Hellbound: Hellraiser II
2.5/4
Starring: Ashley Laurence, Clare Higgins, Kenneth Cranham, Imogen Boorman, William Hope
The version being reviewed is the unrated one. For the record, the theatrical cut is rated R (probably for Strong Violence/Gore, Sexuality, Nudity and Language)
To be quite honest, "Hellbound: Hellraiser II" isn't very good. It has its moments of tension, but can't rise to the level of the first one. And yet, there are some visuals and special effects that are truly impressive. About another problematic but effective horror film, "Feardotcom," the late great Roger Ebert said, "Strange, how good "feardotcom" is, and how bad. The screenplay is a mess, and yet the visuals are so creative this is one of the rare bad films you might want to actually see." I could say the same thing about "Hellbound: Hellraiser II."
The plot of this film is a mess. That's definitely true. The original wasn't the hallmark of originality, but it did retain a level of coherency. In any event, Kirsty (Laurence) is recovering at a psychiatric hospital after the events in the first film, in which her stepmother Julia (Clare Higgins) became a serial killer to resurrect her dead uncle, who had gotten himself sent to hell with the Cenobites. He's looked after by Dr. Channard (Cranham), who ranks somewhere near Hannibal Lecter on the list of doctors you don't want to have looking after you. His assistant, Kyle MacRae (Hope), is much more benevolent, and believes Kirsty. He goes to look for evidence of her story and finds a resurrected (albeit without skin) Julia. In any event, Kirsty, Julia, Channard and Tiffany (Boorman), a silent girl from the hospital with an obsession with puzzles, find themselves in Hell. Literally.
The film's first half is weak. It's confusing and badly written, and therefore not particularly interesting. When the characters end up in Hell, that's when the film takes off. The story doeasn't become more coherent, but the visuals make up for it. These include the usual forms of torture and murder (such as skin being pulled off or getting your skull popped open) you'd expect from a movie with "Hellraiser" in the title, but then there's the setting, which looks like an M. C. Escher painting come to life. With all the weird rooms and so on, I kept thinking of "The Cell."
Acting-wise, the film's only memorable performances are given by Clare Higgins and William Hope. Higgins seems to be enjoying herself immensely playing one of the most vicious women in horror movies. She even said as much herself; according to her iMDb page, she said, "I had to come back, because to be the queen of hell, you see, it was an opportunity I couldn't miss!" William Hope is probably best known for playing the impotent Lt. Gorman in the horror classic "Aliens," and he's much nicer here. Ashley Laurence resembles Winona Ryder, but lacks the more famous actress's range.
Although he came up with the story (which was forced to undergo changes after Andrew Robinson, who played Kirsty's father in the original, refused to appear in this film. Supposedly, this accounts for its messy storyline), Clive Barker didn't write or direct the film. It was written by Peter Atkins and directed by Tony Randel. They let their imaginations run wild, and while it's not a very good movie, it does have its pleasures. But only if you're into this sort of thing.
Starring: Ashley Laurence, Clare Higgins, Kenneth Cranham, Imogen Boorman, William Hope
The version being reviewed is the unrated one. For the record, the theatrical cut is rated R (probably for Strong Violence/Gore, Sexuality, Nudity and Language)
To be quite honest, "Hellbound: Hellraiser II" isn't very good. It has its moments of tension, but can't rise to the level of the first one. And yet, there are some visuals and special effects that are truly impressive. About another problematic but effective horror film, "Feardotcom," the late great Roger Ebert said, "Strange, how good "feardotcom" is, and how bad. The screenplay is a mess, and yet the visuals are so creative this is one of the rare bad films you might want to actually see." I could say the same thing about "Hellbound: Hellraiser II."
The plot of this film is a mess. That's definitely true. The original wasn't the hallmark of originality, but it did retain a level of coherency. In any event, Kirsty (Laurence) is recovering at a psychiatric hospital after the events in the first film, in which her stepmother Julia (Clare Higgins) became a serial killer to resurrect her dead uncle, who had gotten himself sent to hell with the Cenobites. He's looked after by Dr. Channard (Cranham), who ranks somewhere near Hannibal Lecter on the list of doctors you don't want to have looking after you. His assistant, Kyle MacRae (Hope), is much more benevolent, and believes Kirsty. He goes to look for evidence of her story and finds a resurrected (albeit without skin) Julia. In any event, Kirsty, Julia, Channard and Tiffany (Boorman), a silent girl from the hospital with an obsession with puzzles, find themselves in Hell. Literally.
The film's first half is weak. It's confusing and badly written, and therefore not particularly interesting. When the characters end up in Hell, that's when the film takes off. The story doeasn't become more coherent, but the visuals make up for it. These include the usual forms of torture and murder (such as skin being pulled off or getting your skull popped open) you'd expect from a movie with "Hellraiser" in the title, but then there's the setting, which looks like an M. C. Escher painting come to life. With all the weird rooms and so on, I kept thinking of "The Cell."
Acting-wise, the film's only memorable performances are given by Clare Higgins and William Hope. Higgins seems to be enjoying herself immensely playing one of the most vicious women in horror movies. She even said as much herself; according to her iMDb page, she said, "I had to come back, because to be the queen of hell, you see, it was an opportunity I couldn't miss!" William Hope is probably best known for playing the impotent Lt. Gorman in the horror classic "Aliens," and he's much nicer here. Ashley Laurence resembles Winona Ryder, but lacks the more famous actress's range.
Although he came up with the story (which was forced to undergo changes after Andrew Robinson, who played Kirsty's father in the original, refused to appear in this film. Supposedly, this accounts for its messy storyline), Clive Barker didn't write or direct the film. It was written by Peter Atkins and directed by Tony Randel. They let their imaginations run wild, and while it's not a very good movie, it does have its pleasures. But only if you're into this sort of thing.
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