Hellraiser 1987

Hellraiser (1987)

Contains spoilers!

If you love your horror's to include dark gloomy music, tolling bells, candlelight and lots of gore scenes then this is for you. With it's classic combination of blood, creepy lighting effects and monsters from hell you won't be disappointed.

Set in England you follow a husband and wife as they move back into his old families house for a new start. Introduce the gorgeous step daughter and we have the beginnings of the film.

Moving into the new family home there is the accident that sets off the entire plot, the husband Larry cuts his hand in a scene that still makes me look away even now! Blood dripping he accidentally revives his evil brother Frank who we do see at the very beginning buying the 'Box' and opening it.

The effects of the film are quite outdated but that's to be expected from 1987 however they are still quite strong visually, Franks reconstruction is still quite creepy even through the old fashioned graphics.

From here the film does start to through out all the gory, bloody and creepy scenes in a steady stream. The wife Julia now realising that her old lover Frank has been resurrected and although he no longer has any skin she is still attracted to him and promises to bring him men to feed on. The step daughter Kirsty realises this and confronts them, finding herself in possession of the famed box. 

Of course this wouldn't be a horror without some sort of monster and this film delivers with not one but four creatures from hell and a floating hell hound, which our heroine releases from the box, bargaining for her life she gives them Frank, however them being from hell and evil they take Frank and then come after her. And this is all after Frank takes Larry's skin for himself. The end see's Kirsty fighting for her life against Julia, Frank (wearing her dads skin) and four monsters.

Although the effects are quite cheesy and outdated Hellraiser still manages to be quite a dark, creepy film. The music is atmospheric and fits well with each scene. The music of the box is a very creepy tinny fairground theme that suits the film completely. The creatures from hell are very well thought out and innovative for the time. There are some very gory scenes for even hard core horror fans to like. There are even some very well shot dream sequences that manage even now to be quite surreal and creepy.

The character progression is well done too, Julia manages to go from squeamish killer to cold blooded bitch seamlessly.

It's a good film to watch and still want to look away at parts.

Best phrases/dialogue:

'The box. You opened it we came'

'We'll tear your soul apart!'

'What's your pleasure, Sir?'

Cheesiest Scene:

The homeless man changing into a dragon and carrying the box away with him at the end.

Scenes to watch for:

Kirsty's boyfriend at the end fighting off the floating hound creature with a milk bottle and getting punched for his efforts.