Hellraiser - Bloodline
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Movie Reviews of Hellraiser - Bloodline
Movie Review: In space, no one can hear Pinhead scream...
Summary: 4 Stars
There was some initial uncertainty when "Hellraiser: Bloodline," the fourth feature film in the series spawned by Clive Barker's 1987 film, starts off in outer space in the 22nd century (I was probably not alone in having flashes of Pinhead meeting Jason Vorhees). Then there is the fact that director Kevin Yagher felt compelled to use the Alan Smithee appellation for his credit in this 1996 offering, which is an even worse sign. But the future is simply the setting for an end game that goes all the way back to the 18th century and the creation of the puzzle box that allows human beings to access the Cenobites.
The bloodline of the title refers to the family of Philip L'Merchant (Bruce Ramsey), the toy maker who put together the puzzle box (a.k.a. the "Lament Configuration box"). His descendant John Merchant (Bruce Ramsey) makes an even bigger puzzle box, and the last descendant, Dr. Paul Merchant (Bruce Ramsey), has to try and put a stop to all of the madness on space station Minos in the year 2127. This is where we begin, with what looks like a skinny version of the Terminator robot holding the puzzle box. Then an inter-galactic SWAT team shows up and stops Dr. Merchant, the designer of the space station, from doing whatever the hell he is doing. This requires the doctor to tell his story to Rimmer (Christine Harnos), the woman holding the big gun to his head. He assures her that when he is done telling his story, he will be allowed to finish what he has started.
This movie takes the approach that once Pinhead (Doug Bradley) shows up you have to be in the final act of the film because coming up with new things for him to do that are really cool is too hard to do. He does come up with a great line when his appearance compels one of the Merchants to invoke the deity: "Do I look like someone who cares about what God thinks?" Pinhead also offers some interesting musings on temptation being an illusion and pain being a shadow, so scriptwriter Peter Atkins gets points for getting the lingo right even if he is connecting the dots too quickly to get from one time period to the next. But Pinhead is kept on the sidelines for most of the film and in the limelight is Angelique (Valentina Vargas), a Cenobite who takes human form and an interest in the Merchant family and its continuing relationship with the puzzle box. This adds value to when Pinhead finally shows up, but not even a sexy Cenobite in human form is going to be half as interesting.
Yagher disowned the film because Miramax cut some scenes and brought in Joe Chappelle to re-shoot some other scenes. Even so, "Hellraiser: Bloodline" at least reaffirms that "Hellraiser III: Hell On Earth" is the absolute nadir in the series, which is now up to eight movies. For those who look forward to the point in the "Hellraiser" movies when it is "time to play," there is plenty of blood, gore, and flying chains. The new Cenobites are not up to the standard of the original group, but are also superior to those of "Hell on Earth." Maybe it is because I have not seen a "Hellraiser" movie in so long and have not worked out the complete metaphysics of the Cenobite reality, but I thought this one was good enough to end up rounding up on it.
Movie Review: Pinhead: Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow
Summary: 4 Stars
The first two films were austere, harsh, and even kind of quiet. Low production values and a lack of proper technology led to grittier and more palpable scenery and action, better paced plotting, more mood than monster. The third film took the Hellraiser series to campy places, substituting the sobering and seductive S&M motif with fireballs, goofy get-ups, and some of the worst dialogue/acting ever committed to celluloid.
BLOODLINE properly returns the plot back to the original Hellraiser mythos, but can't resist some of the same wacky excesses that made HELL ON EARTH such a horrible movie. The film has three basic parts, each of them following a member of the Merchant family (all of them played by Bruce Ramsey). The original Merchant was a toymaker living in Paris, and he unwittingly(!) designed and created the puzzle box that opens the gates to hell. Whoopsie. It turns out that now he and his entire bloodline are cursed unless they can destroy the evil that they have unleashed.
The second story follows the 1996 version of Merchant, now an architect plagued by strange dreams. He battles with Pinhead, but not successfully enough to keep him from tangling with yet another ancestor, this one living on a space station in 2172. Or maybe it's 2271. Either way, the future.
The portrayal of three different eras was a good idea, but it's done through a series of flashbacks and history lessons provided by the Future Merchant as he is being interrogated in his space station by the beautiful but horribly named Rimmer (Christine Harnos in a sadly extraneous role). This constant switching from the future to the past makes the delivery uneven, chunks of the plot having to make way for clumsy blocks of poorly-written exposition.
But the bare bones are there, as are the meatier, bloodier elements to every Hellraiser movie. This was the first Hellraiser movie I ever saw, back when it was released theatrically in '96, and it was -- at that time -- the first movie I ever walked out on. Not that I thought it was bad; I simply couldn't handle how scared it made me (the scene that did me in: when Pinhead attacks the twin security guards). I've seen a lot more since then, so I was able to sit through it this time around, but it made me squeamish all the same. Not quite as classy as the movies that spawned it, BLOODLINE is at least as scary. Sometimes, with movies like these, that's all that matters.
Movie Review: Puzzle Boxes in Space
Summary: 4 Stars
For all that I like the Hellraiser series it has never set the bar in horror films. There is a lot of imagination behind tham, but more often than not acting or effects have acted as limitations. 'Bloodline' is a bit different though, and while still laboring a bit under a casting shortage (the evil count is one of the worst characterizations I've ever seen) the story is genuinely interesting, there's just enough gruesome and gothic, and the script is sometimes quite intelligent.
The plot focuses on the l'Merchant family (the makers of the original box/doorway to hell). The story starts on what seems to be a derelict space station, where the latest Merchant (played by Bruce Ramsey) is doing something mysterious with the proverbial little puzzle box. He is interrupted by an team come to investigate the apparent hijacking of the station. His efforts to explain the history of the box and the reason for his actions take us first to 18th Century Paris where the box is first made and Angelique (demon #1) invoked. Then we head for 1996 where a young architect nearly makes a monumental box and Pinhead (demon #2) makes his entry.
Finally, we return to the station in 2127, where the latest Merchant is trying to destroy both the box, and the demons it summons. While the Paris episode is mostly just plain bloody, the remaining stories have real plots, and Pinhead (played by Doug Bradley) does a bang up job of being both horrible and intelligent. Thus you get all your basic urges satisfied, learn some of the background story behind all the films, and get a bit of demonic philosophy as well.
I'm tempted to say that this could very easily be the best of the Hellraisers. This is due primarily to Bradley's job as Pinhead. Grotesque, but with an austere nobility, he fascinates and repels at the same time. He delights in his soulless state ("Do I look like someone who cares about what God thinks?"), wielding pain the same way Angelique tries to seduce, but with considerably more effect. Just for a moment you may find yourself tempted by the emptiness he represents.
Movie Review: Why Hellraiser:Bloodline is better than you'd think
Summary: 4 Stars
A lot of people don't like this movie,but I am not amoung them. This was the first Hellraiser I saw,so obviously I found it a little hard to follow,ok I found it damn near impossible to follow,but that's just coz I hadn't seen the rest of them.But strange as it may be this is an amazing concept for a horror movie,it's no routine slasher.As Bloodline takes place in three different timezones it really gives us a chance to lern more about the Merchant family and the Lament Configuration.But I think what I liked most about this movie are the killer one liners. As I'm sure most hellraiser fans know,Pinhead can't be on the screen more than two seconds without starting to prattle on about something profound.Some people find this tedeious,but I don't. The way I see it is that he's just making up for the killers who don't say anything at all, like Micheal Myers. Another thing I liked about this movie is the acting. It was actually really great,and I was happy to see Kim Myers whom I knew from Freddy's revenge.But I must say Doug Bradley does an excellant job as Pinhead and stops the movie dragging.Introducing Angelique was a great idea coz she adds some competion. Now if your a goreHOUND you'll DIG this movie,(get it..hound,dig,ha,ha)coz there's plenty of messy stuff.Although there's loads of gore,however the movie manages to steer away from becoming a total splatfestival.So that's why I liked it,and who doesn't love horror in space? The si-fi fans that's who!But anyway, good movie,good acting,one of the best of the series,But part3 rocks the most!This was Deathgirl telling you why Hellraiser:Bloodline is better than you'd think.(...)Movie Review: Better than Hell On Earth, but not as good as the first two.
Summary: 4 Stars
This movie was better than Hellraiser III, which did have some good parts, but was definitely lacking something. The biggest problem I have is that the makeup effects for the last two movies, while elaborate, don't look quite as realistic as those for the first two. Sure, some of the stuff in the first two looked a little rubbery, but the coloring wasn't unrealistically bright, and the Cenobites were supposed to look like they were powdered, not plastic and shiny, like their skin was naturally that white.The story on this one did NOT come from nowhere. There was a comic series that was released a several years ago called Clive Barker's Book of the Damned (I, II, III, and I think there was a IV), and I believe Clive Barker had some input in some form as to the content. They actually told the backstory for the series, including the origin of the box in III. While the story was twisted a bit in Bloodline, it is still very recognizable. I've heard this movie was originally a lot different, and would like to see an earlier cut, but all of them except the first were changed significantly in post-production.. just listen to the commentary on the Hellbound DVD, at least the one from the boxed set. Some interesting ideas there, too.. :)
While I don't expect Hellraiser: Inferno to be as good as the first two, I hope it's at least no worse than this one..
Parting comment.. a friend pointed something interesting out to me. This is Hellraiser IV. I.V... which you might call a "bloodline"..