Part 1 of 4 | Laura’s countdown post to Crypticon Minneapolis

When I first started planning this series, I knew I had to start with Hellraiser. If you read my Halloween post last year, you know the 1987 adaptation of Clive Barker’s novella “The Hellbound Heart” is my favorite horror movie. It’s a stunning, bloody, gothic nightmare, and of all the movies we’re covering, it’s the one I’m most surprised my dad hasn’t seen until now, considering he’s pretty well-versed in the bigger 80’s horror movies.

For the uninitiated, Hellraiser follows dissatisfied housewife Julia (Clare Higgins), who, after moving into her husband Larry’s (Andrew Robinson) family home, discovers her brother-in-law/former lover Frank (Sean Chapman), resurrected, bloody, and skinless after escaping a demonic order called the Cenobites. As Julia commits violent crimes to help Frank recover, Larry’s daughter Kirsty (Ashley Laurence) becomes entangled in the horror. 

My biggest concern was that Dad would get bored, because despite Pinhead (Doug Bradley) being the most recognizable character in the movie, he and the other Cenobites don’t fully appear until a little over halfway through the film. Fortunately, there were still enough gross-out practical effects and beautifully crafted suspenseful moments for him to enjoy before the demons (to some, angels to others) made their grand entrance. When they did, he made an audible noise of delight and disgust every time The Chatterer (Nicholas Vince) graced the screen- as he should, since The Chatterer is the best Cenobite, and no, I will not be taking questions. 

When I asked him for his thoughts after the movie, he said, “This is what you watch horror movies for. It’s over-the-top, but that’s what horror should be!” I can’t agree with that statement enough. Hellraiser is everything I love about the genre; it’s dramatic, atmospheric, creative, and haunting. I’m glad Dad feels the same way!

If you’ve seen Hellraiser, share your thoughts about it in the comments, and try making the themed cocktail I made for the movie—the recipe is below! 

Crypti-Cocktail: Cinn-obite Iced Tea

Directions: Muddle half a diced peach in a cocktail shaker. Add 1.5 oz Fireball and shake. Strain into a highball glass full of ice. Top with unsweetened black iced tea and stir well. Garnish with a clove-studded peach wedge as a nod to Pinhead! 

---