Sunday 5 August 2012

Hellraiser 2 Hellbound 1988

Hellraiser 2 Hellbound (1988)

Contains spoilers!


The sequel to Hellraiser. The style hasn't changed too much despite the change in directors. So if you liked the first films atmosphere you'll like this one's too.

Still classically full of blood and gore, creepy blue lighting and even more hell creatures.

Again you are following Kirsty who after witnessing the events in the first film has now been institutionalised.
This is where she meets Tiffany a mute woman who solves puzzles all day.
Kirsty is trying to put everything behind her but after a vision from her father in hell, asking for help, she becomes obsessed with saving him.

In the meantime the head of the facility where Kirsty is being held, Dr Channard, is a fanatical occultist who is also obsessed with opening the box, so much so that he buys the bed Julia died on and after bringing a mental patient to his home and allowing the man to cut himself over the mattress, revives the evil stepmother.

The plot then echo's the first, men and women are brought to Julia who sucks them dry in order to gain her own skin back, this time succeeding where Frank never.

This is all witnessed by a young doctor who has befriended Kirsty, who then helps Kirsty escape the institution in order to find out what's happening.

The dialogue and timing of the film seems a little off, almost as if the plot was heading one way but the characterisation wasn't able to keep up, so they just jumped a lot of scenes forward. However this being a horror movie and not a drama it doesn't really detract too much, you do get the gist of what is supposed to be happening.

Whilst Kirsty is escaping, Dr Channard (plus a fully skinned Julia) get Tiffany to solve the box, opening the doors to hell and releasing the Cenobites.

Now this is where the plot gets a little thin and not as well rounded as the first, Dr Channard and Julia take a stroll around hell, Tiffany also decides to have a look round and Kirsty arriving at the house moments before the doors open, follows everyone in looking for her father.

The cenobites are as creepy as ever though, and the lead cenobite really does make a great bad guy. They really do take over any scene they're in.

Julia betrays Dr Channard and gives him over to hell, which decides to change him in a cenobite too.

This process is very cheesy however and especially the end result which doesn't really mirror the other cenobites at all. It does have some good points though, the tentacle like growths that can bloom flowers or turn into razor sharp knifes is creepy and well done graphically.

This changed Channard now decides to kill everything, including the original cenobites and change the world into hell. The plot gets very thin from here but does offer soon very interesting scene changes, the creepy insane asylum hell being one of them.
Kirsty and Tiffany team up and eventually save the day and the world, walking off into the sunset together.

The dialogue with the original cenobites is as good as ever, with them having the best phrases in the film.

The film is a horror so does have the right level of blood, moodiness, gore and no plot sense. It's a good film to stick on if you want to get a horror atmosphere going.

Best phrases/dialogue:

'Aah, the suffering... the sweet suffering'

'They changed the rules of the fairytale, I'm no longer the wicked stepmother... I'm now the evil queen! So come on... give it your best shot, Snow White!'

'It is not hands that call us... it is desire...'

'So eager to play... so reluctant to admit it!'

Cheesiest Scene:

The Doctor being changed into a cenobite

Scenes to watch for:

Hells dream/vision sequences




1 comment:

  1. Nice review. Quite thorough. Personally, I kinda love and hate the whole Hellraiser series. All of them seem to be lacking in story/plot, but it is really hard to be that upset when they deliver such awesome gore. All of them, this film included, manage to make my skin crawl.

    I got the chance to review of couple others in the series on my blog. They are short reviews but cover most the series. Check it out if you get the chance.

    http://horrormoviemedication.blogspot.com/2013/03/the-sequel-spectacular-horror-leftovers.html

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