Hellraiser is not the sort of movie you want to be watching when you get a little loopy and deprived
For those of familiar with the legions of Hellraiser sequels, it should be noted that Doug Bradley's Pinhead isn't in a lot of the original film; in fact, he isn't even Pinhead this early in the game. The Cenobites make up a very small portion of the third act of the movie, mostly as a foil to Kirsty (Ashley Laurence) and Uncle Frank (Andrew Robinson).
In fact, most of the movie is about Frank and Julia Cotton (Claire Higgins) and their game up murder as Frank slowly recomposes. And does Clive Barker ever know how to make it disgusting. It's not just that Frank is just muscule and bone for big chunks of the movie, or the slightly off way he wears the skin he steals, but something about the way Baker lights and films the effects are just disgusting. I don't know what type of material was being used for flesh in 1987, but it really is disturbing to watch it pierced with oozing blood right underneath in extreme close ups. And it's not just Hellraiser that does it; watch the opening sequence in Lord of Illusions for a similarly disgusting effect. Ugh.
Still, the build towards Kirsty finding (and solving) the Lament Configuration and unlocking Hell is still effective twenty years on, and no matter how much the seven sequels diminish the name Hellraiser, it's good to know the original holds up.
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