Thanks for bothering to show up, Pinhead!
Hellraiser: Inferno (2000)
Directed By: Scott Derrickson
The Prologue
So now here we are in the year 2000! And what did we get in the year 2000? We get another Hellraiser in the film, Hellraiser: Inferno! Now this would be the very first Hellraiser film that didn’t get a theatrical run, and having seen it I can kinda figure out why it didn’t. Taking a more thriller approach this time around, the film packs just barely enough to call it a Hellraiser film (a pattern that would keep on following this movie). And let’s also just say I hope Doug Bradley got paid a lump sum for being in a movie and not paid on just how much screen time he has, because if that was the case I assume he didn’t make a whole lot of anything for this one.
The Movie
A spine-tingling thriller, Hellraiser: Inferno is the next inescapably terrifying chapter in the heart-stopping Hellraiser series! It’s the powerful story of a shady L.A. detective (Craig Sheffer, A River Runs Through It) who finds himself lost in a nightmarish world of evil when he solves the mysterious puzzle box that releases the diabolical demon, Pinhead. As those around him begin to meet tragic fates, he sets out to conquer the horrifying Pinehead and escape eternal Hell. Also starring Nicholas Turturro, Hellraiser: Inferno combines great special effects and relentless thrills.
SOOooo, Hellraiser: Inferno goes the route of a thriller? What does that mean? Well for one, it’s dragged out a bit longer than it needed to be dragging out. Some stuff here just drags and I really don’t think it needed to drag. Sure, it’s got some creepy stuff, but it lacks enough to really hold your attention when you are kicking things off. The gore isn’t really here either. I mean, we do get a little, but the thriller route means it actually cuts away at times when the gore is really kicking into stride. And let’s not forget that we get a plot here that can get really confusing at times, and might not even make sense to the average viewer once it’s hand has been played.
Also, this film has a MAJOR lack of Pinhead. I think the man is here for all of about five minutes. And I know he’s not always on the screen in these things anyway, but it’s really noticeable here. It’s almost like this film would have been best to have not even used the Hellraiser name, but I can see why it did. We got Pinhead for about five minutes, we got the box, but it never does really seem like a Hellraiser film. I’m not sure if I’d call what we do get creative, or just a creative mess. Because let’s be honest, it walks a very fine line between the two. And as we watch everything unfold it’s not like we have someone to get behind, seeing as how this Hellraiser starts off the streak of having really unlikeable leads.
I admit when this film ended I probably had a bit of a blank look on my face as the credits started to roll. It’s not that what you end up getting with this film is horrible. It just sorta falls flat and leaves you with a bit of an unrewarding feeling. I think the film wastes too much time trying to be some form of weird thriller and forgets it’s job of being a horror film, which is what the audience wants with a Hellraiser film. So while I wouldn’t call it horrible, it is a major disappointment for a fan of Hellraiser. One that some may not wish to sit through at the end of the day.
The Conclusion
Well, if you want to see this you can get it by it’s self HERE or in a set HERE at Echo Bridge. But as a stand alone, it’s not packing that big of a punch. You really notice the lack of Pinhead, and I can’t believe they ever put this out without finding a way to have him in there more. It’s just kinda blank and disappointing. Seems to me that it lacks a lot of heart.
The Rating (5/10)
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