HELLRAISER 3: HELL ON EARTH

UK, 1992, 91 minutes, Colour.
Doug Bradley, Ashley Laurence.
Directed by Anthony Hickox.

Hellraiser 3: Hell on Earth, transfers the Hellraiser stories to the United States. While set in New York City, the film was made in North Carolina.

Author Clive Barker is the executive producer of the film. However, the screenplay was written by Peter Atkins. It takes up some of the themes from the earlier Hellraiser films as well as its basic theme of the box of evil. The film relies very much on its graphic special effects - in many cases in this film, pictures of quite savage killing. There is the confrontation between good and evil, strong in the screenplay (but hindered by a coarse language approach to what might have been otherwise an intelligent exploration of horror). There is some evil mockery of the Christian Eucharist and Christ-figures which highlight the incarnation of evil. The heroine is a television reporter, an intrepid heroine who has nightmares about her father, dead in Vietnam, and who gets the mission to save the world. The film was directed by Anthony Hickox (who can be quickly glimpsed in a collage of cable channel programs shown through the film).

1.The popularity of the Hellraiser films? Clive Barker as author, creator of horror characters, stories, themes? His contribution to the present film?

2.The transfer of the stories to the United States: the New York settings, the street, the club, apartments, television studios? The importance of the special effects and stunt work? Their graphic style? Intimations of evil, the diabolical? The musical score, the range of songs - and the contribution of groups with the touch of heavy metal style and lyrics?

3.The title, the character of the Hellraiser? The role of the Hellraiser in transforming people, consuming them, trying to incarnate evil? Struggle between good and evil?

4.Joanne, her work, hopes in the network? Her relationship with Doc? The poor program, the episode in the hospital, the death? The encounter with Terri? The request to follow the story, the visit to the club, the discussion with the owner, Terri's phone call, the discussion at the apartment, her hospitality, Terri staying the night, telling the information? The comedy with the breakfast? Joanne and her work, the phone call about the new job? Terri leaving? Joanne and her nightmares about her dead father, unable to save him? The recurring dreams? Terri and the box, the waking up in the night with the massacre on television? Her own dream, going through the wall, the message from the alien to save the world? The visit to the club, the dead bodies? Doc's death? The confrontation with the Hellraiser? The pursuit by Terri and J.P? The danger in the streets, the police, the explosions, the chains? The violent dreams, the Hellraiser entering her dreams and consciousness? Opening the box, absorbing the evil? The irony of her placing the box in the cement - and the building and its set design on the site? Intrepid heroine?

5.J.P., his buying of the statue, his club and its decor, his art? His killing his parents? His treatment of the women? The statue coming alive, the Hellraiser absorbing the girl? His deal with the Devil, inviting Terri? Her sacrificing him to the Hellraiser? His being possessed?

6.Terri, witnessing the death, her age and experience, the friendship of Joanne, giving her self-esteem, telling her the truth? The box? The phone call and her return to J.P.? Her sacrificing him? Her being transformed?

7.Doc, the personnel at the television station? His being killed? The transmission - without the machine being hooked up? The role of the media?

8.The people at the club, victims, the savagery and brutality of their deaths? The significance of 20 to 30 year-old adults being trapped in a club and murdered? Allegory for present evils in society and destruction of young adults?

9.The Hellraiser, his background, character? Absorbing people? The confrontation with J.P. and Terri, with Joanne? The brutality? The contrast with the military man in the dreams? His warnings to Joanne, commissioning her? The reappearance - and the Hellraiser entering the dreams and taking the shape of her father?

10.Religious themes, the visit to the church, the parody of the Stigmata and the Crucifixion, the parody of the Eucharist? The confrontation between good and evil? The priest and his saying that Hell and Devils were symbols? The reality?

11.The popularity of this kind of entertainment in the '80s and '90s? Plausible plots? Religious dimensions? Playing games with special effects and horror stories?