweights and delivering in your face ‘Grand Guignol’.”

Delco-Cut Productions and Nine Ten Films’ (Sick for Toys, Road Head) Jon Paul Burkhart, David Gunning and Larissa Garcia-Baab are producing (fresh from their Atlanta Horror Film Festival win) from a story by Burkhart written by Burkhart, Garcia-Baab and Tunnicliffe.

The post ‘Hellraiser: Judgment’ Director Reteams With Pinhead Actor on Clown Horror ‘Coulrophobia’ [Exclusive] appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

Hellraiser: Inferno (2000) – From Sadomasochism to Moral Guardian

IMDb Plot Synopsis: “A shady police detective becomes embroiled in a strange world of murder, sadism and madness after being assigned a murder investigation against a madman known only as ‘The Engineer’.”

Clive Barker has gone on record saying he was practically shut out from the offices of Dimension at this point. He was eager to return to the franchise and help build toward a proper end for the horror icon he helped create, but it wasn’t to be. Over the years, The Suits continued to hear various pitches for how to bring Pinhead and his leather-clad minions back to the screen. One concept that gained traction was Hellraiser: Hellfire, an ambitious screenplay from publicist and editor Stephen Jones along with author Michael Marshall Smith. Their concept would see the return of a mentally unstable Kirsty and a cult with past ties to Pinhead and the Cenobites, all culminating with a mass of underground tunnels forming a giant Lament Configuration across London that would see Leviathan himself attempting to break free into our world.

Ultimately, this proved to be much larger in scope than the concept Dimension ending up greenlighting. Fresh out of film school, Scott Derrickson along with writing partner Paul Harris Boardman, pitched a noir-style detective story set within the Hellraiser universe. The Weinsteins were impressed and commissioned the script. When Derrickson (who has gone to quite the lucrative filmmaking career with Sinister and Doctor Strange) showed his interest in directing, he was given $10,000 and tasked with filming a scene from the film. Apparently, what he came up with was impressive enough that he landed the gig directing Hellraiser: Inferno.

Interestingly, despite Derrickson’s insistence that Inferno was an original Hellraiser script, Doug Bradley has claimed otherwise. He has stated it was a pre-existing detective story that was retooled to feature Pinhead and the Hellraiser iconography. Bradley’s recollection of events is easy to believe when one looks at the finished product. Much of the established mythology goes out the window in this sequel, and we are treated to a Lynchian, Jacob’s Ladder style psycho-thriller that manages to incorporate the puzzle box and Cenobites by way of nightmarish visions inflicted upon our lead (played by Craig Schaffer of Nightbreed fame). In the end, Pinhead stands as a character intent on passing moral judgment against our lead and his past sins, which is a much more traditionally Christian viewpoint for the character than Barker ever intended. Nonetheless, with a reported budget of less than $2 million and a straight to video release with limited marketing spend, Inferno apparently made Dimension enough money to warrant another trip down similar territory.

Critics Said:

“Once again, the sequel-mongers have destroyed a series with solid potential, all in the name of a quick buck. Pinhead deserves a hell of a lot better than a cameo role in a third-rent cable movie.” – Scott Weinberg, eFilmCritic

“There’s enough morbid imagery here to satisfy the ‘Goth’ in all of us, enough gore to quench the thirst but not enough Pinhead to call this a Hellraiser flick.” – John Fallon, Arrow in the Head

Cenobites Featured: Pinhead, Wire Twins, Torso

Hellraiser: Hellseeker (2002) – The [Tepid] Return of Kirsty

IMDb Plot Synopsis: “A shady businessman attempts to piece together the details of the car crash that killed his wife, rendered him an amnesiac, and left him in possession of a sinister puzzle box that summons monsters.”

Rick Bota was a cinematographer working consistently through the 90s when he got the chance to tackle 2nd unit for a number of Dimension Films’ productions (Mimic, They). This landed him in the right place at the right time to essentially take over the reigns for the next several Hellraiser films. Dimension hired Carl V. Dupre and Tim Day to put the script together for what would become Hellraiser: Hellseeker. The two writers were confessed fans of the franchise and included several nods to the previous films throughout their screenplay: the main character’s workplace was called Cubic Route, a dog named Cotton, among others. They even envisioned bringing Ashley Laurence back to reprise the role of Kirsty. Unfortunately, the producers couldn’t get intouch with the actress during the entire pre-production period. They eventually gave up on the prospect of bringing her back and rewrote the script, yet decided to leave the character’s name the same as added nod to fans.

Once Bradley sat down with the script, he was pleased with what he read and excited by the idea of sharing the screen again with Laurence. Bradley offered to contact her personally to see if she’d be interested in reprising her role. Thankfully, Laurence was ecstatic by the idea. The only problem was there was very little time before shooting to actually re-rewrite the script to tie Kirsty as we’d known her back into the narrative. Having great faith in Bradley’s abilities, Bota entrusted the Pinhead actor to take a pass on the duo’s climactic confrontation…most of the newly added material from Bradley ended up on the cutting room floor, however. Though, it should be said, it does exist as a special feature on certain releases.

Despite the reverence for Hellraiser canon that was exhibited by the creative minds behind Hellseeker, it still winds up feeling more like Inferno than any of the previous sequels. Hellseeker is another “what’s reality?” nightmarish trip through Cenobite torture-land, thus solidifying the general direction most future sequels would adhere to. Thankfully, against the wishes of Dimension execs, Barker was given a chance to screen a workprint and provide his opinion on how to help shape and perfect the third act of the film. Hellseeker stands as the last film of the franchise to feature input from Barker in any shape or form.

Critics Said:

“Hellseeker is competent on a base level and fans will enjoy a few grotesque visuals, but in total the movie serves no real purpose other than to extend a series that’s worn down its welcome.” – Martin Leibman, Blu-ray.com

“This one is certainly a mixed bag as it’s quite watchable and has lots of screwy visuals; despite the fact it feels a little off-kilter and for the most part doesn’t make much sense.” – The Video Graveyard

Cenobites Featured: Pinhead, Chatterer III, Surgeon, Bound, Stitch

Hellraiser: Deader (2005) – The Cult of Pinhead

IMDb Plot Synopsis: “A journalist uncovers an underground group who can bring back the dead and slowly becomes drawn into their world.”

A pre-existing script entitled Deader by screenwriter Neal Marshall Stevens was sold to Dimension after his Thir13een Ghosts remake went into production (and before he was relegated to mostly Full Moon titles). It seems his original script was a complex tale that dealt with the “Deader” cult who found a way to bring people back to life and a seedy, hallucinatory dark underworld that our lead reporter ultimately gets entangled with. When it was determined that Deader would become Hellraiser: Deader, Tim Day was brought back in to rewrite the script with Hell in mind. Stevens, not being privy to the rewrites, was quite shocked and displeased to see the changes once he received a copy of the shooting script for review.

Deader is ultimately the first of TWO Hellraiser films to be released in 2005 (despite filming in 02′). Seeing an opportunity to cut costs, execs had Bota and crew head to Romania to film the back to back sequels. They even tried to convince Bradley to work on both films while only paying him one fee. Thankfully, Bradley managed to strike up a proper deal with Dimension, and he signed on for both productions. Communication on set was difficult as a majority of the crew and talent were made up of Romanian locals. Bota was able to rely on Gary J. Tunnicliffe who had been steadily working on the makeup and special effects since Bloodline. He was now given more responsibility as he took on duties directing 2nd unit…a sign of things to come.

Critics Said:

“Fans of the films may still cry foul and demand more screen time for Pinhead, but for those of you willing to take the time and open the box, your explorations will lead you to a smartly written blood-drenched scarefest that at times is truly creepy.” – Steve Barton, Dread Central

“Pinhead’s cameo appearance will surely turn off Hellraiser fans, while horror buffs are stuck with a film that isn’t even remotely scary. ” – David Nusair, Reel Film Reviews

Cenobites Featured: Pinhead, Chatterer III, Surgeon, Bound, Stitch

Hellraiser: Hellworld (2005) – Game Over, Pinhead!

IMDb Plot Synopsis: “Gamers playing a MMORPG based on the “Hellraiser” franchise find their lives endangered after being invited to a rave, the host of which intends to show them the truth behind the Cenobite mythos.”

Hellraiser: Hellworld was the second film of the Romanian package deal spearheaded by Dimension Films and director Rick Bota. The main issue, however, was there was no script for Hellworld. Even amidst production for Deader and looming start date for the next film, they weren’t exactly sure what film they would be making. One of the producers stumbled upon a treatment from Joel Soisson (producer for almost anything Dimension Films). The treatment dealt with the idea of drug-induced suggestion which Soisson described as his “worst nightmare.” Thinking fast, Bota called upon the other screenwriting half of Hellseeker, Dupre, to whip this treatment into a full-blown shooting script…with Hellraiser stuff thrown in, of course. Two weeks later, Dupre finished a draft of Hellworld that showed obvious influence from the Scream series. For the first time, a Hellraiser film was dealing mostly with an all “teenage” cast who exist in a world where Hellraiser is nothing more than a part of an online RPG game. The meta touches are everywhere.

One of the more interesting aspects of Hellworld in retrospect was the up and coming cast they managed to wrangle at the last minute. A fresh-faced Khary Payton (The Walking Dead) was coming off a role in another DTV Roamania-lensed sequel, Dracula II: Ascension. He was a no-brainer for Bota to be a part of the cast. Not to mention, his decapitated head from that film could easily be repurposed for this one. There was also Henry Cavill (you know…Man of Steel) and Katheryn Winnick (Vikings) alongside genre vet Lance Henriksen who met Bota by chance in Romania, fresh from the set of Mimic 3: The Sentinel. Hellworld has surprisingly built up quite a fanbase over the years, keen they are on the film’s self-referential, early aughts’ kitsch. The film itself breaks so many of the franchise’s rules, it’s hard to look past, even if that is part of the story it’s trying to tell.

Critics Said:

“I’d say that you should watch this if you’re looking for an absurd “so bad it’s good” horror comedy, but, honestly, still don’t. Watch something else.” – Ben, Bloody Good Horror

“Director Rick Bota and screenwriter Carl V. Dupré brought their A game with inventive little twists and shocks all throughout the gory proceedings.” – Staci Layne Wilson, About.com

Cenobites Featured: Pinhead, Chatterer III, Bound II

Hellraiser: Revelations (2011) – Bradley Steps Down

IMDb Plot Synopsis: “Two friends discover a puzzle box in Mexico, which unleashes cenobite Pinhead.”

The tale of Hellraiser: Revelations has been well documented, so we won’t be lingering on it too long here. The option to continue releasing Hellraiser films was stipulated by a clause that a new film go into production and be released every few years. If the set time-frame were to lapse, the rights would revert back to the previous owner (presumably TransAtlantic). Now, for a franchise that hasn’t been given the royal treatment, it would seem Dimension might not be too concerned over losing the brand, but they were (until more recent issues) still actively pursuing the idea of a larger budget theatrical remake amidst all of these DTV releases. A string of writers and directors have pitched for the eventual reimagining, including Clive Barker who actually wrote a draft and submitted to the studio some years ago.

Nonetheless, much the same reason the upcoming Judgement went quietly into production, Revelations was the epitome of a rush job. Filmed for around $200k, shot in under two weeks, and working from the rough draft from longtime Hellraiser creative force, Gary J. Tunnicliffe – Revelations was a mess. Doug Bradley infamously refused to return once he understood the conditions of which the film was being put together. For some, it at least attempted to return to the original flavor of the series and abandoned the more Lynchian tones brought into the latter sequels. It was far too underbaked to make much of a lasting impression, however.

Critics Said:

“Worthless, contractually-mandated greed on film.” – Scott Weinberg, FEARnet

Yes…I managed to find a positive review…

“Hellraiser: Revelations is a nifty and emotional[y] strong sequel that could have needed some more time fixing the slightly corny dialogue and a bit longer shooting schedule to be perfect, now it’s just a good little DTV movie with more ambitions than money.” – Ninja Dixon

Cenobites Featured: Pinhead, Female Cenobite, Pseudo Pinhead

So, it’s been a long and somewhat tumultuous journey for the Hellraiser franchise. Great potential has certainly been squandered in some cases while moments of the pure terror promised in the first film have managed to shine through on occasion. Come February 13th, we’ll be diving into the newest incarnation of Pinhead via actor Paul T. Taylor. With Hellraiser: Judgment, Gary J. Tunnicliffe has finally gotten the chance to jump behind the camera and direct a new chapter in the enduring franchise. Only time will tell where depths of hell take us from here.

SIDE NOTE: Most of the info found for this article was pulled from The Hellraiser Films and Their Legacy by Paul Kane. It’s an exhaustive tome that covers the inception of Hellraiser through to Hellworld. It’s amazing the amount of detail Kane unearths from each of the different productions. 

The post A Waste of Good Suffering: The ‘Hellraiser’ Franchise [Part 2] appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

As a kid growing up in the middle of Kansas, Halloween was always my favorite time of year. My requirements for a successful Halloween costume and character consisted of three things: I must be scary, grotesque and unrecognizable. Little did I know how that would carry over into a much later chapter of my life.  

My dad used to tell me I was lazy because he didn’t understand me. I was stubborn and willful and he couldn’t push me to do something I didn’t want to do. In his mind, that translated to “laziness,” but give me something to do that I’m passionate about and I am the polar opposite of lazy. And that passion fueled me to never give up on my acting career. And I’m proud to say that “laziness” (stubbornness, focus, and drive) has finally started to pay off!

A little over two years ago, I was doing a lot of soul-searching. I was meditating and chanting and asking the universe for some great film roles. I was living in the mindset of the manifestation of one’s dreams. My therapist and I had talked at length about the power I had if only I would cut out the negative self-talk and concentrate on working the law of abundance in my favor, willing the life I desired to come to me. You know, all the positivity the cynics joke about.

After a few months of this meditative work, I got an audition notice for a film titled JUDGMENT. Upon reading the audition side for the role of “The Auditor”, I knew immediately that it was a HELLRAISER film. His first line was something like, “We have such sights to show you”. Duh. I was thrilled that it was a sequel to my favorite horror franchise EVER.  

I read the sides for the character and knew I could nail it. He was sort of a middle-management weirdo, the type of role I have played a lot in my career. A few minutes later, I got a private email from the casting director Chris Friehofer saying he also wanted to put me on tape for the role of “Pinhead”. He said that Doug Bradley would not be doing it and asked if I would be interested in auditioning. Of course, I said YES.  

But then the old voices started up, saying, “Taylor, there’s no fucking way you’re going to get the part of Pinhead!” That lasted for about 15 minutes. Then suddenly I stopped. “Wait. What have I been doing for the last 3 months? I asked for this opportunity and the universe responded. I’m gonna make this the best film audition I’ve ever done and I’m gonna nail BOTH of those characters in the audition room.” I had four days to prepare.

At the time, I was doing a very dark play called MARTYR, about religious fundamentalism, playing a very strange and useless Priest. One of my personal props was my father’s bible and the actors would sit on benches in view of the audience, facing away from the action while they were not involved. I typed up my audition sides and hid them in the bible so I could study my lines onstage. I worked my butt off learning those lines. I auditioned very well (and I took my Pinhead action figure and NECA Lament Configuration for good luck!) And, obviously, I got the part. But first, I had to wait a few weeks.  

I was told I was the director’s first choice, the studio’s first choice, the executive’s first choice, but Bob Weinstein, who had final casting approval, was at Cannes and was having some technical issues watching my audition tape, so the wait continued. Finally, one early Sunday morning, I got a text from the casting director. “Are you awake?” YES. “Welcome to the movie, Pinhead.” And my life changed. Well, first I did a happy dance. Then my life changed.

The first thing I did was visit writer-director Gary J. Tunnicliffe’s make-up and fx company TWO HOURS IN THE DARK to have my head cast done for the creation of Pinhead’s make-up. (Coincidentally, while I was in L.A., I wandered into a comic book store and found a HELLRAISER graphic novel. On the first page was a Priest giving last rites to a death row inmate. On the next page, Pinhead appeared and destroyed the Priest. The synchronicity of this was not lost on me, considering the play I was still doing and the role I was about to do.)  

Before getting to the head casting process, Gary sat me down in his office, which was full of fantastic horror creations and memorabilia from many of the films he has worked on over the years. He told me bluntly that I was going to be hated by some hardcore fans of HELLRAISER and die-hard “Doug Bradley is the only Pinhead” fans. He said I was going to have a tough time winning over these fans, but that if I could, I would be golden.

I was not at all surprised by what he was telling me. After all, I am also a huge fan of all things Clive Barker, HELLRAISER being my favorite classic horror franchise of the 1980’s. Of course, I dig Freddy, Jason, and Michael, too, but Pinhead has always struck a chord with me. It’s because, besides being scary and grotesque, he’s also elegant, menacing, intelligent, beautiful, eloquent and sexy as hell. I think of Pinhead as the poet or Shakespeare of the horror icons. And if the actor playing the Hell Priest doesn’t have the ability or depth to give the character these traits, he’s simply a man in a costume acting scary, which is far from scary.  

I think most of the fans who have reacted negatively to the idea of a new Pinhead are so emotionally invested in the true meanings of HELLRAISER, they find it very difficult to let go of that mindset. I don’t blame them at all. I understand. Doug Bradley IS Pinhead.

So then, the challenge was to create my own version of the character without doing an impression of Bradley and without being untrue to who I am and what I could bring to the role. It wasn’t as tough as it might sound. I had so much resource material: the past films and my affection for them, the script (which gave Pinhead a character arc, presenting him at a never-before-explored time in his existence), and my own personal history and experiences with pain, suffering, and ecstasy. I knew he had to be two things: British and terrifying. Quite frankly, I knew from my own experience as an actor and from reading interviews with Mr. Bradley that the costume and especially the make-up would do most of the work for me. When you look like that, you don’t have to “act” scary because you ARE scary.

My process for “becoming Pinhead” was fairly simple. I re-watched all of the HELLRAISER films for a couple of weeks, concentrating on the first two. Then, Gary and I agreed that it was time to get to work creating MY Hell Priest, based on the reality of the JUDGMENT script. He is a darker, older, more morose Hell Priest than has ever been seen in the franchise, so I spent a lot of time alone in my darkened house. I took long walks in my sketchy neighborhood. I was walking differently, speaking differently, and everything was tinged with danger. It was a fantastic voyage. I spent many hours sitting on my front porch and speaking the lines, and when I took those long walks in my heavy boots, I just kept saying, “I have nothing to fear.  You can’t hurt me. I’m Pinhead.”

I cannot overemphasize how cool it was to have the exterior part of my transformation, the make-up, created and applied by the brilliant artists in the make-up trailer. The entire make-up consisted of two large prosthetic pieces and the lower lip. That’s it. The only things not covered with the very thin layer of foam latex were my ears and eyes. The make-up supervisor was Mike Measimer, who was also the sole applier of Pinhead’s face.

It’s a tradition in the HELLRAISER history to go for a world record time in applying the Hell Priest’s make-up. Of course, that record is held by Gary, who got Doug from nothing to camera-ready in 69 minutes! I would sit in the make-up chair, Mike would hit the timer and start gluing. Then at a good stopping place, he would stop the timer and go for a smoke break while I sat there staring at myself. Then he would come back, hit the timer and continue with the process. All I cared about was that I didn’t have a crooked grid or look like a stroke victim. Next was the air-brushing around the eyes and ears, applying the lower lip and putting in the full black sclera contact lenses. Gary would come in when I was almost finished to tweak the make-up and put in the scleras, which are a real pain to deal with if you don’t know what you’re doing. Mike didn’t beat Gary’s record, but then, from 1993 to 2004, Gary has applied the prosthetic around 80 times!  

My first time in the make-up, I got to spend about 30 minutes alone in the trailer, staring at myself in the mirror and seeing just how much I needed to move my face to be subtle yet effective. That alone time was transformational. I started to feel the specific kind of isolation that Pinhead feels in JUDGMENT.

The first time I walked through the warehouse doors into the set, some of the crew were standing around the entrance.  As the double doors were opened for me, I walked through and heard several audible gasps and a few murmurs of “Oh My God.” I was in Heaven. Which was in Hell. Irony. This Halloween-loving Kansan had arrived. I was Pinhead.

I am extremely proud that HELLRAISER: JUDGMENT is a standalone film, unique in its place within the mythos. I hope that fans like it, and I hope it gains some footing with new horror fans, who have never before seen a HELLRAISER film.

Hellraiser: Judgment was released today, February 13. And it has such sights to show you.

The post [Guest Article] ‘My Personal Journey into Hell,’ By New Pinhead Paul T. Taylor appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

Gary J. Tunnicliffe‘s Hellraiser: Judgment arrives on Blu-ray (plus Digital), DVD, Digital, and On Demand February 13, 2018, from Lionsgate. Included in the release are deleted scenes, one of which we have an early look at today.

The tenth film in the classic horror series tells the story of three detectives as they struggle to solve a horrifying murder, but instead find themselves thrust into the depths of Pinhead’s hellacious landscape. In the deleted scene, two of the detectives have a conversation about religion within a church.

In the sequel,

“Three detectives trying to stop a diabolical serial killer are sucked into a maze of otherworldly horror, where hellish denizens including the Auditor, the Assessor, and the Jury await to pass judgment.”

Including a cameo by horror icon Heather Langenkamp (A Nightmare on Elm Street), Hellraiser: Judgment stars Damon Carney, Randy Wayne, Alexandra Harris, John Gulager, Mike Jay Regan, Diane Goldner, Andi Powers, Jeff Fenter, Helena Grace Donald, and Grace Montie (read about their roles).

The post ‘Hellraiser: Judgment’ Deleted Scene Swears to God [Exclusive] appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

Bloody Disgusting has an exclusive look at the opening scene in which Paul T. Taylor makes his debut as the new Pinhead. Lemarchand’s puzzle box also appears as Pinhead speaks to the evolution of misery with the Auditor. “Technology may have advanced, but sin remains unchanged,” says Pinhead before the Auditor chimes in, “Mankind has become a vacuum without morality.”

“[The clip] goes a little way to explain some of the new mythology and mechanisms, and you finally get to see and hear our new Pinhead in action,” Tunnicliffe, who also played the Auditor, said about the following sequence. “We would love to be able to show more images and clips, but finding something that isn’t too blood-drenched, violent, creepy, or contains nudity is proving tricky!”

The tenth film in the classic horror series tells the story of three detectives as they struggle to solve a horrifying murder, but instead find themselves thrust into the depths of Pinhead’s hellacious landscape.

“Three detectives trying to stop a diabolical serial killer are sucked into a maze of otherworldly horror, where hellish denizens including the Auditor, the Assessor, and the Jury await to pass judgment.”

Including a cameo by horror icon Heather Langenkamp (A Nightmare on Elm Street), Hellraiser: Judgment stars Damon Carney, Randy Wayne, Alexandra Harris, John Gulager, Mike Jay Regan, Diane Goldner, Andi Powers, Jeff Fenter, Helena Grace Donald, and Grace Montie (read about their roles).

The post Pinhead Plans a New Era of Nightmares in First ‘Hellraiser: Judgment’ Clip [Exclusive] appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

Tunnicliffe comes out throwing haymakers. After a wicked shot of Paul T. Taylor as the new Pinhead (he’s quite good, really), Judgment opens with a man being questioned by The Auditor. There’s an entire process at work, and it’s disgusting. The footage is ugly, pulling the grit and grime out of Nine Inch Nails’ Broken VHS and delivering a revolting series of sequences that tapped on my gag-reflex. At this moment it became clear that Judgment was made solely for fans of Hellraiser with complete disregard for mainstream audiences.

Following the exceptional bile that opens Judgment, the next hour drags to a crawl as the film unintentionally becoming a SAW sequel parody. It turns its attention to three detectives on the hunt for a serial killer, who is slowly going through each of the Ten Commandments. While sluggish, it at least serves a purpose by setting the stage for a wild finale that makes it all worthwhile. Everything comes full circle in the final moments, adding an entirely new dimension to the Hellraiser franchise. Tunnicliffe delivers on his promise with an overly ambitious conclusion that beautifully ties it all together.

Overall, the lack of resources soak the screen, but it adds to the film’s grotesque charm. And even with budgetary limitations, the special effects never suffer. Solely for Hellraiser apologists, Judgment does just enough to warrant its existence.

The post [Review] Sluggish ‘Hellraiser: Judgment’ Still Has Grotesque Charm appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

Last week, Bloody Disgusting shared the exclusive world trailer and art premiere for special effects master Gary J. Tunnicliffe‘s highly anticipated Hellraiser: Judgment, which arrives on Blu-ray (plus Digital), DVD, Digital, and On Demand February 13, 2018, from Lionsgate.

The tenth film in the classic horror series tells the story of three detectives as they struggle to solve a horrifying murder, but instead find themselves thrust into the depths of Pinhead’s hellacious landscape.

There will be even more suffering as these new images not only put our new Pinhead on display (Paul T. Taylor looks excellent), but we also get a look at the Auditor! Described as “as an accountant from Hell that’s clearly not of this earth,” the Accountant “learns of your sins, transgressions, and evils, and takes careful note of them before passing them on to the Assessor for judgment.”

In the sequel,

“Three detectives trying to stop a diabolical serial killer are sucked into a maze of otherworldly horror, where hellish denizens including the Auditor, the Assessor, and the Jury await to pass judgment.”

Including a cameo by horror icon Heather Langenkamp (A Nightmare on Elm Street), Hellraiser: Judgment stars Damon Carney, Randy Wayne, Alexandra Harris, John Gulager, Mike Jay Regan, Diane Goldner, Andi Powers, Jeff Fenter, Helena Grace Donald, and Grace Montie (read about their roles).

The post Legendary ‘Hellraiser: Judgment’ Images Bring the Suffering! [Exclusive] appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

The tenth film in the classic horror series tells the story of three detectives as they struggle to solve a horrifying murder, but instead find themselves thrust into the depths of Pinhead’s hellacious landscape.

“Three detectives trying to stop a diabolical serial killer are sucked into a maze of otherworldly horror, where hellish denizens including the Auditor, the Assessor, and the Jury await to pass judgment.”

Including a cameo by horror icon Heather Langenkamp (A Nightmare on Elm Street), Hellraiser: Judgment stars Damon Carney, Randy Wayne, Alexandra Harris, John Gulager, Mike Jay Regan, Diane Goldner, Andi Powers, Jeff Fenter, Helena Grace Donald, and Grace Montie (read about their roles).

The post Imagery From the ‘Hellraiser: Judgment’ Trailer Reveals Pinhead and Chatterer! appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

Depending on when I’m asked, Clive Barker’s Hellraiser may just be my favorite horror film of all time. Watching with experienced eyes, it’s an astoundingly impressive low budget masterpiece that takes place in mostly a single location, and doesn’t even focus on the now-iconic Pinhead (then played by the great Doug Bradley). It’s a horrifying love story that’s as terrifying as it’s revolting. While we may never get a large-scale remake that’s been in the works for over a decade now, we are blessed to have several sequels that follow the Cenobites after some idiot fucks with the Lament Configuration.

At long last, Pinhead (now played by Paul T. Taylor) and his Cenobite posse are bringing Hell to home video once again! Bloody Disgusting has the exclusive world trailer and art premiere for special effects master Gary J. Tunnicliffe‘s highly anticipated Hellraiser: Judgment, which arrives on Blu-ray (plus Digital), DVD, Digital, and On Demand February 13, 2018, from Lionsgate. Yes, Pinhead will be your true love this coming Valentine’s Day.

There’s hell to pay in this exclusive trailer debut that’s bursting from the seams with cool imagery and special effects work. “Evil seeks evil” implies that maybe Cenoites are being called upon by the film’s serial killer, and that some of the chaos is induced by humans, not demons. The footage has a claustrophobic “smallness” to it that’s reminiscent of Barker’s debut film from 1987. With Tunnicliffe behind the Judgment, I can’t help be excited for this one…

The tenth film in the classic horror series tells the story of three detectives as they struggle to solve a horrifying murder, but instead find themselves thrust into the depths of Pinhead’s hellacious landscape.

“Three detectives trying to stop a diabolical serial killer are sucked into a maze of otherworldly horror, where hellish denizens including the Auditor, the Assessor, and the Jury await to pass judgment.”

Including a cameo by horror icon Heather Langenkamp (A Nightmare on Elm Street), Hellraiser: Judgment stars Damon Carney, Randy Wayne, Alexandra Harris, John Gulager, Mike Jay Regan, Diane Goldner, Andi Powers, Jeff Fenter, Helena Grace Donald, and Grace Montie (read about their roles).

Special features include both deleted and extended scenes to go with a gag reel! Here’s an exclusive look at the film’s DVD and Blu-ray cover art.

The post ‘Hellraiser: Judgment’: World Trailer Premiere and Release News! [Exclusive] appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

We have no idea what’s going on with the film, but today brings a new image of Taylor as our new Pinhead, courtesy of Gore Gab. And we’re liking what we’re seeing!

The film also stars A Nightmare On Elm Street‘s Heather Langenkamp, along with Damon Carney, Randy Wayne, Alexandra Harris, John Gulager, Mike Jay Regan, Diane Goldner, Andi Powers, Jeff Fenter, Helena Grace Donald, and Grace Montie (read about their roles).

In the new sequel, “Detectives Sean and David Carter are on the case to find a gruesome serial killer terrorizing the city. Joining forces with Detective Christine Egerton, they dig deeper into a spiraling maze of horror that may not be of this world. Could the Judgment awaiting the killer’s victims also be waiting for Sean?”

We hope to have release news soon.

The post Paul T. Taylor Looks Damn Good as Pinhead in New ‘Hellraiser: Judgment’ Image appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

In the meantime, as we wait for any kind of official release information, I was able to chat with Taylor about his background, his take on the character, and just what we might expect from the 10th film of the franchise. Taylor, a self-proclaimed “freak for Halloween and all things horror” won me over with his candor and excitement during our conversations. He seems to be extremely proud of his work on the film and recognizes that fans have been unhappy with most of the recent entries in the franchise. I know you guys might be finding a new actor in the role of Pinhead to be a prickly pill to swallow. However, I can tell you my biggest takeaway from the interview is this: Taylor is an incredibly charming, excited fan of the works of Clive Barker who wants nothing more than to do right by the franchise and the people who love it.

We started by discussing his background and just what lead him down the path of becoming an actor.

I grew up watching my dad do community theater. I took to it, and then I started doing community theater…I just knew that that’s what I wanted to do. And also, being taught that was an impractical choice for a career, but I really just didn’t care…It’s in my blood.

Taylor’s first film took him a short distance from his home in Dallas to Austin, TX for a small role in Robert Rodriguez’s Sin City. The size of the part (credited as “Assistant DA”) didn’t dampen Taylor’s excitement one bit. “I don’t have any lines, but who cares?! I’m recognizable in it. I’m in SIN CITY!” While the film opened doors for Taylor, it wasn’t long before his path became obstructed by disease, Hepatitis C. Upon diagnosis, he continued to try and live his life as normal as possible, however, as the years went on he began to slow down. This sent him into a downward spiral of depression.

I had stopped enjoying the business. I had started just being a hermit, staying home. [I was] just eating pizza while watching movies, and that was my life…I felt like shit all the time. I felt like I had the flu all the time. Hepatitis C is a horrible, horrible disease.

As his condition worsened, thoughts of suicide began to pollute Taylor’s mind. The same week news coverage had become over saturated with word of Osama Bin Laden’s death and at the end of his rope, Taylor decided to reach out to his doctor one last time. He was informed of a brand new drug with a high success rate in curing patients with Hep C. The news of the drug’s release was, of course, overshadowed by Bin Laden and came as a surprise to Taylor. Thankfully, it proved successful in his case. This miracle provided him with the new lease on life that he had desperately needed, “I got my life back. Not something I was prepared for…It took me awhile to get back on track.”

With a new found optimism, Taylor jumped back into the acting gig, booking numerous commercials and some small film roles. One day an email arrived from his agent requesting an audition tape for a mysterious role.

The role they wanted to put me on tape for was The Auditor, and I read the description and I read the first side. With the first line I read, they were keeping it a secret then that it was a Hellraiser movie. They were just calling it Judgement…The first line I read, I said, ‘This is a Hellraiser movie.’ I knew it, because I’m already well versed in the language of Hellraiser. I’m a huge fan. This is a Hellraiser movie!

The tip off? “It had something to do with ‘We have such sights to show you.” This audition was quickly followed by another email requesting Taylor audition for the role of Pinhead. Doug Bradley had declined again, much like he did for the previous film, Resurrection.  Taylor’s response, “I’m like, there’s no frickin’ way I’m going to be Pinhead. This is a joke from the cosmos!” With only four days to prepare for both roles, Taylor gave it his all. At the time he was acting in a play, Martyrs, about religious fundamentalists. Taylor played the role of a priest. He managed to continue memorizing his lines while waiting offstage in between scenes. Taylor managed to get away with it by hiding his sides within his stage prop, a Bible.  Suffice to say, after weeks of nervous anticipation he found out that he’d nailed the audition.

Naturally, with a new actor taking up the mantle of Pinhead, there was bound to be an uproar in the fan community. Taylor admits he actually hadn’t considered such a backlash until director, Gary J. Tunnicliffe, brought it to his attention.

My first response was ‘Oh shit! Damn, that’s going to be hard. Oh, poor me.’ And then, that didn’t last long. I thought, you know what, fuck that. I’m not here to try and get approval from everyone. I’ve spent my…almost my entire life trying to get the approval of others. I mean, I’m an actor so first of all, you’re going in and asking for rejection all the time anyway…I know a lot of people whose goal in life is to be liked and to please everyone, and it just kills you. I don’t care if these people don’t like me. They don’t know me. I care if they like my performance…

…What Doug Bradley has created, what was created before me – Those are big shoes to fill, and I am super grateful for that and for the opportunity…There had to come a point where I said, ‘Nope. It’s time to make this mine.’…You can try as hard as you can to ape [another actor’s] performance, but then it’s going to lose its life.

On how he brought his own spin to the character:

You know how in the third movie Pinhead comes back and he’s in that column? Things have changed, and he’s changed. He has no rules. There’s no Leviathan controlling him, and he’s just off the chain. He’s doing whatever the hell he wants. Hell on Earth, yeah, okay. He’s making jokes and he’s Freddy Krueger-ing it up. In this script there’s none of that from Pinhead. He’s a totally serious individual…I think he’s older, if you can even age as Pinhead. He’s a little over it. And yet, this is what he does….I do think he’s in a different phase of his existence.

Taylor further explains the evolution of the series and where he believes it has landed with the upcoming Judgement:

It used to be Pinhead just came in and just does his job because you opened the box. There’s no judgment because this is what you wanted…Here is this physical experience that you wanted. It’s changed over the years and become ‘You’re a bad person and we’re here to punish you.’…The script [for Judgement] is making an effort to get back to the original concept of what the puzzle box is all about.

I pushed Taylor for a bit more information in regards to the plot and the various factions of hell presented within the film. He explained to me there are different levels throughout. “There’s a very creative serial killer” who is being hunted by the detectives in the film, and “There’s the cenobites and the [hell] workers and Leviathan who are doing their job.” Some of the new characters such as The Butcher and The Surgeon “seem to be on the team of The Processor of Souls.” Taylor also promised we’d be getting a peak of an old fan favorite, Chatterer. He further added: “It’s certainly not a comedy, but in its structure it’s a little bit like Office Space in hell. It’s nothing like the Mike Judge film but it goes to a different place that we’ve never explored before.”

On a recent conversation with Tunnicliffe, Taylor revealed Gary’s influence with writing the script wasn’t tied exclusively to Clive Barker’s Hellbound Heart so much as the style of a lot of Barker’s early work including The Books of Blood. Regarding the style of the film itself, “He said it was really driven by what he calls the ‘Three Davids’ who are Cronenberg, Lynch, and Fincher.” He also wanted to clear up a previous statement where he referred to the film as “horror porn”. Taylor felt he’d misspoken.

There’s a difference between creative and disgusting…I think [the gore in the film] is done because of the style and aesthetics in a beautiful way. I just didn’t want to get it across that it’s torture porn…This is not self indulgent. This is not masturbation, and let’s just throw blood at the screen.

He revealed he hasn’t seen much of the finished product, but he has seen some footage from a rough cut trailer shown to him on an iPhone. The excitement in Taylor’s voice is infectious as it becomes obvious that he’s as much a fan as we all are of the series, and he’s truly hoping for the best of this sequel. While he hasn’t been signed on for any future films in the franchise, Taylor expresses he has “really high hopes” that he’ll get the chance to do it again. “The bottom line is that if people like me as Pinhead then that’s really the most important thing.”

I think that this movie could possibly reignite the franchise. Yes, it’s a low budget film, but these days low budget horror is huge. It doesn’t matter so much what the budget is…I’m excited about it because it’s a Hellraiser movie, and it might be pleasing to some people. The franchise is not exactly a healthy one, and I know that…It’s a real Hellraiser movie, and it’s a passion project [for Tunnicliffe].

While we all wait impatiently wait for any release news or at least a trailer for Hellraiser: Judgement, Taylor promises to continue making his name known in the horror genre. Sick for Toys is an upcoming film where he gets to be “creepy as hell” playing a drunken pedophile, and several other local Dallas horror projects are presenting themselves to the actor. For those looking to stay up to date on his future projects (including Judgment), he can be found on Twitter and Facebook and check out his official website here.

The post [Interview] Meet the New Pinhead – Paul T. Taylor on ‘Hellraiser: Judgment’ appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

Look, we realize that the idea of Pinhead being played by any actor other than Doug Bradley isn’t exactly the most exciting one – we’ve seen Hellraiser Revelations, after all – but we’re not going to judge (no pun intended) the upcoming Hellraiser: Judgment until we see it. And honestly, based on what we’ve seen and heard so far, we’re thinking this one may not be so bad.

Actor Paul T. Taylor will be playing Pinhead in the film, which could very well reboot the franchise and pave way for a host of new sequels. On tap today, courtesy of KinoVolna, is a handful of new images from the set of director Gary J. Tunnicliffe’s addition to the long-running series. The most exciting of the images showcases Pinhead in all his glory – and he looks good to us!

Check out a few of the shots below and see more on KinoVolna.

The film also stars A Nightmare On Elm Street‘s Heather Langenkamp, along with Damon Carney, Randy Wayne, Alexandra Harris, John Gulager, Mike Jay Regan, Diane Goldner, Andi Powers, Jeff Fenter, Helena Grace Donald, and Grace Montie (read about their roles).

In the new sequel, “Detectives Sean and David Carter are on the case to find a gruesome serial killer terrorizing the city. Joining forces with Detective Christine Egerton, they dig deeper into a spiraling maze of horror that may not be of this world. Could the Judgment awaiting the killer’s victims also be waiting for Sean?”

We hope to have release news soon.

The post New Look at New Pinhead in ‘Hellraiser: Judgment’ Images appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

Taylor has the daunting role of playing the franchise’s most popular character, Pinhead, in Gary J. Tunnicliffe‘s forthcoming Hellraiser: Judgment. He’s been extremely vocal lately, doing a series of interviews about strapping on some leather and bringing hell back to audiences.  In all of the pieces, Taylor is full of joy, proving very easily that he’s a legitimate horror fan who is hoping to do good by fans.

While we’ll get to that in a second, Taylor did reveal something quite interesting in a new interview with TrunkSpace. While explaining how Hellraiser: Judgment won’t confuse newer horror fans, Taylor explained that this new sequel is a good jumping off point for more films, confirming plans for a sequel (assuming Dimension Films were to greenlight it).

“Some people may not understand exactly who Pinhead is,” Taylor said when asked if ‘Judgment’ was a good jumping off point. “They may want to go back and look at ‘Hellraiser’ 1, 2 and 3… maybe even 4… and see some of the history. But, at the same time, it is a new chapter. It’s an unexplored part of Hell, I would say, introducing some new characters and some new mechanisms behind where Pinhead and all of that comes from. And, it’s also a jumping off point for a sequel following this one that could continue the story that it tells because it’s a true ‘Hellraiser’ script with a beginning, a middle, and a sort of ambiguous end. And these new characters they introduced could be in future ‘Hellraiser’ films.

He also likens the film to torture porn, which I thought was a bit surprising:

“I think people are going to be fascinated with it and the gore elements that we get from like the ‘Saw’ movies and the things that are total, what I would say, on the border of horror porn,” he added. “There’s some elements of [‘horror porn’] in it and that will please many ‘Hellraiser’ fans and many fans of just what contemporary horror can be these days where it’s just a gross-out.”

Speaking of effects, Taylor is a fan of practical work and confirms that, to his knowledge, there’s little to no CGI.

 “ ‘Judgment’ is using, of course, real effects, but also there is a possibility of using CGI,” he explained. “I don’t know how much CGI is used in this. I only know that where I shot, we used real effects, which I was really happy about because, I mean, you go back to the first few ‘Hellraiser’ movies and that’s all real effects. It’s like REALLY well done…I prefer real effects over anything. If you can make that stuff look real… there you go.”

As discussed earlier, Taylor is just a joyous person who refuses to let fan negativity take him down. While he will bring his own interpretation of Pinhead to the screen, he did honor Doug Bradley’s work.

 “I was warned from the very beginning about [fan reactions]. My first meeting with Gary J. Tunnicliffe, the director, when I went out to LA to get my head cast done so they could do the makeup… or actually maybe it was a conversation over the phone even before that… he said he had my back and that he was on my side, but he did warn me that the hardcore fans were going to be brutal. So, I went into it with open eyes and an open mind. I’m not afraid of anybody. I mean, it’s just words and, you know, words can hurt, sure. If they see the film and they don’t like me as Pinhead, that’s their prerogative to spew hate, but really, every actor is different. As much as I’m going to try to do sort of an homage to Doug Bradley’s Pinhead and ‘Hellraiser’s’ history, this is a new film and I’m a different actor. I can’t be Doug Bradley. Hopefully I bring myself to it and people like what they see. I just hope that I’m appreciated in the role for the work I did do. I really, truly believe that more than one actor can play one role… in any case. There are so many actors and so many talented actors, it’s silly to think that only one person could play the Frankenstein’s monster, for example. Look how many people played him. So, yeah… people are entitled to their opinions, but I’m not worried.”

He later adds: “I’m more excited about people who DO like me as Pinhead than I am worried about people who don’t like me as Pinhead.”

The film also stars A Nightmare On Elm Street‘s Heather Langenkamp, along with Damon Carney, Randy Wayne, Alexandra Harris, John Gulagher, Mike Jay Regan, Diane Goldner, Andi Powers, Jeff Fenter, Helena Grace Donald, and Grace Montie (read about their roles).

In the new sequel, “Detectives Sean and David Carter are on the case to find a gruesome serial killer terrorizing the city. Joining forces with Detective Christine Egerton, they dig deeper into a spiraling maze of horror that may not be of this world. Could the Judgment awaiting the killer’s victims also be waiting for Sean?”

Watch for release news as it comes in.

The post ‘Hellraiser: Judgment’ Sets Up Sequels, Says New Pinhead appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

Speaking with Dallas Observer, Taylor just talked a bit about the controversial recasting, assuring that playing Pinhead is a lifelong dream and that has done his best to honor Bradley’s work.

Said the new Pinhead:

It was the coolest thing that’s ever happened to me in my life. Being on that set was the coolest thing I’ve ever done. [Pinhead] was always my favorite horror icon because he was the most twisted and intelligent in my mind. And I love the fetish wear, and it’s just wrong. He’s just so wrong. Chains on hooks? That’s so gruesome and grotesque. Clive Barker’s mind is just so twisted.

I had a couple of months to work on it before we shot and I stayed home as much as possible with very few lights on while I was learning the lines. I live in South Oak Cliff in kind of a bad neighborhood, and I would just walk around like a badass basically. [I knew] that I needed to honor the Pinhead that everyone loved already, the Doug Bradley Pinhead.

Taylor admitted:

It is a little daunting. I’ve read some comments from the fans who are gonna hate me as Pinhead no matter what, but many of them are smart enough and cool enough to say, ‘I’m not gonna judge until I see Paul T. Taylor play Pinhead,’ and, ‘He’s not Doug Bradley but I’m gonna give him a chance.’

The actor also promised that the new film will “gross people out.” He added, “Hooks on chains might be mild at this point.”

In the new sequel…

Detectives Sean and David Carter are on the case to find a gruesome serial killer terrorizing the city. Joining forces with Detective Christine Egerton, they dig deeper into a spiraling maze of horror that may not be of this world. Could the Judgment awaiting the killer’s victims also be waiting for Sean?

The film also stars A Nightmare On Elm Street‘s Heather Langenkamp, along with Damon Carney, Randy Wayne, Alexandra Harris, John Gulagher, Mike Jay Regan, Diane Goldner, Andi Powers, Jeff Fenter, Helena Grace Donald, and Grace Montie (read about their roles).

The post Paul T. Taylor Talks Playing Pinhead in ‘Hellraiser: Judgment’ appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

Bloody Disgusting has an exclusive new look at your new Pinhead, played by Paul T. Taylor, as well as The Auditor in Gary Tunnicliffe’s Hellraiser: Judgment.

The Auditor, who is the film’s main villain, was described in the casting call as: “All business, very matter-of-fact. Clearly not of this earth. He learns of your sins, your transgressions, your evils, and takes careful note of them before passing them on to the Assessor for judgment. Think of him more as an accountant from Hell…”

Deep into post-production, we have a little bit of clarity on the heels of us sharing some new shots from the Hellraiser sequel.

The Auditor, shown below with Pinhead, is NOT a Cenobite. In fact, neither are The Butcher, Cleaners, Surgeon, or Jury.

So, who are the actual Cenobites in Judgment? Pinhead and Chatterer, obviously, as well as the Stitch Twins (who we haven’t seen yet).

[Related] Pinhead Looks Pretty Great In Hellraiser: Judgment!

In Hellraiser: Judgment, “Detectives Sean and David Carter are on the case to find a gruesome serial killer terrorizing the city. Joining forces with Detective Christine Egerton, they dig deeper into a spiraling maze of horror that may not be of this world. Could the Judgment awaiting the killer’s victims also be waiting for Sean?“

Special effects artist Gary Tunnicliffe (read our lengthy interview) is now in post-production on Hellraiser: Judgment, which stars A Nightmare On Elm Street‘s Heather Langenkamp, along with Damon Carney, Randy Wayne, Alexandra Harris, John Gulagher, Mike Jay Regan, Diane Goldner, Andi Powers, Jeff Fenter, Helena Grace Donald, and Grace Montie (read about their roles).

Personally, I can’t wait to see Pinhead back in action and am curious who the mysterious Auditor is…

The post Look, It’s Pinhead and The Auditor From ‘Hellraiser: Judgment’! (Exclusive) appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

We’ve learned quite a bit over the past month, including that special effects artist Gary Tunnicliffe (who worked on several of the Hellraiser films) was behind the camera on Hellraiser: Judgment for Dimension Films, and that Paul T. Taylor is your new Pinhead. We’ve also discovered a heavy portion of the cast: Damon Carney, Randy Wayne, Alexandra Harris, John Gulagher, Mike Jay Regan, Diane Goldner, Andi Powers, Jeff Fenter, Helena Grace Donald, and Grace Montie (read about their roles).

The biggest question mark, however, was how Tunnicliffe’s Judgment screenplay fit into the world created by Clive Barker all of those years ago. I had originally thought that Judgment was a stand alone project, while Tunnicliffe tells us it was the other way around:

“Judgment was always a Hellraiser project (concept), but I didn’t think I would have a shot at directing a Hellraiser movie,” he explained, “so I removed the Hellraiser elements and tried to get Judgment made independently. I met with several producers but they found the material SO outlandish and disturbing they always balked…and usually asked if I would instead be interested in directing a movie about some teens being chased by a masked killer (yawn).

“Some friends suggested I try Kickstarter…we put the site up and then I was told I had to contact everyone on my email list basically ‘begging’ for money…it didn’t sit well with me, so I decided to pull it,” he continues. “I only ever had a pitch, no script was ever written; Revelations was very much a traditional Hellraiser tale with a lot of ‘nods’ to the original and I got reamed for that, so I figured I would ‘swing for the fences’ and make Judgment.”

On how Judgment will fit into the Hellraiser universe:

“This is very much a Hellraiser movie connected at the very core. It wasn’t a script that was adapted in anyway; this script was conceived, written and re-written as a Hellraiser movie. It is different from Hellraiser movies before, since it involves a new mechanism in conjunction with the box for the gathering of souls, and that introduces us to these new characters. But it still very much operates within the mythos of a ‘world within our world’ that I have always felt is the mainstay of Clive’s (Barker) work.”

Speaking of new characters, not all of the cool new creations are Cenobites.

“Actually some of the characters aren’t really ‘Cenobites’ per se – they aren’t the members of the ‘order of the gash’ we are used to,” he explained, revealing some of the new plot. “I don’t want to say too much at this point but we discover that Hell actually has several factions and all have different looks. The Cenobites we have in the movie (Pinhead, Chatterer and the Stitch Twins) are the ‘sharp end of the spear,’ so to speak.”

We’ve been advocating that Pinhead isn’t necessary in making a good Hellraiser movie. Tunnicliffe compares him to the special sauce on a burger.

“I think Pinhead has undoubtedly become the face and centerpiece of the franchise, but I think it’s foolish to let him try to carry the franchise or a movie on his own. To me he’s the special sauce on a great burger; too much special sauce and it makes you sick, not enough and you’re left wanting more.

“What I can reveal is this is a very no nonsense Pinhead,” he continues, “no glib one-liners, he’s a little leaner and a little meaner. We especially tried to incorporate this into the make-up and costume; the cuts are deeper, the pins a little longer, his eyes are completely black and wardrobe is a little sleeker and more visceral. Someone on set described him as the ‘bad ass’ version of Pinhead. Paul (Taylor) certainly relished the role and gave him an icy demeanor.”

In regards to make-up and special effects, Tunnicliffe talks about balancing both directing and overseeing the FX work.

“It’s tricky. It’s even trickier when you write, direct, handle the make-up FX, key props and character costumes! The trick, I think, is to have a great team and amazing support. I had that from both the FX crew that I bought from LA (Mike Regan, Mike Measimer and Adrienne Lynn Booth) and from the incredible shooting crew in Oklahoma…they all worked above and beyond my expectations and were always understanding when I grabbed a brush and joined in or ‘tweaked’ stuff.

The make-up effects and gore were so much, at times, that one of the leads almost passed out.

“Our lead actress almost passed out during one particularly traumatic scene,” he revealed. “Three people left set during one sequence because they were going to throw up (my DP Sam made the strangest noise I have ever heard from a human being with an expression of panic/joy/revulsion) during one of the ‘Cleaner’ sequences.

“I don’t think it’s so much the quantity of blood (or whatever fluid you’re mimicking) but more the nature of the effects, the content and the context. I think some of our blood gags are actually quite beautiful; when you see blood raining down on a naked girl with a skinned face at 300 frames per second you can’t help but be mesmerized by the fluid dynamics.”

As cool as everything sounds, the hardest question to ask was about the perception of the Hellraiser franchise, which has become about rights issues and rushing sequels into production. Tunnicliffe was incredibly candid, talking to the internal dialogue at Dimension, and how Judgment is very different.

“I think there has been a huge gap since Dimension are actually trying to do their best by the franchise,” he stated when asked about the time between each Hellraiser film. “You know everyone sticks it to those guys for the poorer quality sequels but there isn’t any magic formula for making great horror films. If there were, everyone would be making amazing horror flicks, right?! I think [The Weinstein Company is] well aware that Hellworld was rushed into production and suffered for it, and Revelations suffered a similar set of problems (when the rights issue came up fast and furious without anyone knowing). [Revelations] was very much a ‘band-aid’ or field dressing.

Speaking frankly: “Judgment IS a rights issue movie, but has been made with the sensibilities and input given to a regular budgeted Dimension feature. The executives (all the way to the very TOP of Dimension) and producers involved didn’t just say, “Bang this out”; there was an intense development stage, several re-writes and amazing input and guidance on casting, etc. Initially I pitched two concepts: Hellraiser: Judgment and a second idea called Hellraiser: Enter Darkness (I still love that title!). The latter of which was a much more linear, ‘Hollywood’-style horror movie. [Dimension] was very cool and extremely supportive about going with the riskier ‘Gilliamesque, del Toro, Barker, Cronenberg, Fincher’ tone, instead of the more mainstream idea. I have to give them props for that!”

In Hellraiser: Judgment, Detectives Sean and David Carter are on the case to find a gruesome serial killer terrorizing the city. Joining forces with Detective Christine Egerton, they dig deeper into a spiraling maze of horror that may not be of this world.

“We tried to make the main story (the serial killer story) as compelling as the Hellraiser/Hell elements. If we can make a film that will horrify and shock without all the Hell stuff…then hopefully we’re on to a winner.

“Our mantra has become Se7en meets The Cell, whilst trying to innovate, not replicate.”

Here’s your exclusive look at Paul Taylor as the new Pinhead.

The post ‘Hellraiser: Judgment’ Interview: Gary Tunnicliffe Talks Genesis, New Pinhead, and Sequels Being Rushed Into Development! appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

The biggest questions mark, however, was whether or not Doug Bradley would return to the role of Pinhead after being recast in Revelations. While we always hope for the best, we reported that Paul T. Taylor will play Pinhead in Hellraiser: Judgment.

If you’ve been curious as to how Taylor will look, we’ve got the answer. Bloody Disgusting can exclusively reveal the first ever shot of Paul T. Taylor as Pinhead!

While it’s not the clearest of images, and we’ve yet to hear him speak, Taylor looks impressive here. My first reaction was to double take, and having to squint just to confirm to myself that I wasn’t looking at an old shot of Bradley in makeup. Seriously, tell me you’re not impressed…

In Hellraiser: Judgment, “Detectives Sean and David Carter are on the case to find a gruesome serial killer terrorizing the city. Joining forces with Detective Christine Egerton, they dig deeper into a spiraling maze of horror that may not be of this world. Could the Judgment awaiting the killer’s victims also be waiting for Sean?“

Watch for an in-depth interview this coming week…

The post Pinhead Looks Pretty Great In ‘Hellraiser: Judgment’! (Exclusive) appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

What we know is that Hellraiser: Judgment is loosely based on Tunnicliffe’s passion project, Judgment, and will feature a bunch of crazy new Cenobites, including a fresh face to take on the role of Pinhead.

Bloody Disgusting can exclusively reveal that Paul T. Taylor is your new Pinhead. Tunnicliffe previously teased the casting of “a classically trained stage and film actor who brings a great physical presence and more than a hint of Peter Cushing and Ralph Fiennes.” Taylor, pictured, can also be seen in films such as Robert Rodriguez and Frank Miller’s Sin City and James Gunn’s Super.

We have way more casting news for you, learning that Damon Carney (The Veil, The Hitcher) plays ‘Detective Sean Carter’, Randy Wayne (To Save a Life) is ‘Detective David Carter’ and Alexandra Harris (In the Shadows, The Veil) will portray ‘Detective Christine Egerton’.

In Hellraiser: Judgment, “Detectives Sean and David Carter are on the case to find a gruesome serial killer terrorizing the city. Joining forces with Detective Christine Egerton, they dig deeper into a spiraling maze of horror that may not be of this world. Could the Judgment awaiting the killer’s victims also be waiting for Sean?“

As for the new Cenobites, get ready for this awesome bombshell: John Gulagher – director of Feast and Piranha 3DD – will star as ‘The Assessor’! This role is tied to ‘The Auditor,’ a character that learns of your sins, your transgressions, your evils, and takes careful note of them before passing them on to the Assessor for judgment.

Diane Goldner (Halloween 2, Feast 2, The Collector) nabbed the wicked role of ‘The Cleaner,’ a terrifying, aging, naked women clean bodies for punishment by licking them head to toe.

We’ve also learned that special effects specialist Mike Jay Regan will once again portray ‘Chatterer’!

Andi Powers is going to play one of the three ‘Jury’, who were described as naked, perfectly beautiful girls with have faces that have been shredded away; blood, bone, muscle, sinew and teeth exposed. They pass the horrific verdicts onto all offending mortals.

Yes, there’s more!

Jeff Fenter (The Box, Zero Charisma) is ‘Karl Watkins’ with Helena Grace Donald (Portrait of An Art Thief) as ‘Jophiel’, and Grace Montie (Southern Tale) taking on the role of Crystal Lanning’, a beautiful socialite who is never far from her beloved little dog, “Baby.”

As for Heather Langenkamp, she is the chain-smoking ‘Landlady’ who snorts obscenities to the police.

There’s still so much more casting to be revealed, but things are coming together nicely thus far.

Again, I feel like I need to reiterate this. I’m especially excited that this project’s genesis hails from something Tunnicliffe was beyond passionate about. I feel like there could be something special brewing behind the scenes with the only unfortunate casualty the inability to get Doug Bradley back as Pinhead. With that said, what I’m gathering from the casting breakdown and other uncovered information is that this appears to be taking things in a new director, and I can only imagine that Pinhead could be taking a backseat to these other awesome creations such as the Auditor. I’m reserving any judgment until we see a trailer and am keeping my chin up in the meantime. Shit, we’re getting a new Hellraiser movie, how can you not be excited?!

What do you guys think? Cool stuff so far, right?

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