Customer Reviews

Hellraiser - Inferno

5 star:		(47)
4 star:		(25)
3 star:		(26)
2 star:		(16)
1 star:		(37)

 

 

Jaw-droppingly good in comparison to every film to come since the original HELLRAISER, it was with great trepidation that I dropped this one into the DVD player. Just having suffered through Part 4: BLOODLINE a few weeks back, my expectations for INFERNO were about as low as they could be.

An inspired, twisted take on films like IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE, HELLRAISER: INFERNO brings quality back to the franchise. It also brings decent acting, impressive direction, great effects, and, believe it or not, genuine chills and scares. Consistently maintaining the sense of dread created in films like JACOB'S LADDER or LOST HIGHWAY, INFERNO abandons previous sequels' use of Pinhead as little more than a soundbite-spouting slasher and focuses on the sins of man, in particular a dirty detective impressively played by Craig Sheffer. Fear not, fans - there are cenobites a'plenty, and they're far scarier than any of the sad, sad jokes found in Parts 3 or 4. Director Scott Derrickson wisely follows the "less is more" school of scares and the nightmarish glimpses of hell as it seeps into our world are far more frightening than anything dished up since Clive Barker was at the reins.

A straight-to-video film with a $2 million budget, INFERNO looks and plays better than any other big horror franchise sequel in years. Newcomers to the series may be the most delighted as it doesn't require a deep understanding of the mythology of the Cenobites or Lament Configuration to enjoy this film - nor does it lean on Pinhead popping up, shouting "I am emptiness," and creating new Cenobites in place of plot.

All in all, a great, great movie. Refreshing not only for longtime fans of the series but also for anyone looking for a stylish, effective, thoroughly well-made chiller.

After having watched all four Hellraiser movies, I think Hellraiser Inferno is completely different. Well, I have got the feeling that a lot of true Hellraiser fans won't like this chapter. The protagonist of this movie isn't very sympathic and friendly: he takes drugs, sleeps with hookers(even though he has got a beautiful wife) and denounces his partner at the police station. A lot of people will despise this character and turn off the tv. However I stayed with this broken character and it is quite interesting to see how he unleashes the horrors of the box. His evil character traits are essential for the end of movie. Another flaw is that Pinhead only appears for two or three minutes on the screen. Nonetheless the movie deals with the desperate search of the protagonist for a mysterious person called the Engineer, who is connected with the box. If you accept the fact that this Hellraiser movie is completely different from the other parts, you'll enjoy a great and dark horror thriller.

The first four Hellraiser movies were made by the original creator of hellraiser, Clive Barker. This one was not, as the next one isn't either. When I watched Hellraiser: Inferno, I have to admit I was impressed. This movie is much better than it is credited for, maybe even better than the first installment. It may not compare to 2,3,and 4 in the series, but this movie is worth buying. Do This movie takes an interesting twist on the series, making it different from the first four.not skip Hellraiser Inferno when buying the Hellraiser Series, because you will be missing a good movie.

Following some of the previous customer reviews of this movie I approached it with some trepidation. However I'm happy to say I was not dissappointed. I loved this film. After the dire Hellraiser4: Bloodline I thought that the series had no where else to go. I was wrong. What we have here is a new and interesting take on the Hellraiser mythology.

Pinhead is back to being a sinister presence lurking round the edges of the story. The violence and gore is kept to an effective minimium. The script is sharp and inteligent. The writers have carefully avoided churning out just another bog standard sequel and given us a much more refreshing horror movie. Graig Sheffer is a revelation in the lead role, managing to make his character brutal, corrupt, sympathetic and sexy.

I wouldn't usually buy a DVD without seeing the movie first but I have no idea when this film will be released in the UK. It was worth the risk. I was not dissappointed with Hellraiser: Inferno as a film. A few more extra features would have been nice though. There isn't even a trailer. The lack of features on the disc is the only reason that I have given four stars and not five.

If you pay close attention, you'll notice that the opening credits of HELLRAISER: INFERNO are missing the words "Clive Barker." In its place are a couple guys whose last names are Weinstein. That's a clue right there: this movie isn't interested in building on the Hellraiser mythos.

It IS interested in clues, though. Craig Sheffer (of One Tree Hill) narrates the film as Detective Joseph Thorne. Joe is a good cop ("I'm good with puzzles" he growls) but not a good man. He wishes he was good, but can't be bothered to do much more than wish. Not until people he knows start dying.

Along for the ride is Joe's hapless partner, Detective Nenonen (played by John Turturro's youngest brother, Nick). Together the two stumble onto a case involving sadistic deaths, a strange puzzle box, and a criminal mastermind known only as The Engineer. At the scene of each crime is found the severed finger of a mysterious child who -- by all accounts -- is still alive.

It's actually a pretty cool idea, when all is said and done, but the delivery here is tiresome. Sometimes films confuse the word "mysterious" with "confusing," and here its no different. Joe is tormented by mysterious dreams and hallucinations, grotesque visions that blur the line between reality and nightmare. Loathesome though he may be, Joe is the audience's viewpiece, and viewers are bound to realize they're being manipulated long before Joe discovers the same thing about himself.

It's got real grab in parts, and the creepy Hellraiser watermark rears its head many times and with chilling charm (although purists interested in gruesome deaths and gory torture will be disappointed). Still, the whole thing plays out very much like Pinhead playing How To Host a Murder Mystery, up to him wrapping things up neatly with an out-of-character moral summary. It's fun, no denying, but also hard to take seriously. Like any murder mystery hosted by any friend (even one from hell), this party goes best with a glass of wine or beer, a few friends, and a willingness to pretend like you don't know whodunit.

First off, Pinhead may have apparently "died" in Bloodline, but that took place in the future. Inferno very obviously takes place in the present. Secondly, that wasn't pinhead in the cowboy outfit, it was the pseudo-cenobite that represented the detective's dark side. If you had bothered to actually pay attention to either movie, you might have figured those points out on your own.

A lot of Hellraiser fans who are simply Pinhead-freaks may not like this movie, but what about Clive Barker fans? I believe this movie captured his dark, atmospheric feel that (usually) only he can create. The first two Hellraiser movies bleed Clive Barker throughout. The third is more 'Fright Night' entertainment than horror, but I still love it because I'm a fan of the director Anthony Hickox's style, like in the Waxwork movies. The fourth wasn't really scary but I liked the idea behind the old demon vs. new demon thing. Still, the third and fourth didn't have that Clive Barker feel. I feel this fifth movie did him a lot of justice. First of all, he's said himself that he never intended for Pinhead to get all the spotlight. The movies evolve around those who are unfortunate enough to open the box and how it affects those around them. So the fact that Pinhead's appearance in Inferno is brief shouldn't bother Clive's fans because, after all, he wasn't in the first two for very long either. This movie covers something none of the others bothered to dive into much: what does the box's victims REALLY go through. Sure, in the the second movie we see Frank's 'hell' of seeing all the beautiful women writhing around under the sheets but aren't really there. It's fitting for Frank but not near as terrifying as what our Nightbreed pal Craig Sheffer goes through in Inferno. Also, I remember in an interview about Lord of Illusions, Clive Barker had mentioned how he'd like to see more mystery and detective stories intertwined with horror. That was his given reason for doing Lord of Illusions. In that sense, Inferno does him a lot of justice. Here, we follow Sheffer's character through a mindboggling hunt for the 'Engineer' who is killing all the people close to him and leaving a child's finger as a calling card. He must find the 'Engineer' to both stop him and save the child who's fingers are being severed. The viewer doesn't know what's going on until the detective does, which leads to a totally surrealistic but thought-provoking ending. Beware, if you want a senseless slasher pic that's only fit to laugh at, you'll be disappointed. However, if you want a deep, horrifying look at one crooked victim's trip through Clive Barker's infamous puzzle box, this is a must, and don't worry, there's plenty of gore in here to keep the bloodlust at bay.

I really must say I enjoyed this film. It brought me back to the first 2 films and the book. For me, the book says a lot that just didn't translate to any of the films. This is what Inferno had to offer the viewer. It brought the viewer on an exploration of pleasure and pain. Not some stupid "horror movie" where Pinhead was jumping out at you. It brought you back to the story behind Hellraiser. I admit, the film is slow at first but the last half is really amazin. It sums up what the book was getting across to me. I would suggest any Hellraiser fan to really give this film the time that it deserves.

I loved this movie and even though this isn't really a sequal it is still a must see for any Hellraiser fan. Craig Sheffer(Nightbreed) gives a great performance and Pinhead has two small but memorable appearences towards the end. The effects and story are excellant especially considering that this is direct-to-video. This is probabley the best direct-to-video sequal since The Prophecy 2.

I am a fan of the Hellraiser series, a movie series popular enough to spawn several sequels. I loved Hellraiser for the concept of pain and desire. I watched this film with no doubts. It was very enjoyable. Thorne, the main character seems to be the "bad" guy. It is in a noir style also. Thorne has a very dirty background, for doing many criminal activities such as drug snorting and cheating on his wife by spending nights with prostitues.

At the scene of his previous case. A familiar face turns up at the scene, barely recognizable, a acquaintance he has tortured plenty in school. Thorne is quickly interested at the several items found, a child's finger inside a candle and atop that, a puzzle box.

Eventually Thorne is overrun by his curiousity and steals the box and solves it. Then he finds himself in another world, leaving the room and encountered by cenobites and others. He runs into Pinhead and kills him, Thorne will think he is still alive, but he is not, he is in his own personal psychological Hell. From then on, he will experience the losses of people close to him, his snitch Nenonen and his family quickly get destroyed, and eventually he find out that he is trapped in that psycho Hell of his for the rest of eternity. He will have to experience the last few days of his life over and over.

A great storyline for a Hellraiser and recommended for not the fans of Pinhead, but the Hellraiser concept itself, it dosen't focus on the flesh and desire of people, it focuses on other stuff. A concept much dreadful and unholy then the mutilation of people. 5 out of 5 for a great Hellraiser.

~Kevin