HELLRAISER

UK, 1987, 98 minutes, Colour.
Andy Robinson, Clare Higgins, Ashley Laurence.
Directed by Clive Barker.

Hellraiser is the work of author turned director Clive Barker. The film is based on his story, The Hellbound Heart.

The film is a striking example of British horror film-making - much more intense, even perverse, than some of the more popular, even over the top, American horror-making. The film relies on an extraordinary atmosphere of a family, tense relationships, personal corruption. It also offers a highly imaginative world as a puzzle box opened and a species of demon, the Cenobites, appear. They are grotesques - often repellent, often frightening. This mood continues throughout the film, becoming even stronger as the decent character is killed and is taken over by his degenerate brother.

The film has cult status because of its creativity in horror film-making. However, it is not the kind of film that your average audience might enjoy. There was a sequel, Hellbound: Hellraiser II, but was not directed by Barker.

1.Imaginative British horror? Plot, characters, imagination? The world created? Demons? Violence and horror? Struggles of good and evil?

2.British production values, the house, the ordinary life contrasting with the re-creation of the world of the Cenobites? Make-up and special effects? Editing and pace? Title?

3.The title and its various meanings, Frank Cotton as a degenerate hellraiser? The raising of the Cenobites from Hell?

4.The atmosphere of the opening: the bazaar, the Middle East, Frank and his adventures, the puzzle box, opening it up and the diabolical result? His return home, solving the puzzle, the encounter with the Cenobites, his wanting experience and pleasure? The torture, his destruction? His becoming diabolical? His appearing to Julia? His brother's blood enabling him to appear? The seduction of Julia? Picking up the wanderers to provide him with blood? His appearing to Kirsty, her taking the puzzle box? Frank and his demands? His wanting a skin - and his forcing Julia to murder Larry, Larry as Frank, diabolical? The threats to Kirsty? Frank and the death of Julia? His being destroyed again?

5.Kirsty as the heroine, her relationship with her father, with her stepmother? Her boyfriend? The suspicions of evil, in the house, her suspicion of her mother? Frank's appearance, her horror, taking the puzzle box? Her collapse, hospital? Her solving the puzzle, the visit by the Cenobites? Her promising to lead them to Frank? Her return to the house, the horror, her father - actually Frank? Showing her the remains? Her realisation of the truth? The confrontation with the Cenobites, Steve rescuing her from the house? The demon taking the box from the fire?

6.Julia, a character of evil? Her past relationship with Frank? Larry and his marriage, her fidelity and infidelity, her dominance? Relationship to Kirsty? Frank appearing to her, her seduction, her manner of luring the people back to the house, murdering them? Kirsty and the intervention with the victim? Julia and the death of Larry, giving Frank the skin? Her deceit with the disguised Frank? The confrontation and her death?

7.Larry, genial man, marriage to Julia, love for Kirsty? His becoming the victim of Frank and Julia? His death? The irony of the diabolical Frank with Larry's appearance? His confrontation with Kirsty, his death?

8.Steve, the relationship with Kirsty, sharing the adventures, in hospital, the final rescue?

9.The portrait of the derelicts, the various victims? Taken in by Julia and their deaths?

10.The characters of the Cenobites, the variety of their make-up, tortured images? The humorous irony with the clamps, wounds, dark glasses? The monster aspects?

11.Audience response to the special effects - the Cenobites, their cruel behaviour, their treatment of Frank, the skin, turning their victims inside out? Audience response to this kind of horror?

12.The popularity of the film? Its cult status?