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1987 Dir: Clive Barker. With: Andrew Robinson, Clare Higgins, Ashley Laurence, Sean Chapman, Doug Bradley.
Disastrous results after two attempts to bring his work to the big screen, namely Underworld and Rawhead Rex, prompted
horror author, Clive Barker, to direct this one himself.
Based on his novella, The Hellbound Heart it tells the story of Frank who solves a puzzle box only
to find himself trapped in hell.
Its the familiar story of, man solves Rubik cube, and gets more than he bargained for. This comes in the shape of sadomasochistic demons called Cenobites, led by the leader Pinhead, who is so
called because he has had nails driven into his head (now theres acupuncture for you!)
They tear Franks soul apart and he is trapped in hell.
This is until his brother Rory and his wife Julia move into the house where Frank solved the puzzle
box, and Rorys blood inadvertently brings his brother back into the world (albeit not fully fleshed!)
Frank coaxes Julia (who he had a fling with before her marriage
to his brother) into bringing victims to him so he can feed off their blood and re-flesh himself. This she does, picking up men in local bars and luring them back to the house then whacking them over the
head with a hammer (charming woman!)
Rorys daughter Kirsty soon discovers whats been going on when she finds the puzzle
box and brings the demons out of the woodwork again (well - out of the walls!)
In the end Kirsty saves the day by giving Frank back to the demons, who subsequently
rip him in two, by pulling him apart with hooks and chains. After witnessing
this the Cenobites immediately offer our Kirsty the invitation to experience the same telling her that, We have such sights
to show you Kirsty. She responds by telling them to: Go to hell! and they do
(literally!)
Barkers directional debut is a dark, surreal and terrifying film, although a
little claustrophobic (most of the action takes place in the house). There were
two reasonably good sequels, Hellbound: Hellraiser II, and Hellraiser III: Hell on Earth, and one stinker Hellraiser:
Bloodline.
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