Sorry for the wait for this one, I have been sick for a little while. Also, if I sounded funny at all in chapter one, thats why. I was trying to get the video out in a reasonable time. I hope you liked it, thank you so much for watching. Let me know what other topics you would like to see me cover in the future, and if you would like to support the channel I now have a Patreon, the link to that is in the description. Thanks for watching, and have a nice day!
Matthías Már Kristjánsson thank you for the kind words! I hope so! I love making videos so I will keep doing it, but I am always glad when the channel has growth spurts and when people seem to like the videos. It is always what keeps me going, so thanks!
I really enjoyed this video by you(sorry you were ill so thanks). I read Clive Barker so I naturally watched these movies and actually enjoyed them. But your breakdown has helped me understand why things didn't click in the movies, amazed they are so good at that low budget. Interesting to me is the loss of so many movie studios due to takeovers. Looking at Walt Disney Company takeover of Fox. Last year's Oscar's had so many indie movies nominated with wins. We as filmlovers lose if Disney allows only sequels, redos. Not sure but only 3 big studios left.
@@christinacope562 Thank you so much for watching and I am glad that it helped. I always really like to hear that. And I agree, I think that the more options we have the better as consumers, and in that regard film studio mergers are always kind of a bummer for me that usually come with a few good things. But yeah the story behind the scenes of these movies is kind of crazy, and it definitely helps contextualize why certain things in the movies are the way they are I think.
I'm glad you feel better! I couldn't even tell you were sick in this video. Have you seen the series You? There are so many topics you could cover with it!
Even then though if it hadn't been for the cut to budget the second one sounds like it could have been good. It's also sad that pinhead became so popular, as the Cenobites were never meant to be the main baddies, but him getting so popular ended up turning them into the baddies purely as people remember him.
Did I hear correct? I replayed it a few times. $500-$1,000 to reprise the role of a horror icon? What a slap in the face. How dare they treat Bradley like that? A true shame.
I think worst thing that happened to the frenchise is that, out of a sudden, the cenobites were portrait as purely evil. "Angels to some, demons to others" no more. It was more scary when their role was more ambiguous. Gone are the philosophical implications. Gone is the mystery. Gone is everything that made the first two parts great. All for a concept that is easier to grasp, and done to death since forever. Its boring and bland and uncreative. If youd ask me, id say this was all a coup by the god of the labyrinth, himself, to torture as many people as possible.
I completely agree. That's where this series lost me at as well. Once the Cenobites became generic demons and it all became about Hell and Heaven, God and the Devil style Judeo-Christian stuff, the Lovecraftian-Barker horror was gone.
@@cyryc i think the point the op was trying to make was that the cenobites aren't supposed to be punishing people who are evil. They are largely indifferent to weather someone is "good or evil"
The Weinsteins had long been known for utterly destroying anything they could get the rights to under the intent of making it more commercial. The infamous "Harvey Scissorhands" who hacks up and re-edits films. Or hold the rights without releasing it so they can put a remake into production or such.
I gotta hand it to Barker, though: Blowing up Pinhead in a giant version of the box was as clear of a "Can we please just move on from this now, already?" as a creator can provide.
@@Visitormassacre If my memory is correct, Harry even refers to the Hell Priest as Pinhead mockingly. Though I think it was vague as to whether or not it was a sequel to Hellraiser.
@@Visitormassacre the problem was he cant find budget in england,,,that was miserable,,he may keep his story like coscarelly of phantasm,,but he had to go and sell the story to nwp
Considering Barker got the rights back in 2020 after a legal dispute and the successful reboot 2022 Hellraiser movie, I would Love to see you do an update to this!!! It is deserved!
Women used their bodies to become famous millionaires and then turned around and falsely accused people of sex to get even more money, but Harvey is the evil one. Lol.
@@verdanthyborian2322 As somebody who is all for owning one's actions and faults which includes how one rises to financial success, I find your take on the matter to be objectively bad.
@@honestjohn3881 all of these women came to him repeatedly so they could be rich and famous. Once they got old and fucking ugly, they couldn't get any more roles. So they needed a false rape allegation to leech even more money from him. Defenders of these false rape liars is disgusting.
Dude, you really dropped the mic on this one, what an amazing video. I love how you not only examine the artistic elements of a film, but the motivations of the people behind the scenes and how that affects art. I love love love your work!
Hey thank you! Sorry I don’t know how I missed this comment when you posted it but I always try to respond to them all, I really liked working on this one, I think the franchise videos are overall my favorite to work on haha thanks again!
Christian J.S. Schulze Aguiar very true! There’s other channels that say they “Break down” or “Analyze” movies but honestly they just Summarize the movies by reading the Wikipedia page of movies and I can tell that’s what their doing which I can’t stand! He honestly he really does an awesome job!
Most horror reviews and essayists are just metal heads with edge lord cringehumor. In praise of shadows actually looks at it from an academic point of view with the level of quality as say any Movies with Mikey, or Patrick Willems presents episode
@@nathanielhaven3453 you really nailed my issues with horror reviews. Cringy metalheads (not normal metalheads, they are cool) just think they are the overseers of horror and it's awful
Thank you! It’s always interested me because the concept behind the first ones are such out there ideas, it really was as a kid my first introduction to Lovecraftian ideas as well. Glad you liked it man!
@@InPraiseofShadows love your work that keep me up at nights. I think you should read the comics of Hellraiser Made by Epic comics in the early 90's. I promise you it will be a very enjoyable experience. I'm a 34 y/o guy from Mexico and for me the only way to get those was in the website getcomics.info cause they are not available in my country. Wish u the best, I just watched the first part of the horror cómics history and I love it. Keep it up. Greetings from Sinaloa.
Like he said in this overview 1 & 2 are good. 3 is okish. All the rest are the type of thing you do with friends and some beer to have a Mystery Science Theater 2000 type experience. I do recomend reading Hellraiser or Books of Blood by Clive Barker. I know Audible did have a version of Hellraiser recorded with Doug Bradley (actor for Pinhead/Hell Priest) narrating. So if your life is too busy for reading very large volume books listen to Hellraiser on Audible, Google or Apple Books before watching the movies.
Not a franchise I watch a lot (I'm not a huge fan of gore), but I find the mythology really interesting. I like Hellbound the best; the labyrinth and the Leviathin remind me a lot of Zdzisław Beksiński or Gerald Scarfe.
The concept of the Cenobites is absolutely brilliant, and far scarier than "a bunch of guys in leather killing people" as they'd be reduced to by part 3. And on some level, I get it: a lot of what makes the concept so great is EXTREMELY difficult to realize on film. Even the first two movies never quite get there, as much as I love them. And the temptation to just make more and more crazy Cenobite designs and grotesque gore must be extremely strong. I know I'd be tempted. I really think a new, great Hellraiser movie would have to start from square one. Just "a person seeking new heights of physical experience comes upon a box that gives him exactly what he asked for and then some by the hands of The Order Of The Gash, and we explore what happens from there". Forget any other established mythos, just start there and build from that. Personally, I think following the "life in the Labyrinth" of a person who willingly opens the box would be fascinating. No "defeating" the Cenobites, no escape or redemption arc or anything, just seeing exactly what people sign up for when they call on Pinhead & Co. and what the experience does to them. I'm almost picturing a psychological study/arthouse drama approach to the whole thing, just with the visual trappings of more traditional horror.
You should read "The Hellbound Heart" and check out the graphic novels. There's a lot of interesting stuff in there along the lines of what you're describing (as well as a lot of trash). I think there's a lot of potential there for a really cool streaming television series (in the same vein as Stranger Things), though this will very likely never happen.
They need to do away with the title "The Order of the Gash", though. It just comes off as silly and trying too hard. Not to mention that the double meaning probably doesn't come through for most American audiences since "gash" as a particularly vulgar slang term for "vagina" isn't used here. But it is the reboot the series needs. Really lean into the BDSM themes of the original concept and the line between pleasure and pain taken to extremes. Exploring the limits of physical sensation as a form of hedonism and possibly out of a need to simply feel anything. You could get some great work from people within the BDSM community as there are a lot of flashy things that look really painful and extreme but aren't especially uncommon. Also helped by how many people in that community are huge geeks and horror fans.
@@AFastidiousCuber I'm curious about what parts of the graphic novels you consider trash. I'm not being sarcastic at all. For me, the Omnibus 1, the one with the Harrowers and Kirsty Cotton becoming the new Pinhead, started out amazingly but at the end became more confusing and not that good in terms of how they solve the situations. But still a great story
@@alejandrovillalba3143 There were some silly comics that did things like Christmas themed Hellraiser characters and stuff like that. A lot of the mainline stuff isn't what I would consider to be "trash" but it too often veers off into being completely incomprehensible or it gets obsessed with mythologizing the most iconic characters, namely Kirsty and Pinhead.
You should make more of these. Wrong Turn, Final Destination, Texas Chainsaw Massacre, etc. Especially for Leprechaun because I need some context as to how that can be anyone's favorite horror franchise.
The first Leprechaun is an okay schlocky, doofy time. After that... Yeah, things just fall apart. Ah, well. Guess it kept Warwick Davis in steady work.
While I wouldn't say Leprechaun is my favorite horror franchise per se, I do like it simply because of how goofy it is and that it is completely honest about how weird and silly the core premise inherently is, before they fucked it up with a gritty reboot, it doesn't pretend its anything deeper unlike the early Friday the 13th films.
Thank you for covering this series! The original Hellraiser movie has always been one of my favorites. It captures the atmosphere of horror film making in the 80s so well, it's just so... "gritty" in the best way. And Clive Barker's relationship with the franchise is fascinating as well. I think it says something about the relationship between horror literature and horror film, the clash between the freedom that writing allows from agencies like the MPAA, which your opinion of is pretty clear in this video, and the great power and allure that visual media holds for artists. It makes me wonder how the series would have looked unrestricted. Probably better in certain ways, but as you mentioned Clive seems to struggle a bit condensing his more literary ideas into a format suitable for film. Maybe the whole thing would have gone off the rails from the beginning. I'm sure it would have been fascinating regardless. The whole thing about the middle of the franchise being mostly filler/advertisements for future reboots of the series is fascinating as well. You mentioned that several of the films were created pretty much just to keep the rights from reverting back to Clive. I'm not sure what to think about that. It seems like the series didn't have that much monetary value at that point in its life, but I guess they still recognized how much of a following it had and what potential there was if they were to ever actually put some money into a reboot. I wonder what Hellraiser would look like if it was made in today's culture. Without the baggage of the last 30 years of Hellraiser movies. Although now that I think of it I'm not sure it would be recognizable. The themes of sexuality, spirituality and morality in the original film I would argue are really inextricably linked to the culture of the late 80s in the USA. The country was in the grips of both the AIDS Epidemic and Satanic Panic, perhaps it was the perfect time for this film with this director to be made. Again thanks so much for the work you put into these videos. They are truly excellent and I have not doubt that your following will only continue to grow.
Thank you so much for the wonderful write up! I really liked that! But yes for the most part I am really against organizations like the MPAA but in a way they are necessary because they are the only thing that saved the film business from being taken over by the FCC, so in that way I am thankful they exist but for the most part I am extremely against censorship unless the art directly hurts an individual. It probably would have been just as insane and still fallen apart, but I agree that I would have liked to have seen it happen. Barker is a really interesting character to me, and even though I think a lot of his non literary work fails a little in some ways, it is always extremely interesting to see what he is trying to do with his films. As far as the rights are concerned, it is a really interesting issue because it typically is done to keep an IP from a company and not a man. kind of like Sony keeping Venom from Marvel. But I think it is a really bad thing to do and only prevents art from being made. Overall, I think that Hellraiser is a product of its time like you said. I don't think it is an idea that anyone would fund today, which is why the franchise changed its identity to such an extreme. It is a really weird case all around, but also fascinating because there are so many things going on in it that are unique only to Hellraiser, you know?
Something I find interesting (and refreshing) about Barker's works is that he often flips gender roles. In The Hellbound Heart, the female characters are the ones who are sexually driven and lustful while Rory (the only other major male character aside from Frank) is concerned with fidelity and love. In the novella, Kirsty is actually a friend of Rory's, not his daughter, and she's secretly in love with Rory but has been "friend zoned" (for lack of a better term). Kirsty does a lot of what she does because of her attraction to Rory (this isn't to say she doesn't genuinely care for him, she does, but she does have clear sexual feelings for Rory). Meanwhile, Frank is manipulating Julia through lust in order to get her to lure men back to the house to feed on. We almost always see female characters manipulating male characters with sexuality to get what they want but here, the script is flipped, and the man is using the woman's sexual desire to get what he wants. We also often see horror stories where men prey on unsuspecting women but, here, it's a woman preying on unsuspecting men. There's also some interesting parallels between Julia and Kirsty. Julia is described as being something of a beauty queen while Kirsty is described as being kind of plain looking. In a lot of media, beauty is considered synonymous with being good and virtuous but Julia is undoubtedly evil while Kirsty is a very kind and sweet young woman. Both of them, however, are motivated through their desire (Julia for Frank, Kirsty for Rory). Kirsty is initially trying to see if Julia is cheating on Rory which inadvertently gets her thrown into the horror. Overall, I think The Hellbound Heart was progressive and subversive in a lot of ways, showing female sexual autonomy, male desire for fidelity and love, a male character acting as the "femme fatale" (or homme fatale in this case), a woman posing a threat to men, and a woman going to hell and back for the man she loves. I wish more horror media would take the risks that The Hellbound Heart did.
I’ve never seen any of the Hellraiser franchise, but it’s been a pleasure experiencing its essence via the vehicle of this video essay. So very well done and inspired. You have such a knack for these essays and I’ve been a big fan of your channel for years now. Keep up the great work; it’s some of the best on TH-cam!
You make fantastic videos. Very well researched and your scripts and excellently written - full of detail but snappy enough to maintain engagement. Well done to you, keep up the great work.
No, thank you for watching them! I haven't had one in a little bit, but I do have two Franchise ones that I am working on right now, plus another different longer video that will be up within the next week!
SuperEyePatchWolf recommended your channel on his newest episode and I am glad to say this has now become one of my favorite channels, and I assume soon to be many others as well, keep up the good work dude 👍
Thanks! Yeah I actually have listened to LFaB for a pretty good while now so it was super cool to hear that from him about the channel in the newest episode. Definitely one of the best moments of my TH-cam career so far.
Fantastic breakdown and background research presented here. I really enjoyed this! I hope to hear your thoughts on the new Hellraiser 2022 sometime soon!
Love your series man, you are one of the few horror movie critics out there who legitimately know how to make both fun and campy horrors and effective ones. Would love for you to cover Nightmare on Elm Street, which I think is one of the most consistent horror franchises quality wise, with every movie standing on its own feet. Hoping that you will like 5 despite most disliking it.
Thank you so much that means a great deal to me! I love all the Nightmare movies a lot! I’m going to for sure make that soon, it will definitely be the next giant video that I make that is in this style. Glad you’re liking them!
I agree with you there. I think there's something to love about every Nightmare on Elm Street movie (Even Freddy's Dead has one or two good scenes, despite being the worst of the series). I personally love the 2 Alice movies best, I think Dream Child is one of the most interesting concepts for a NoES movie (it being on the fact that fetuses dream while in the womb is an incredibly interesting real life thing to center the plot on). My favorite of the series is Dream Warrior, Alice is a great protagonist and the best part of the movie is the characters in that movie. I genuinely found Alice's friend group to be an all around pleasant group of teens who all cared about each other and it made me feel sad when they all died in really horrible ways and in my opinion a horror movie that makes me care about the characters is worth appreciating.
In my mind, Barker's 'The Books Of Blood' remains some of the most incisive, lean and muscular prose ever written in horror. Those books completely changed my concept of pacing and the inner structure of literature. Great video, this movie was quite impressive and imaginative considering the limited constraints they operated under.
My main takeaway from this video is that I need to read more of Barker's stuff. I never thought to look into his work beyond the short story that became the first film. I haven't read any pure horror books in a while.
Omg, I stopped watching at 3 and thank goodness. I still say that hellraiser was the scariest/interesting 80s horror movie. I wouldn't mind, if done right, to see it redone maybe even a prequel or origins of the Leviathan. Great job on all the research, info and presentation on one of the best 80s horror movies.
Oh that’s really cool! I liked Greensboro, I still go back from time to time. I split my time between Morganton and Asheville now so still pretty close by. I love that that was filmed there though, it’s a fun bit of trivia I think and it’s cool that you know someone involved in it. That would have a been a fun scene to watch them film.
This is the best examination of all the Hellraiser movies I have ever seen!!!!! You delve into aspects most do not. You actually do investigative research to find the facts of why things did or did not happen. Every video of yours I have watched has been fantastic. With Hellraiser being one of my favorite books and movies (1&2 that is 3okish) I thank you for doing this. You explained so much of the behind the scenes issues I never knew or knew little about.
thank you so much for taking the time to make this deep dive! hellraiser has always been one of my favorite movie franchises despite the very muddy and not great sequels
Yeah clive barker is super ambitious and you can see glimpse of his vision in his works, and it's truly amazing. Imagine what he would be able to accomplish with enough money and time.
I really liked Hellseeker. Kirsty is still my favorite protagonist. Pinhead maintains his role as Antihero to Kirsty. The Husband had been cheating on Kirsty, like her step mother did to her father. To keep her money and get rid of her, the husband tried to convince her she was crazy. He trys to get her to open the box and be killed by Pinhead. All the people who help the husband are the people Kirsty uses to stay out of the Labrynth. She trades these souls for her own, topped finally with her cheating husband. It made me feel like there was romance between Kirsty and Pinhead. Angel to some. He implyes Kirsty is the one many times that called to him. That she is what brought the box. I liked that dynamic between them. It is for that reason one of my favorites. Pinhead is still my Favorite Antihero. I still love these stories. Alot of this could have been more, but 1,2, and Hellseeker were worth it.
I feel like the vibe of Gothic Romance was pretty blatant in the Hellbound when she reminds him of his humanity. He fights and then dies for her, after all. And the look between Elliott and Kirsty before he's killed contains novels imo. That's the most interesting thing in this franchise to me, so I take the crumbs from 3 and 6 gladly. The extended/deleted Kirsty/Pinhead scene from Hellseeker makes the movie worthwhile. A lot go fans seem to have a problem with him being humanised and I feel that means they're looking at it as something it's not. He's not a monster who is meant to be alien at all. The cenobites are a mirror and are about fundamentally human desires/vices. They were never originally supposed to be evil or demons or unknowable. They're supposed to be terrifyingly familiar and ultimate faintly tragic. It's only realised with Pinhead, but I think it's part of why he became and remained so popular.
Hoo baby are your videos so good. I love the in depth opinions and viewpoints you present. I don't have much to say about the films themselves as I haven't seen past the fourth, but I always love seeing your videos pop up. I know I'm in for an amazing and informative time.
SpongebobMusicUnited haha thanks! Yeah this one was a bit of a beast to tackle, I knew that this, Nightmare on Elm Street, and Friday the 13th would be the three hardest of these to do just because of how many movies there were in each series. But I do eventually want to get around to all of the big ones at least and a few mid ones too in this format. I’m glad you’ve been liking them though, thank you for saying so it always makes me feel really good to hear!
@@InPraiseofShadows Absolutely! These have got to be some of my favorite videos on TH-cam. And yeah as soon as I saw the video pop up I knew it was going to be a long one because this series is insanely varied and long. I learned a lot of things I never knew before in this one too! I'm really looking forward to all you have to put out too! Really interested on your thoughts on Nightmare on Elm Street because it's so polarizing the further it goes on haha
@@KenzieMcV Oh for sure, I am really excited to do Nightmare. I actually have a really funny minor connection to that series too. I live in the same town as Jack Sholder who directed the second one and I see him in public randomly at least once a year. I talked with him once about making the movie, he's a super nice guy and he made one of my favorite movies to come out of the 80's called The Hidden. It had a pre Twin Peaks Kyle Maclachlan in it too, and it is really fun. Nightmare was one of my favorite series as a kid especially, I loved how they used fantasy imagery. So I imagine that that will probably be the next giant video that I tackle in this format at least. And thank you that is really kind!
@@InPraiseofShadows Wow small world, now I am even more interested to hear your thoughts on the series. I actually really like the second one, but I can easily see how it would be the least favorite for others. Me being gay probably has something to do with that. Anyway, listening to him in interviews talk about making the film is very interesting to me. From what I remember he didn't "intend" for the film to be as outwardly homoerotic as it became. But I am honestly not sure how much I buy that Haha it seems pretty intentional. Either that or it was a wildly particular patch of luck to create a film that gay at that time and with an icon like Freddy.
He told me the same thing but I honestly don’t believe him haha I love that movie, it is really fun. That’s what is so great about that series is they each have their own flavor to them and part 2 is really great in my opinion. But yeah he’s a really chill guy and is really pleasant to talk with! So I’m definitely looking forward to making that one soon in the future though!
Incredible, when you mentioned the Oklahoma bombing, first thing I thought was Michael Moore's documentary, the way I learned about that incident. Then you reveal a deeper connection.
I appreciate how you were able to preface your criticism of the new Pinhead actor's body and face shape to make it clear it wasn't against the actor himself, and that there was nothing wrong with his appearance in general, just as relates to the role. I am also glad I waited a few minutes before just leaving a comment that said, "This new Pinhead is chonky boy!" ... that would have been insensitive.
Pretty similar yeah, Miura was a big fan of the first movie when it came out so he took that but also more noticeably the Cenobite design for the God Hand.
I actually love the ending of the final film, I think it’s really clever. They found a way to finally give pinhead his comeuppance and his scream when he realises he’s been outplayed by the holy powers is just juicy
I truly wish I could have a conversation with you. you take on horror is refreshing and personal. id love to try to seay you on some opinions. I hope your channel blows up soon.
Thank you so much, that is really nice to hear because they are definitely the ones that I take the most pride in and work the hardest for. Those are definitely getting made, I'm currently half way through a shorter one that will come out really soon, maybe next week even, but after that Nightmare will probably be the next big video that I do. Thanks again!
As I've said of a few videos you did, this is an excellent analysis. Alas, I haven't been able to view all the films in the franchise, but you show such energy, interest and insight into the first few entries. You realize, particularly in discussing the first film, what the producers, studios, etc., who perpetuate such a franchise often forget: that the successful first film in many series is often very good because it's so intimate. While it's always the Cenobites people discuss, HELLRAISER really started (as actor Andrew Robinson once said in an interview) as a sort of domestic tragedy steeped in supernatural overtones. (In this sense, the first movie's effects echo what Rod Serling did on THE TWILIGHT ZONE and NIGHT GALLERY: it concentrates on the people, and all the evil that unfolds directly relates to the characters' motivations. As Julia slowly overcomes her revulsion and does what she must to regenerate Frank, we may be horrified, but we've already felt her profound unhappiness and understand what it is that drives her, and that's a tribute to Clive Barker's script as much as it is to Clare Higgins' wonderful performance. As much as I enjoy HELLRAISER and Doug Bradley's unforgettable portrayal of Pinhead, when I think of the movie I overwhelmingly think of Frank and Julia, its incredible dialogue, and the sometimes queasy premise we're subjected to from beginning to end. In any event, I found it an incredible experience due to its intimacy, and the way the budget's and era's constraints on Barker's work concentrated it to a degree. You're right: pre-CGI (and even now, in an era rife with CGI) showing what Barker imagines in terms of story, character and imagery tends to be so epic that there's no realistic way to convey it. Anyway, great work! Keep it up, and continue with your own art too!...
The chapter there introduced in is called "The Guardians Of Desire" and considering that Miura's a big horror fan, I would be very surprised if it was just a coincidence
This series is the most deserving of a big reboot of any horror franchise out there. I feel like most of the horror classics already lived up to their premise and now just try to recapture it, but its very clear to see Hellraiser never got the opportunity to reach the heights of its biggest ideas.
You by far have the best account on TH-cam. My only wish is some media conglomerate watches one of these videos and pays u massive amounts of money to make them. I can see u with a horror themed show on TCM or some such channel. Good work my friend.
I really enjoy your videos and I have rewatched this one several times. For a video that's nearly an hour long, it really flies by with its excellent pacing. Every time I watch this, I am filled a renewed determination that this new decade should be the beginning of a much needed Clive Barker renaissance, on par with the many successful Stephen King adaptations that were released during the 2010s. It seems like many past attempts to adapt Barker's works in the past were hampered by Hollywood's old-fashioned prudishness in regards to themes of queerness and sexuality in mainstream horror films, but times are changing and I think we are ready to bring his original vision of Hellraiser to the big screen for a new generation of horror fans.
You mark my words, once i attain my fame as a writer, however long it may take, i will have my eyes looking at the hellraiser franchise! great video though! it's a very detailed and well thought out post mortem, and i like your idea of the franchise and it's themes.
The Hellraiser : Origins (one of several Barker/Hellraiser films ‘never to be made’) would have been awesome. Exploring all that wasn’t explored because of the reasons you highlight for the decline in this wondrous Barker creation.
I love horror; it's my favorite genre of media. I don't derive much interest from gore, and I believe that reliance on jump-scares is a crutch used by bad storytellers. That said, horror has to have weight. Anyone who's ever been genuinely horrified by something knows it's a crushing, corrosive, and exhausting experience. Truly good horror should walk straight towards breaking the audiences spirit and then pulling back just before the chasm. Great work, love the videos.
$900k budget--made one of the most iconic claymation sequence in not just horror, but all of film to, uh, say the least. the characters, the mood, themes, and the music remain huge inspirations to me
As a horror lover and admitted TH-cam addict, I don't know I'm just now discovering your channel. I'm thrilled that I have, though. Excellent work! I can't wait to pilfer through your catalog and to see what is yet to come.
At 37 years old I watched Hellraiser for the first time a few weeks ago. And I loved it. Apart from knowing what Pinhead looked like I knew nothing about it, and I really dug that the Cenobites were simply neutral characters in a broader story. It wasn't a slasher film featuring a malevolent monster, it was a twisted love story. Then I watch Hellbound, and while I still enjoyed it, it felt like a film of two halves, the first being the better half. Dr Chanard becoming that malevolent slasher villain on a rampage, and it lost its charm for me. Then I watched Hell on Earth... I had intended on watching all 10 films, but after Hell on Earth I thought it best to do some research, and with many referring to Hell on Earth as "the last good one" I really lost the appetite to continue. Hell on Earth borders almost on parody. It is truly saddening the path the Hellraiser series took, and I can only hope the upcoming reboot can redeem the series. But its going direct to Hulu and being filmed in Serbia, so I'm not holding my breath.
Love to see Hellraiser discussion, even if we disagree on a lot of points. The only thing that drove me crazy is that it's Gary J. Tunnicliffe. Tune, not turn.
I stumbled across hellraiser through a video on Georges Bataillle, and watched it because I found it on youtube. I was floored by how captivating Barkers endevour was, and I wound up watching the second onw shortly after, not dissapointed. I can tell you I was confused when I gotnto the third. I could see the management had shifted, and Incould tell the new people had no idea what hellraiser was. I kept going from sheer masochism, but gave up after the detective in purgatory for cheating one. Hellraiser (excluding everything after the second film) is a compelling tale about human drives and needs to their width and depth, paired with an aesthetic of beutiful uglyness (o filthy grandeour, o sublime disgrace and all that jazz) that comunicates the lucid nature of senory qualities, like pleasure and pain, which are truly one and the same if taken to their limits.
I've watched this documentary/biopsy quite a few times and always come back to it again as i find your views creatively inspiring. Hellraiser is my favourite IP of all time but it doesn't rest purely on the source material or the films. I love the scope of possibilities put forward by the Epic comic series that took the principles of the Hellraiser universe and went imaginative with it. If there was a time I wish i could travel back to it would be then, so I could contribute to the huge collection of stories with seemingly little limitations. Would you ever consider diving into the Epic Hellraiser comic series? if not maybe the strange Barkerverse comics with EctoKid and Saint Sinner?
I've seen the first 5 Hellraiser films but I couldn't finish the 6th, so that's where I stopped. The "gargling" scene you showed from the most recent installment actually made me lose at least 25% of my dinner just now. I, uh, wish I had the forethought to look away before that was on screen? Otherwise, though, thanks for the video! It was very enlightening.
This is an incredible retrospect/analysis! I am honored to subscribe to your channel. Just looking at your catalogue of content has me excited. Well done!
Wow... as a former Greensboro resident myself... you described it perfectly. I at least had the pleasure of having Pokemon Go's release while I was living there.
Amazing Video! Amazing. I Always Loved the Original Concept of Clive Barker's Hellraiser, and trully feel sad with the way this concept was dismantled and distorted, to the point of barely being recognized. Your video is a wonderful analysis as this franchise unfolds. Great Job
I'm only quarter of an hour but clearly but this is just the sort of video I have been looking for about the franchise. Thanks. It's astonishing that hellbound was made for not much than the first one, the visuals in the second half always stuck with me
Another great video with phenomenal music that documents the increasingly sad decline of series that initially had so much promise. I can take only so much horror because of being as empathic as I am. I legitimately was nauseated almost to the point of dry heaving from some of the scenes you used from the final movie and I agree with you that is not what horror should be or truly is. Horror should be terrifying, nightmare inducing, not disgusting.
I greatly appreciate the time and effort you have put into your analyses. While I don't see eye-to-eye on all of your points, this video has certainly been informative. I never bothered to watch Hellraiser past the second film, and I'm satisfied with that decision.
Does anyone know if the books written of these movies are any more successful than the movies in explaining the artists vision and world behind it? I might buy them to read if they show the idea better as it sounds super interesting!
They’re now making a TV series with Clive Barker’s permission (and, I believe, input) and Pinhead will be played by a male-to-female transgender actress. So there’s hope!
Sorry for the wait for this one, I have been sick for a little while. Also, if I sounded funny at all in chapter one, thats why. I was trying to get the video out in a reasonable time. I hope you liked it, thank you so much for watching. Let me know what other topics you would like to see me cover in the future, and if you would like to support the channel I now have a Patreon, the link to that is in the description. Thanks for watching, and have a nice day!
Matthías Már Kristjánsson thank you for the kind words! I hope so! I love making videos so I will keep doing it, but I am always glad when the channel has growth spurts and when people seem to like the videos. It is always what keeps me going, so thanks!
I really enjoyed this video by you(sorry you were ill so thanks).
I read Clive Barker so I naturally watched these movies and actually enjoyed them. But your breakdown has helped me understand why things didn't click in the movies, amazed they are so good at that low budget.
Interesting to me is the loss of so many movie studios due to takeovers. Looking at Walt Disney Company takeover of Fox. Last year's Oscar's had so many indie movies nominated with wins. We as filmlovers lose if Disney allows only sequels, redos. Not sure but only 3 big studios left.
@@christinacope562 Thank you so much for watching and I am glad that it helped. I always really like to hear that. And I agree, I think that the more options we have the better as consumers, and in that regard film studio mergers are always kind of a bummer for me that usually come with a few good things. But yeah the story behind the scenes of these movies is kind of crazy, and it definitely helps contextualize why certain things in the movies are the way they are I think.
I'm glad you feel better! I couldn't even tell you were sick in this video.
Have you seen the series You? There are so many topics you could cover with it!
No I haven’t seen it before but I want to look into it, is it a movie series or a show??
“The film was a hit, and production was rushed to get a second film out as quickly as possible.”
I’m sensing a theme here.
@skullpull 101 Makes me wonder what it could've been, but I also liked pretty much every direction they took with 2
Even then though if it hadn't been for the cut to budget the second one sounds like it could have been good. It's also sad that pinhead became so popular, as the Cenobites were never meant to be the main baddies, but him getting so popular ended up turning them into the baddies purely as people remember him.
Did I hear correct? I replayed it a few times. $500-$1,000 to reprise the role of a horror icon? What a slap in the face. How dare they treat Bradley like that? A true shame.
I think worst thing that happened to the frenchise is that, out of a sudden, the cenobites were portrait as purely evil. "Angels to some, demons to others" no more. It was more scary when their role was more ambiguous. Gone are the philosophical implications. Gone is the mystery. Gone is everything that made the first two parts great. All for a concept that is easier to grasp, and done to death since forever. Its boring and bland and uncreative. If youd ask me, id say this was all a coup by the god of the labyrinth, himself, to torture as many people as possible.
Anatomy in this video is kinda Ironic cus the series is dead
That about sums it up.
I completely agree. That's where this series lost me at as well. Once the Cenobites became generic demons and it all became about Hell and Heaven, God and the Devil style Judeo-Christian stuff, the Lovecraftian-Barker horror was gone.
yeah because punishing the detective in Inferno - who was a bad person - makes them evil.
@@cyryc i think the point the op was trying to make was that the cenobites aren't supposed to be punishing people who are evil. They are largely indifferent to weather someone is "good or evil"
'We'll tear your soul apart'
_-Weinstein shortly after obtaining the Hellraiser franchise rights_
The Weinsteins had long been known for utterly destroying anything they could get the rights to under the intent of making it more commercial. The infamous "Harvey Scissorhands" who hacks up and re-edits films. Or hold the rights without releasing it so they can put a remake into production or such.
I gotta hand it to Barker, though: Blowing up Pinhead in a giant version of the box was as clear of a "Can we please just move on from this now, already?" as a creator can provide.
@@Visitormassacre If my memory is correct, Harry even refers to the Hell Priest as Pinhead mockingly. Though I think it was vague as to whether or not it was a sequel to Hellraiser.
@@Visitormassacre the problem was he cant find budget in england,,,that was miserable,,he may keep his story like coscarelly of phantasm,,but he had to go and sell the story to nwp
"Oh, our car got stolen - we might as well summon some sex demons while we're in Mexico!"
That, my friend, is what spring break is ALL about!
Like the one time he doesn't end the video optimistic and we actually get a happy ending to the story. 2022's Hellraiser was pretty damn good!
Can’t wait to see the 2022 film, but I’m going to sift through the muck of the first 10 first.
Considering Barker got the rights back in 2020 after a legal dispute and the successful reboot 2022 Hellraiser movie, I would Love to see you do an update to this!!! It is deserved!
I agree
Real Evil Monsters: Harvey Weinstein
Evil is just a word 🤔 but yeah FUCK Harvey.
the more i think about it the more i consider the ones that had sex with him just a bunch of prostitutes.
Women used their bodies to become famous millionaires and then turned around and falsely accused people of sex to get even more money, but Harvey is the evil one. Lol.
@@verdanthyborian2322 As somebody who is all for owning one's actions and faults which includes how one rises to financial success, I find your take on the matter to be objectively bad.
@@honestjohn3881 all of these women came to him repeatedly so they could be rich and famous. Once they got old and fucking ugly, they couldn't get any more roles. So they needed a false rape allegation to leech even more money from him.
Defenders of these false rape liars is disgusting.
Dude, you really dropped the mic on this one, what an amazing video. I love how you not only examine the artistic elements of a film, but the motivations of the people behind the scenes and how that affects art. I love love love your work!
Hey thank you! Sorry I don’t know how I missed this comment when you posted it but I always try to respond to them all, I really liked working on this one, I think the franchise videos are overall my favorite to work on haha thanks again!
How the hell has this so little views! Man this youtube channel is amazing!
Christian J.S. Schulze Aguiar very true! There’s other channels that say they “Break down” or “Analyze” movies but honestly they just Summarize the movies by reading the Wikipedia page of movies and I can tell that’s what their doing which I can’t stand! He honestly he really does an awesome job!
Most horror reviews and essayists are just metal heads with edge lord cringehumor. In praise of shadows actually looks at it from an academic point of view with the level of quality as say any Movies with Mikey, or Patrick Willems presents episode
@@nathanielhaven3453 you really nailed my issues with horror reviews. Cringy metalheads (not normal metalheads, they are cool) just think they are the overseers of horror and it's awful
Another great take, I've never seen any of the Hellraiser films but I'm interested to go through them at some point
Thank you! It’s always interested me because the concept behind the first ones are such out there ideas, it really was as a kid my first introduction to Lovecraftian ideas as well. Glad you liked it man!
@@InPraiseofShadows love your work that keep me up at nights. I think you should read the comics of Hellraiser Made by Epic comics in the early 90's. I promise you it will be a very enjoyable experience. I'm a 34 y/o guy from Mexico and for me the only way to get those was in the website getcomics.info cause they are not available in my country. Wish u the best, I just watched the first part of the horror cómics history and I love it. Keep it up. Greetings from Sinaloa.
Like he said in this overview 1 & 2 are good. 3 is okish. All the rest are the type of thing you do with friends and some beer to have a Mystery Science Theater 2000 type experience. I do recomend reading Hellraiser or Books of Blood by Clive Barker. I know Audible did have a version of Hellraiser recorded with Doug Bradley (actor for Pinhead/Hell Priest) narrating. So if your life is too busy for reading very large volume books listen to Hellraiser on Audible, Google or Apple Books before watching the movies.
@@joeottsoulbikes415 Doug Bradley lives in the Pittsburgh area and is at every con. Very chill dude. With a young hot girlfriend
@@joeottsoulbikes415 Graphic novels are good
Not a franchise I watch a lot (I'm not a huge fan of gore), but I find the mythology really interesting. I like Hellbound the best; the labyrinth and the Leviathin remind me a lot of Zdzisław Beksiński or Gerald Scarfe.
TheSpaceBetweenOurHouses I definitely agree with you Zdzislaw’s paintings are incredible
"Zdzisław Beksiński"
THAT you spell correctly, but not "leviathan" lol..
@@irishjoe2941 Never heard of this painter before, googled quickly and the paintings do look interesting.
The concept of the Cenobites is absolutely brilliant, and far scarier than "a bunch of guys in leather killing people" as they'd be reduced to by part 3. And on some level, I get it: a lot of what makes the concept so great is EXTREMELY difficult to realize on film. Even the first two movies never quite get there, as much as I love them. And the temptation to just make more and more crazy Cenobite designs and grotesque gore must be extremely strong. I know I'd be tempted.
I really think a new, great Hellraiser movie would have to start from square one. Just "a person seeking new heights of physical experience comes upon a box that gives him exactly what he asked for and then some by the hands of The Order Of The Gash, and we explore what happens from there". Forget any other established mythos, just start there and build from that.
Personally, I think following the "life in the Labyrinth" of a person who willingly opens the box would be fascinating. No "defeating" the Cenobites, no escape or redemption arc or anything, just seeing exactly what people sign up for when they call on Pinhead & Co. and what the experience does to them. I'm almost picturing a psychological study/arthouse drama approach to the whole thing, just with the visual trappings of more traditional horror.
You should read "The Hellbound Heart" and check out the graphic novels. There's a lot of interesting stuff in there along the lines of what you're describing (as well as a lot of trash). I think there's a lot of potential there for a really cool streaming television series (in the same vein as Stranger Things), though this will very likely never happen.
They need to do away with the title "The Order of the Gash", though. It just comes off as silly and trying too hard. Not to mention that the double meaning probably doesn't come through for most American audiences since "gash" as a particularly vulgar slang term for "vagina" isn't used here.
But it is the reboot the series needs. Really lean into the BDSM themes of the original concept and the line between pleasure and pain taken to extremes. Exploring the limits of physical sensation as a form of hedonism and possibly out of a need to simply feel anything. You could get some great work from people within the BDSM community as there are a lot of flashy things that look really painful and extreme but aren't especially uncommon. Also helped by how many people in that community are huge geeks and horror fans.
@@AFastidiousCuber I'm curious about what parts of the graphic novels you consider trash. I'm not being sarcastic at all. For me, the Omnibus 1, the one with the Harrowers and Kirsty Cotton becoming the new Pinhead, started out amazingly but at the end became more confusing and not that good in terms of how they solve the situations. But still a great story
@@alejandrovillalba3143 There were some silly comics that did things like Christmas themed Hellraiser characters and stuff like that.
A lot of the mainline stuff isn't what I would consider to be "trash" but it too often veers off into being completely incomprehensible or it gets obsessed with mythologizing the most iconic characters, namely Kirsty and Pinhead.
cause the great horror is sugestion.......
"Active aspiration that makes flawed art is better than lazy compliance that makes flawed art" - could not have said it better.
So sad when a franchise has such promise and fans but greed keeps in groundless
I'm not even a fan of Hellraiser, but I enjoyed this video and respect the effort. Fantastic work.
Thanks!
You should make more of these. Wrong Turn, Final Destination, Texas Chainsaw Massacre, etc. Especially for Leprechaun because I need some context as to how that can be anyone's favorite horror franchise.
Cyriss Smith It’s like my 3rd favorite right next to Hellraiser and Pupper Master
The first Leprechaun is an okay schlocky, doofy time. After that... Yeah, things just fall apart. Ah, well. Guess it kept Warwick Davis in steady work.
While I wouldn't say Leprechaun is my favorite horror franchise per se, I do like it simply because of how goofy it is and that it is completely honest about how weird and silly the core premise inherently is, before they fucked it up with a gritty reboot, it doesn't pretend its anything deeper unlike the early Friday the 13th films.
Fizz there’s 13 films if you are interested
As if we needed _another_ reason to hate Harvey Winestein haha
Yeah, guy truly is a piece of shit, & always has been.
Thank you for covering this series! The original Hellraiser movie has always been one of my favorites. It captures the atmosphere of horror film making in the 80s so well, it's just so... "gritty" in the best way. And Clive Barker's relationship with the franchise is fascinating as well. I think it says something about the relationship between horror literature and horror film, the clash between the freedom that writing allows from agencies like the MPAA, which your opinion of is pretty clear in this video, and the great power and allure that visual media holds for artists.
It makes me wonder how the series would have looked unrestricted. Probably better in certain ways, but as you mentioned Clive seems to struggle a bit condensing his more literary ideas into a format suitable for film. Maybe the whole thing would have gone off the rails from the beginning. I'm sure it would have been fascinating regardless.
The whole thing about the middle of the franchise being mostly filler/advertisements for future reboots of the series is fascinating as well. You mentioned that several of the films were created pretty much just to keep the rights from reverting back to Clive. I'm not sure what to think about that. It seems like the series didn't have that much monetary value at that point in its life, but I guess they still recognized how much of a following it had and what potential there was if they were to ever actually put some money into a reboot.
I wonder what Hellraiser would look like if it was made in today's culture. Without the baggage of the last 30 years of Hellraiser movies. Although now that I think of it I'm not sure it would be recognizable. The themes of sexuality, spirituality and morality in the original film I would argue are really inextricably linked to the culture of the late 80s in the USA. The country was in the grips of both the AIDS Epidemic and Satanic Panic, perhaps it was the perfect time for this film with this director to be made.
Again thanks so much for the work you put into these videos. They are truly excellent and I have not doubt that your following will only continue to grow.
Thank you so much for the wonderful write up! I really liked that! But yes for the most part I am really against organizations like the MPAA but in a way they are necessary because they are the only thing that saved the film business from being taken over by the FCC, so in that way I am thankful they exist but for the most part I am extremely against censorship unless the art directly hurts an individual.
It probably would have been just as insane and still fallen apart, but I agree that I would have liked to have seen it happen. Barker is a really interesting character to me, and even though I think a lot of his non literary work fails a little in some ways, it is always extremely interesting to see what he is trying to do with his films.
As far as the rights are concerned, it is a really interesting issue because it typically is done to keep an IP from a company and not a man. kind of like Sony keeping Venom from Marvel. But I think it is a really bad thing to do and only prevents art from being made.
Overall, I think that Hellraiser is a product of its time like you said. I don't think it is an idea that anyone would fund today, which is why the franchise changed its identity to such an extreme. It is a really weird case all around, but also fascinating because there are so many things going on in it that are unique only to Hellraiser, you know?
Something I find interesting (and refreshing) about Barker's works is that he often flips gender roles. In The Hellbound Heart, the female characters are the ones who are sexually driven and lustful while Rory (the only other major male character aside from Frank) is concerned with fidelity and love. In the novella, Kirsty is actually a friend of Rory's, not his daughter, and she's secretly in love with Rory but has been "friend zoned" (for lack of a better term). Kirsty does a lot of what she does because of her attraction to Rory (this isn't to say she doesn't genuinely care for him, she does, but she does have clear sexual feelings for Rory).
Meanwhile, Frank is manipulating Julia through lust in order to get her to lure men back to the house to feed on. We almost always see female characters manipulating male characters with sexuality to get what they want but here, the script is flipped, and the man is using the woman's sexual desire to get what he wants. We also often see horror stories where men prey on unsuspecting women but, here, it's a woman preying on unsuspecting men.
There's also some interesting parallels between Julia and Kirsty. Julia is described as being something of a beauty queen while Kirsty is described as being kind of plain looking. In a lot of media, beauty is considered synonymous with being good and virtuous but Julia is undoubtedly evil while Kirsty is a very kind and sweet young woman. Both of them, however, are motivated through their desire (Julia for Frank, Kirsty for Rory). Kirsty is initially trying to see if Julia is cheating on Rory which inadvertently gets her thrown into the horror.
Overall, I think The Hellbound Heart was progressive and subversive in a lot of ways, showing female sexual autonomy, male desire for fidelity and love, a male character acting as the "femme fatale" (or homme fatale in this case), a woman posing a threat to men, and a woman going to hell and back for the man she loves. I wish more horror media would take the risks that The Hellbound Heart did.
I’ve never seen any of the Hellraiser franchise, but it’s been a pleasure experiencing its essence via the vehicle of this video essay. So very well done and inspired. You have such a knack for these essays and I’ve been a big fan of your channel for years now. Keep up the great work; it’s some of the best on TH-cam!
You make fantastic videos. Very well researched and your scripts and excellently written - full of detail but snappy enough to maintain engagement. Well done to you, keep up the great work.
Rumor has it pinhead and the gang are still waiting for Kirsty to this day
Your "Anatomy of a Franchise" videos are amazing, Thank You for all of your hard work!!
No, thank you for watching them! I haven't had one in a little bit, but I do have two Franchise ones that I am working on right now, plus another different longer video that will be up within the next week!
SuperEyePatchWolf recommended your channel on his newest episode and I am glad to say this has now become one of my favorite channels, and I assume soon to be many others as well, keep up the good work dude 👍
Thanks! Yeah I actually have listened to LFaB for a pretty good while now so it was super cool to hear that from him about the channel in the newest episode. Definitely one of the best moments of my TH-cam career so far.
@@InPraiseofShadows Happy for you dude, thanks for the response btw
Fantastic breakdown and background research presented here. I really enjoyed this!
I hope to hear your thoughts on the new Hellraiser 2022 sometime soon!
I have such a soft spot for the first few movies of this franchise (especially the one in space for some reason).
Love your series man, you are one of the few horror movie critics out there who legitimately know how to make both fun and campy horrors and effective ones. Would love for you to cover Nightmare on Elm Street, which I think is one of the most consistent horror franchises quality wise, with every movie standing on its own feet. Hoping that you will like 5 despite most disliking it.
Thank you so much that means a great deal to me! I love all the Nightmare movies a lot! I’m going to for sure make that soon, it will definitely be the next giant video that I make that is in this style. Glad you’re liking them!
I agree with you there. I think there's something to love about every Nightmare on Elm Street movie (Even Freddy's Dead has one or two good scenes, despite being the worst of the series). I personally love the 2 Alice movies best, I think Dream Child is one of the most interesting concepts for a NoES movie (it being on the fact that fetuses dream while in the womb is an incredibly interesting real life thing to center the plot on). My favorite of the series is Dream Warrior, Alice is a great protagonist and the best part of the movie is the characters in that movie. I genuinely found Alice's friend group to be an all around pleasant group of teens who all cared about each other and it made me feel sad when they all died in really horrible ways and in my opinion a horror movie that makes me care about the characters is worth appreciating.
No one:
Harvey Weinstein: MAKE IT INTO A SLASHER MOVIE!!!
#FucktheWeinsteins
In my mind, Barker's 'The Books Of Blood' remains some of the most incisive, lean and muscular prose ever written in horror. Those books completely changed my concept of pacing and the inner structure of literature. Great video, this movie was quite impressive and imaginative considering the limited constraints they operated under.
My main takeaway from this video is that I need to read more of Barker's stuff. I never thought to look into his work beyond the short story that became the first film. I haven't read any pure horror books in a while.
In that case definitely check out Clive Barker's Books of Blood series. You can get them pretty cheap these days as collected volumes.
That pun in the final line was fantastic.
Omg, I stopped watching at 3 and thank goodness. I still say that hellraiser was the scariest/interesting 80s horror movie. I wouldn't mind, if done right, to see it redone maybe even a prequel or origins of the Leviathan. Great job on all the research, info and presentation on one of the best 80s horror movies.
I have lived in Greensboro all my life!! I remember when they filmed this movie, I was around 11. My stepsisters friend is in one of the club scenes.
Oh that’s really cool! I liked Greensboro, I still go back from time to time. I split my time between Morganton and Asheville now so still pretty close by. I love that that was filmed there though, it’s a fun bit of trivia I think and it’s cool that you know someone involved in it. That would have a been a fun scene to watch them film.
This is the best examination of all the Hellraiser movies I have ever seen!!!!! You delve into aspects most do not. You actually do investigative research to find the facts of why things did or did not happen. Every video of yours I have watched has been fantastic. With Hellraiser being one of my favorite books and movies (1&2 that is 3okish) I thank you for doing this. You explained so much of the behind the scenes issues I never knew or knew little about.
Never thought I'd hear "conservatism" and "hot" all in one sentence...
thank you so much for taking the time to make this deep dive! hellraiser has always been one of my favorite movie franchises despite the very muddy and not great sequels
the work you're doing on this channel is a masterpiece
These videos and this channel as a whole is so underrated it’s criminal
Wanting to turn Hellraiser PG-13 is probably more surreal than anything in the movies themselves.
Yeah clive barker is super ambitious and you can see glimpse of his vision in his works, and it's truly amazing. Imagine what he would be able to accomplish with enough money and time.
When he said pg-13 hellraiser i physically shook in shock in my chair
I really liked Hellseeker. Kirsty is still my favorite protagonist. Pinhead maintains his role as Antihero to Kirsty. The Husband had been cheating on Kirsty, like her step mother did to her father. To keep her money and get rid of her, the husband tried to convince her she was crazy. He trys to get her to open the box and be killed by Pinhead. All the people who help the husband are the people Kirsty uses to stay out of the Labrynth. She trades these souls for her own, topped finally with her cheating husband. It made me feel like there was romance between Kirsty and Pinhead. Angel to some. He implyes Kirsty is the one many times that called to him. That she is what brought the box. I liked that dynamic between them. It is for that reason one of my favorites. Pinhead is still my Favorite Antihero. I still love these stories. Alot of this could have been more, but 1,2, and Hellseeker were worth it.
I feel like the vibe of Gothic Romance was pretty blatant in the Hellbound when she reminds him of his humanity. He fights and then dies for her, after all. And the look between Elliott and Kirsty before he's killed contains novels imo. That's the most interesting thing in this franchise to me, so I take the crumbs from 3 and 6 gladly. The extended/deleted Kirsty/Pinhead scene from Hellseeker makes the movie worthwhile.
A lot go fans seem to have a problem with him being humanised and I feel that means they're looking at it as something it's not. He's not a monster who is meant to be alien at all. The cenobites are a mirror and are about fundamentally human desires/vices. They were never originally supposed to be evil or demons or unknowable. They're supposed to be terrifyingly familiar and ultimate faintly tragic. It's only realised with Pinhead, but I think it's part of why he became and remained so popular.
Hoo baby are your videos so good. I love the in depth opinions and viewpoints you present. I don't have much to say about the films themselves as I haven't seen past the fourth, but I always love seeing your videos pop up. I know I'm in for an amazing and informative time.
SpongebobMusicUnited haha thanks! Yeah this one was a bit of a beast to tackle, I knew that this, Nightmare on Elm Street, and Friday the 13th would be the three hardest of these to do just because of how many movies there were in each series. But I do eventually want to get around to all of the big ones at least and a few mid ones too in this format. I’m glad you’ve been liking them though, thank you for saying so it always makes me feel really good to hear!
@@InPraiseofShadows Absolutely! These have got to be some of my favorite videos on TH-cam. And yeah as soon as I saw the video pop up I knew it was going to be a long one because this series is insanely varied and long. I learned a lot of things I never knew before in this one too! I'm really looking forward to all you have to put out too! Really interested on your thoughts on Nightmare on Elm Street because it's so polarizing the further it goes on haha
@@KenzieMcV Oh for sure, I am really excited to do Nightmare. I actually have a really funny minor connection to that series too. I live in the same town as Jack Sholder who directed the second one and I see him in public randomly at least once a year. I talked with him once about making the movie, he's a super nice guy and he made one of my favorite movies to come out of the 80's called The Hidden. It had a pre Twin Peaks Kyle Maclachlan in it too, and it is really fun. Nightmare was one of my favorite series as a kid especially, I loved how they used fantasy imagery. So I imagine that that will probably be the next giant video that I tackle in this format at least. And thank you that is really kind!
@@InPraiseofShadows Wow small world, now I am even more interested to hear your thoughts on the series. I actually really like the second one, but I can easily see how it would be the least favorite for others. Me being gay probably has something to do with that.
Anyway, listening to him in interviews talk about making the film is very interesting to me. From what I remember he didn't "intend" for the film to be as outwardly homoerotic as it became. But I am honestly not sure how much I buy that Haha it seems pretty intentional. Either that or it was a wildly particular patch of luck to create a film that gay at that time and with an icon like Freddy.
He told me the same thing but I honestly don’t believe him haha I love that movie, it is really fun. That’s what is so great about that series is they each have their own flavor to them and part 2 is really great in my opinion. But yeah he’s a really chill guy and is really pleasant to talk with! So I’m definitely looking forward to making that one soon in the future though!
Incredible, when you mentioned the Oklahoma bombing, first thing I thought was Michael Moore's documentary, the way I learned about that incident. Then you reveal a deeper connection.
I appreciate how you were able to preface your criticism of the new Pinhead actor's body and face shape to make it clear it wasn't against the actor himself, and that there was nothing wrong with his appearance in general, just as relates to the role.
I am also glad I waited a few minutes before just leaving a comment that said,
"This new Pinhead is chonky boy!"
... that would have been insensitive.
Would like to see an update of this dealing with the new Hellraiser and whether it was the first equal to the original.
In the second movie, that matte painting of the labyrinth is phenomenal.
So the puzzle box is basically the same thing as BERSERK’s behelits
Pretty similar yeah, Miura was a big fan of the first movie when it came out so he took that but also more noticeably the Cenobite design for the God Hand.
Berserk retrospective soon?
@@InPraiseofShadows I didnt know that, makes so much sense!
Solid watch with thoughtful opinions. You deserve more views, my man.
Thanks!
I actually love the ending of the final film, I think it’s really clever. They found a way to finally give pinhead his comeuppance and his scream when he realises he’s been outplayed by the holy powers is just juicy
Truly top quality content. From discussing The Wailing to Horror Covers to Franchise examinations. I love this channel!
I truly wish I could have a conversation with you. you take on horror is refreshing and personal. id love to try to seay you on some opinions. I hope your channel blows up soon.
the franchise retrospectives are your best videos
can you do Nightmare on elm street or friday the 13th next
Thank you so much, that is really nice to hear because they are definitely the ones that I take the most pride in and work the hardest for. Those are definitely getting made, I'm currently half way through a shorter one that will come out really soon, maybe next week even, but after that Nightmare will probably be the next big video that I do. Thanks again!
As I've said of a few videos you did, this is an excellent analysis. Alas, I haven't been able to view all the films in the franchise, but you show such energy, interest and insight into the first few entries. You realize, particularly in discussing the first film, what the producers, studios, etc., who perpetuate such a franchise often forget: that the successful first film in many series is often very good because it's so intimate. While it's always the Cenobites people discuss, HELLRAISER really started (as actor Andrew Robinson once said in an interview) as a sort of domestic tragedy steeped in supernatural overtones. (In this sense, the first movie's effects echo what Rod Serling did on THE TWILIGHT ZONE and NIGHT GALLERY: it concentrates on the people, and all the evil that unfolds directly relates to the characters' motivations. As Julia slowly overcomes her revulsion and does what she must to regenerate Frank, we may be horrified, but we've already felt her profound unhappiness and understand what it is that drives her, and that's a tribute to Clive Barker's script as much as it is to Clare Higgins' wonderful performance. As much as I enjoy HELLRAISER and Doug Bradley's unforgettable portrayal of Pinhead, when I think of the movie I overwhelmingly think of Frank and Julia, its incredible dialogue, and the sometimes queasy premise we're subjected to from beginning to end. In any event, I found it an incredible experience due to its intimacy, and the way the budget's and era's constraints on Barker's work concentrated it to a degree. You're right: pre-CGI (and even now, in an era rife with CGI) showing what Barker imagines in terms of story, character and imagery tends to be so epic that there's no realistic way to convey it. Anyway, great work! Keep it up, and continue with your own art too!...
Truly amazing video man. I love your channel
Man this is so cool! an hours worth of awesome content, great effort man!
Thanks!
Berserk and the Idea of Evil/Godhand seem to be what the movies could have taken them.
I know, right? God Hand were literally born from the desires of humanity, and I guess that the same could be applied to Cenobites.
@Black Ice come on, it doesn't need a confirmation: on top of my head the little demon from the GH is a stright rip off from cenobytes.
@@scaccu Ubik?
@@jackgebhardt2932 yeah Ubik is literally just that fat Cenobyte but small
The chapter there introduced in is called "The Guardians Of Desire" and considering that Miura's a big horror fan, I would be very surprised if it was just a coincidence
This series is the most deserving of a big reboot of any horror franchise out there. I feel like most of the horror classics already lived up to their premise and now just try to recapture it, but its very clear to see Hellraiser never got the opportunity to reach the heights of its biggest ideas.
You by far have the best account on TH-cam. My only wish is some media conglomerate watches one of these videos and pays u massive amounts of money to make them. I can see u with a horror themed show on TCM or some such channel. Good work my friend.
I aprreciate your commentary on films so much!! I love every single one of your videos!!
So curious now to hear his perspective on the new one.
I wish the dude that made Mandy did a reboot of Hellraiser. Would be amazing imo.
I really enjoy your videos and I have rewatched this one several times. For a video that's nearly an hour long, it really flies by with its excellent pacing. Every time I watch this, I am filled a renewed determination that this new decade should be the beginning of a much needed Clive Barker renaissance, on par with the many successful Stephen King adaptations that were released during the 2010s. It seems like many past attempts to adapt Barker's works in the past were hampered by Hollywood's old-fashioned prudishness in regards to themes of queerness and sexuality in mainstream horror films, but times are changing and I think we are ready to bring his original vision of Hellraiser to the big screen for a new generation of horror fans.
You mark my words, once i attain my fame as a writer, however long it may take, i will have my eyes looking at the hellraiser franchise!
great video though! it's a very detailed and well thought out post mortem, and i like your idea of the franchise and it's themes.
The Hellraiser : Origins (one of several Barker/Hellraiser films ‘never to be made’) would have been awesome. Exploring all that wasn’t explored because of the reasons you highlight for the decline in this wondrous Barker creation.
I love horror; it's my favorite genre of media. I don't derive much interest from gore, and I believe that reliance on jump-scares is a crutch used by bad storytellers. That said, horror has to have weight. Anyone who's ever been genuinely horrified by something knows it's a crushing, corrosive, and exhausting experience. Truly good horror should walk straight towards breaking the audiences spirit and then pulling back just before the chasm. Great work, love the videos.
$900k budget--made one of the most iconic claymation sequence in not just horror, but all of film
to, uh, say the least. the characters, the mood, themes, and the music remain huge inspirations to me
As a horror lover and admitted TH-cam addict, I don't know I'm just now discovering your channel. I'm thrilled that I have, though. Excellent work! I can't wait to pilfer through your catalog and to see what is yet to come.
Very, very good. Thank you for taking all the time on this.
At 37 years old I watched Hellraiser for the first time a few weeks ago. And I loved it. Apart from knowing what Pinhead looked like I knew nothing about it, and I really dug that the Cenobites were simply neutral characters in a broader story. It wasn't a slasher film featuring a malevolent monster, it was a twisted love story. Then I watch Hellbound, and while I still enjoyed it, it felt like a film of two halves, the first being the better half. Dr Chanard becoming that malevolent slasher villain on a rampage, and it lost its charm for me. Then I watched Hell on Earth... I had intended on watching all 10 films, but after Hell on Earth I thought it best to do some research, and with many referring to Hell on Earth as "the last good one" I really lost the appetite to continue. Hell on Earth borders almost on parody. It is truly saddening the path the Hellraiser series took, and I can only hope the upcoming reboot can redeem the series. But its going direct to Hulu and being filmed in Serbia, so I'm not holding my breath.
Love to see Hellraiser discussion, even if we disagree on a lot of points.
The only thing that drove me crazy is that it's Gary J. Tunnicliffe.
Tune, not turn.
So... intend to update this with your thoughts on the new remake? If you don't mind me asking that is.
I keep returning to this video - one of the best postmortems of a series I've ever seen.
I stumbled across hellraiser through a video on Georges Bataillle, and watched it because I found it on youtube. I was floored by how captivating Barkers endevour was, and I wound up watching the second onw shortly after, not dissapointed. I can tell you I was confused when I gotnto the third. I could see the management had shifted, and Incould tell the new people had no idea what hellraiser was. I kept going from sheer masochism, but gave up after the detective in purgatory for cheating one.
Hellraiser (excluding everything after the second film) is a compelling tale about human drives and needs to their width and depth, paired with an aesthetic of beutiful uglyness (o filthy grandeour, o sublime disgrace and all that jazz) that comunicates the lucid nature of senory qualities, like pleasure and pain, which are truly one and the same if taken to their limits.
I've watched this documentary/biopsy quite a few times and always come back to it again as i find your views creatively inspiring. Hellraiser is my favourite IP of all time but it doesn't rest purely on the source material or the films. I love the scope of possibilities put forward by the Epic comic series that took the principles of the Hellraiser universe and went imaginative with it. If there was a time I wish i could travel back to it would be then, so I could contribute to the huge collection of stories with seemingly little limitations. Would you ever consider diving into the Epic Hellraiser comic series? if not maybe the strange Barkerverse comics with EctoKid and Saint Sinner?
I've seen the first 5 Hellraiser films but I couldn't finish the 6th, so that's where I stopped. The "gargling" scene you showed from the most recent installment actually made me lose at least 25% of my dinner just now. I, uh, wish I had the forethought to look away before that was on screen?
Otherwise, though, thanks for the video! It was very enlightening.
This is an incredible retrospect/analysis! I am honored to subscribe to your channel. Just looking at your catalogue of content has me excited. Well done!
Wow... as a former Greensboro resident myself... you described it perfectly. I at least had the pleasure of having Pokemon Go's release while I was living there.
Amazing Video! Amazing.
I Always Loved the Original Concept of Clive Barker's Hellraiser, and trully feel sad with the way this concept was
dismantled and distorted, to the point of barely being recognized.
Your video is a wonderful analysis as this franchise unfolds.
Great Job
"a little but significant corner of him is utterly defeated"
lol damn
no other horror franchise needs a reboot than this one. such a shame how it's treated now when it was such a legendary series
Excellent editorial great work
Food tastes better while watching this.
Lol, I know exactly what you mean.
I'm only quarter of an hour but clearly but this is just the sort of video I have been looking for about the franchise. Thanks.
It's astonishing that hellbound was made for not much than the first one, the visuals in the second half always stuck with me
The lament configuration is not just a portal to the cenobites, it goes a lot of other places
These videos are amazing. They need more views.
Another great video with phenomenal music that documents the increasingly sad decline of series that initially had so much promise. I can take only so much horror because of being as empathic as I am. I legitimately was nauseated almost to the point of dry heaving from some of the scenes you used from the final movie and I agree with you that is not what horror should be or truly is. Horror should be terrifying, nightmare inducing, not disgusting.
I greatly appreciate the time and effort you have put into your analyses. While I don't see eye-to-eye on all of your points, this video has certainly been informative. I never bothered to watch Hellraiser past the second film, and I'm satisfied with that decision.
I love your videos. The last line of this one was perfect.
Brilliant breakdown of a great franchise, well mostly great
Does anyone know if the books written of these movies are any more successful than the movies in explaining the artists vision and world behind it?
I might buy them to read if they show the idea better as it sounds super interesting!
Well, interesting to see that Berserk took WAY more inspiration from Hellraiser than just the Cenobyte design.
I met Doug and he seems like a really nice dude, with a lot of passion for his character for Shure.
Great video! Really well done!
Hellraiser II is absolutely incredible.
This is fantastic and I pretty much agree with your narrative.
They’re now making a TV series with Clive Barker’s permission (and, I believe, input) and Pinhead will be played by a male-to-female transgender actress. So there’s hope!
recently stumbled upon your channel. I feel like you vocalize a lot of my thoughts on the genre. Love your work!