Hellraiser (1987)
Last Watch Date - October 5, 2021
Total Times Watched - Good question.. 9? I don't know
Comments
While not particularly scary (and definitely a bit goofy), this movie has a ton of memorable lines: Jesus wept; Come to daddy; We have such sights to show you. For as good as those lines are, the cheese is double or triple that. But in a bad way. Man is it cheesy. Now take that level of cheese and triple THAT - now you have the level of how iconic the puzzle box and Cenobites are. Everyone knows Pinhead. Most people know that puzzle box. It's difficult to separate this movie from its legacy, but I'm GOING FOR IT.
This movie is a weird mix of BDSM and horror. Technically the Cenobites are the good guys in this one I think. They're kinda-sorta punishing those who deserve it and ignoring others. How kind of them. The practical effects are great. The skinless body is gross, disturbing, and oddly cool. I wish the story were as well, but it's a bit stupid. Maybe it works better in story format (this movie is based on a story, so..), but whatever happened in translation to film didn't work. I've seen it so many times and still feel pretty neutral about it. Is that bad?
Recommended?
It's a classic, so in that sense, sure. But it's not really good. It's not really that bad either, but... make up your own mind.
