Hellraiser: Bloodline
1996
The Cast
This could be called Pinhead in Space or Death of Pinhead or L'Merchant's Revenge. So I put off watching this one as the thought of Pinhead in Space kinda made me feel nauseous, especially after Jason X - sometimes you shouldn't trust your gut or your precognitive intuition; because I missed probably the best Hellraiser film. Oh, that has to be controversial as it only scored 5.1 on IMDb.
It's the story that makes this movie. There are three stories for the price of one, to be exact. We start with the pivotal tale of Dr Paul Merchant, a distant relative to the cube's creator Phillip L'Merchant, who is driven to right the wrongs his ancestor loosed upon man and womankind. This tale is set in the far future (making it so we can still have Pinhead stories and movies up until 2127 - 109 years to go...). We then have the tale of Phillip and his role in the release and creation of the Cenobites. It's this story that introduces us to Hell's princess, Angelique, who is a proper daemon and constricted by rules and commandments, more a puppet than a puppeteer. Then the third story is set at the end of the third movie where the building at the climax is built by architect John Merchant. What is so good is the intrinsicalities within the story that leads to a believable final act, tying all four films together to give a credible ending to the saga.
At one point in the late '80's and '90's horror was going orbital. There was a spate of Sci-Fi Horror flicks. The one crucial difference here is space being intrinsic to the plot - it's not just the writer going... what now? Oh, I know - Space!
It's also nice that Kevin Yagher (who directed under the pseudonym of Alan Smithee) used such different lighting methods to create the most suitable atmospheres. The story of Phillip is more frightening than the rest as it uses firelight and long shadows to enlighten the scenes of debauchery, violence, and bloodletting. Whereas, the modern day of John uses natural light. Yagher uses silhouettes and dark corners well to build up the tension. Then in Paul's future, there's subdued blue electric lighting as there's no natural lighting in a tin-can. This gives the added feeling of coldness and aloneness. Add to this, some nice segues and camera shots and you have a very well crafted film.
Add to that the cast, who are all good in their roles. I didn't even realise that all the Merchant's were played by the same actor, Bruce Ramsey, he was that good at giving them different personas. Though Bradley is just as brilliant as Pinhead, as usual, I have to give credit to Valentina Vargas who is superb as Angelique. In the beginning, she appears cool and calculated as she bides her time until she can free herself from the ties that bind her to her puppeteer, Jacques (Scott). Then when she meets Pinhead, taking a place by his side, she's nearly as fear-inducing as he.
For the most part, the special effects are on par with the previous movies, though the CGI has gotten better it still looks dated. And why do all robots have to have an element of a human? Why does this 'bot need a terminator steel skull?
Though you could watch this one as a stand-alone film, I would at least recommend having watched Hell On Earth, just so you get a feel for the Cenobites, and you know the story behind Merchant's building.
I give this Origin Story and "Barker/Atkins" Saga Conclusion a Gore-soaked and Bloody 7.5 out of 10.
No comments:
Post a Comment