BLOOD WORK: HALLOWEEN HORROR DAYS ~ DAY 28: HELLBOUND: HELLRAISER II (1988)

Hellraiser, among all the horror films I have ever watched, remains one of the most potent and visceral film experiences out there. Writer/Director/Creator Clive Barker exposed the world to a deeper level of horror conceptualization that perhaps only one other director was exploring with any sort of success, that of Stuart Gordon. Hellraiser came out at a time when the censors were beginning to come down hard on the horror genre. In order to realize the director's vision Hellraiser was released unrated to avoid serious censorship (as were many others) and only in this uncut format could the film be exactly what Barker wanted it to be.

As was the business model for the time, a sequel was rushed into production after Hellraiser's breakthrough success. The tale of Hellraiser was first conceived in the novella titled The Hellbound Heart. In homage to that title the next chapter in the film series became HELLBOUND: HELLRAISER II. Most of the cast and crew from the first film return for the second installment including mastermind Clive Barker albeit in a lesser capacity. Barker remained involved as a writer and executive producer on the film only. Barker would've returned to direct had he not been busy adapting his novel THE CABAL for the screen at the same time. Sadly one person cannot direct two movies at the same time.

Hellraiser II instead saw Tony Randel step in as director, the vice president of Roger Corman's NEW WORLD PICTURES at the time. And picking up the writing duties from Barker was author Peter Atkins, the man who would shepherd the series for two more sequels.

Hellbound: Hellraiser II is an epic follow-up that pushes the boundaries of onscreen gore even further than its predecessor and dives deeper into the nature of evil. Easily the best of the Hellraiser sequels.

THE PLOT

Kirsty finds herself in the care of Dr. Channard, the head of an institute for mental health. Her story about her uncle Frank, the deaths of her father and stepmother, and creatures called the Cenobites have caused many to wonder about the state of her sanity. While recovering in the hospital she experiences a vision of her father begging for her help. Kirsty sets out to find the puzzle box only to discover that her doctor, Dr. Channard, has possession of it and what's more that he's attempting to open it. The cycle of death begins anew as Kirsty finds herself entering the world beyond the puzzle box and beholding the true face of evil.

WHAT I LIKED

Bloodier and Bloodier. If you thought that the first film was gory then prepare yourself for a whole new level. Hellbound is one of the goriest films I've ever beheld. Similarly to the rebirth sequence in the first film, there is a rebirth sequence in this film too that is perhaps the goriest moment in the entire film. Oliver Smith was the actor who portrayed "Skinless Frank" in the first film. Here he plays a patient of Dr. Channard's and we are allowed to see what the actor actually looks like... before he starts carving himself to shreds with a razor blade. The resulting bloodbath resurrects Kirsty's stepmother, Julia, in a similarly skinless form to Frank's. What makes this sequence a bit more disturbing is that the scene is fully lit with no shadows or darkness to obscure the skinless figure emerging from the pool of blood. Sometimes less is more, but here seeing the full make-up effects elevates the disturbing imagery all the more.

Leviathan. Rather than a mere repeat of the first film's plot with a new coat of paint, Peter Atkins and Clive Barker take the narrative into a whole new realm. The Cenobites and the Box take center stage this time. The opening scene of the film reveals to us a very human looking Pinhead only to see him ripped up and scarred by the things in the box, becoming the horrific Pinhead for the first time. We glimpse the true identities of the other cenobites as well and we are allowed to see the creation of a new cenobite. And then we go inside the Box itself. We learn what the Box truly is and see the labyrinthine structure beyond where Hell awaits. And lastly we see Leviathan, the abstract entity from which all evil originates.

And all of it is once again set to Christopher Young's haunting score. Young's ethereal score sets the atmosphere and mood of the film and readies us for another exploration in the further reaches of horror film experience. And Doug Bradley. His mere onscreen presence is chilling and unlike so many others. His Pinhead in this film has lost none of its power.

NITPICKS

I don't have much in the way of nitpicks with this film. I personally feel it is one of the best horror sequels and one of those rare instances where you feel the sequel either meets or exceeds the original. The aspect I'd argue where this film doesn't work as well as the first is in the exploration of the Cenobites. In the first film they were greater evils, made all the more terrifying by not knowing who or what they were. The mysteries surrounding them were a part of what rendered them so frightening.

They were the figures that scared the monster of the film. I would argue that the cenobites lose some of their potency in this film upon learning of their origins. John Carpenter once said that the most terrifying feeling was of not knowing why. In Hellbound we learn the "why" behind the cenobites and depending on your disposition it may work for you or it may lose that part of the original film that gave it that extra gravitas. I understand that they kind of had to reveal more about the cenobites but I feel that some of their onscreen power was derived from their total and absolute mystery.

THE VERDICT

As a sequel Hellbound: Hellraiser II is far beyond most of its peers. Not only does it contain everything you loved about the original, it also pushes the story forward, tackling the mysteries left unsolved from first film. Tony Randel does a great job picking up the reigns from Clive Barker. And Clive Barker and Peter Atkins supply a far out and fantastic script. In true sequel form it ups the ante in terms of gore and body count. And Doug Bradley delivers yet another incredible performance as, arguably, the screen's most terrifying villain ever.

Overall Ranking: 9 out of 10

Nude-O-Meter: 2 out of 10