From beyond the outer darkness. From the blackest corner of a family’s past. From the nightmarish realm of the imagination comes Hellraiser. A tale of flesh, hunger, and desire from the haunted imagination of horror master, Clive Barker (Nightbreed, Rawhead Rex, Candyman, Lord of Illusions), that lives forever as cherished nostalgia to some, and a deep traumatic memory to others.
Fathom Entertainment is bringing the 1987 film back to the big screen in select theaters for two nights only, February 5th & 6th, in a newly remastered 4K version, along with the archived interview ‘‘Under the Skin: Doug Bradley on Hellraiser’’ where the dry-witted British actor discusses his first appearance as the iconic Hell Priest (aka Pinhead).
This disturbingly graphic horror classic was directed by Barker and is an adaptation of his 1986 novella, The Hellbound Heart. Hellraiser tells the story of an insatiable hedonist named Frank Cotton who demands physical gratification that goes beyond any conventional coital activities.
He has grown weary of the world’s trivialities and its empty conquests, but that all changes when he finds The Lament Configuration while traveling the most taboo regions of society’s underbelly.
The Configuration was built by a master craftsman from centuries ago. It is a small, ornate puzzle box with a mechanical design that opens a gateway to the domain of the Cenobites. They are a religious order of sadistic entities dedicated to the art of blurring the line between pain and pleasure for any puzzle nerd who simply cannot settle for being an ace at solving Rubik’s Cubes.
Hellraiser was a box office success that spawned nine sequels, plus one remake in 2022, and is often cited (justifiably so!) as one of the best horror movies of the 1980s.
It stars Sean Chapman as super freak Frank, and a heavily latex-covered Oliver Smith as his skinless body double. Andrew Robinson (Cobra, Child’s Play 3, Pumpkinhead 2) portrays Frank’s vanilla beta brother Larry with Clare Higgins as his dissatisfied wife, Julia, who shows just how far she’s willing to go to scratch an itch.
It also features American horror goddess Ashley Laurence in her first film role as lead protagonist, Kirsty Cotton. Leaving last (but most certainly not least) Doug Bradley and his demonic droogs: Nicholas Vance as the Chattering Cenobite, Simon Bamford as Butterball, and Grace Kirby as the simply-named Female Cenobite.
For those who do not wish to spend their money to go see a nearly forty-year-old movie on the big screen, our good friends at TUBI have a perfectly fine non-4K version of Hellraiser available for free. It is mandatory, by the way, to pair this film with its worthy sequel, Hellbound: Hellraiser II, which is also free to watch on TUBI. Double the pleasure, no pain to your finances.
But for you bold theatergoers, here’s a trailer for the re-release:
