Hellraiser Review - Off The Shelf Reviews

Join Gary and Iain for a review and discussion of, Hellraiser (1987) by Director, Clive Barker. Starring, Andrew Robinson, Clare Higgins, Ashley Laurence and Doug Bradley
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[@backtoearth1983]

THE REVIEW...... YOU POSTED IT!!..... WE CAME!

[@j.w.1136]

Toby Kirkby IT IS NOT REVIEWSWHO CALL US.... IT IS RECOMMENDEDDDDD

[@christopherbostic4429]

Toby Kirkby we'll tear this review apaaaart!

[@FireTiger941]

*Oh please, no tears from giving negative reviews...it's a waste of good suffering*

[@UnCreativeDeconstructionism]

Hellraiser 3-5: *THESE FILMS ARE NOT FOR YOUR EYES*

[@volusize]

We came, we saw, we kicked its ass!!😅

[@coalhalo]

Finally! Someone else gets a major aspect of Hellraiser that seems to have been overlooked by just about everyone; that the Cenobites were not the villains. That would be Frank.

[@allamaraine8066]

Absolutely. The Cenobites are essentially a neutral party.

[@avellinklater3566]

In the scene with the female cenobite she says in response to kirsty telling them to go to he'll: "We can't. Not alone" At which time pinhead states that she opened the box.

[@WrestlingSmarks]

I prefer eighties horror and style. So when a film looks intrinsically eighties, that's a plus for me.

[@charliemanner1914]

I think the Cenobites represent the opposite spectrum of pleasure. Too much pleasure is a bad thing and the Cenobites rule over that. When you open the box, you seek out more extreme pleasures. It's an allegory for hedonism.

[@theraven268]

They make clear that they are about pleasure AND pain. Not the absence of pleasure, or that too much of it would be "bad". Their thing is about experiences, the idea being that any pleasure is made greater by the pain, just like an extreme form of BDSM.

[@bearsbeetsbattlestargalact6722]

Literally watching Hellraiser as I'm typing this. As Larry and Julia are first getting to and exploring the house, Larry remarks of Frank: "....Besides, he's probably behind bars someplace." Larry will never know how right he was!

[@iidirectxii7545]

No CGI bullshit, you simply cannot beat practical effects.

[@andim.8788]

U can not

[@victorguzman723]

you guys are the greatest when I watch you guys feel like your here in my living room having a good time with good friends thanks for the videos

[@fettslave]

Victor Guzman I just discovered their channel and I agree! I enjoy watching their reviews because of this very reason

[@victorguzman723]

Jill Last Yeah these are the guys you just wanna have a beer with and just talk about all these great movies

[@ryanchapman8255]

Yeah i found them through there It review great guys

[@ericp.2879]

I found this channel from their I Know What You Did Last Summer video, and have been hooked since.

[@johnnymcauliffe1289]

SpecFX-wise, I place the "Rebirth of Frank" segment in this film right up there with "The Transformation" scene in "An American Werewolf in London."

[@Dan53196]

Absolute master piece. This is fine art Cinema. This is the vision I had of hellish torment from my (and everyone else’s) deepest fears put on screen. Hooks ripping flesh apart. Horrifying beings taking exquisite pleasure in pain and suffering. While I agree with Gary somewhat, think what Lovecraft aspired to -terrifying beings so frightening they would drive you to madness- he didn’t quite deliver and his writing has nowhere near the same level of terror and depravity as Barker who thrust it in your face. I don’t think Lovecraft, in the time he was writing would have been so bold as to take it this far, although he took it as far as the intellectual climate of his day would allow. The Hellbound Heart is brilliantly and beautifully written with incredible prose, every sentence pulsating and thrumming with a latent terror. Barker is a true master of the Macabre. Great review guys. Your appreciation for film gets me through my days at work! Keep up the good work!

[@megandismuke5124]

Another little detail that should've given away that Larry was actually Frank to Kirsty is his eye color. Larry's eyes have always been blue but suddenly they're dark brown! Another great review, guys. Will you be reviewing the sequels as well? :)

[@Cyberleader672]

it's weird that Clive barker thinks that pinhead takes fear away from the cenobites but he's okay labeling another one butterball

[@scopeouthorrorreviews2682]

DrWho Fan Has whn i first saw butterball i thought it was jabba the hut

[@thefaceless8796]

My favorite movie review channel on KZbin it's such a shame they haven't blown up smh the masses are missing out big time and you guys deserve to be seen

[@mrg3241]

Hellraiser 1 & 2 as a whole = Darkest movie ever! Great review!

[@boomstickcritique902]

dont know about that hellraiser 2 is more magical then horror

[@charliemanner1914]

Truth. Too sick.

[@ThreadBomb]

@@boomstickcritique902 It can be both!

[@eduardo_corrochio]

Very enjoyable review and retrospective and insights. I am only recently discovering your videos, so I'm having fun. Hellraiser is one of the most original horror films of the decade. I enjoy how Julia begins to become increasingly glamorous as she starts her killing spree; her fashions and style and whole look change as she finds prey for Frank. It's almost like evil and violence are changing her in several ways-- a metamorphosis. This movie has always been for me (in part) a variation on the vampire story ... because Frank needs life from victims in order to become complete and alive. The homeless man munching on grasshoppers is one of my favorite moments. I need to see a copy of the script to see how this character is described. Here in America he'd probably be called homeless, or a bum-- but that's a derogatory term. I wish there were a version of Hellraiser available that included all the original actors' voices, without the looping/dubbing of American voices. Making this film more Americanized, well, I can see the rationale there, but I don't have to like it. It's tantamount to tampering with art, if you ask me. "Jesus wept" = Shortest sentence in the bible, according to some scholars. Little trivia nugget. Thanks, and be well.

[@NitpickCritic]

I agree, such a great film even with its flaws.. Christopher Young's score is beyond amazing.

[@thomaskphillips2582]

image of Frank sweaty not shaven surrounded by candles as he opens the box=not going to end well but iconic image

[@nodinitiative]

Julia the Stepmother is actually Sean Pertwee in drag.

[@Cubs-Den-Reactions]

34:45 Yeah, like you said We see what happens to Frank and her dad, but Kirsty didn't... a lot of times I've noticed when people react to movies or shows they forget sometimes that what we as the audience see isn't necessarily the same thing the characters do. Sometimes, to build suspense, we as the audience know things the characters don't... so when we get angry with horror movie victims and scream things like "Don't go in there!, why would you go in there you idiot you know he's in there!!" but they don't know that, we do as the audience but they don't...

[@shadowofbosstown]

Clive Barker did continue the book story in the scarlet gospels.

[@RailedRobin]

Well, Clive did give us another story about Pinhead in his novel The Scarlet Gospel. However, imo that book reads more like fan fiction than something Clive himself would write. I was waiting for that book for years, and was very disappointed with the end result. I feel like he might've cut out half the story...

[@__-zh6oq]

I had a feeling if I checked your playlists, I'd find this Hellraiser series waiting. These are my kind of guys.

[@thomaskphillips2582]

hellbound heart book reveals Frank had to do criminal risky things before he could get the box

[@bbtb785]

I agree with Gary... You should make that phrase into a T-shirt.

[@kylemendoza8860]

In my line of work. I have seen people go into shock over a lot less than a talking corpse in the attic. That is actually very realistic .

[@borednow5838]

Excellent review. I'd probably say Hellraiser is underrated. Special effects makeup was ground breaking. Am due a re-watch.

[@frankblack676]

This movie was original and took no prisoners.

[@petertyson2]

I always viewed the Cenobites as being from a twisted and perverse version of Purgatory.

[@volusize]

Had this film in the collection for years and finally watched this the first time last night. Love the house, the evil mum 🤩 and the story. The practical effects and stock motion is out of this world, incredibleh. Although I didn't find it scary as such, it did creep me out. Fantastic movie ❤

[@RyanUkAus]

I've been watching this channel for a while now and subscribed today finally, took my bloody time but enjoying the content a whole heap! Good work guys!

[@christopherbostic4429]

not to mention the creature that chases Kristy OMG!

[@AutoMobileWreckSniffer]

I just started watching your videos, I love your passion for movies. And the reviews are always informative and enjoyable

[@punishedcaptainfrog1993]

You guys should review wish master 1 and 2 super gory and hilarious

[@DarthWaroc]

In the Scarlet Gospels "Pinhead" actually says how he hates being called that. I think he's called the Hell Priest, if I remember right

[@JustinDHerd]

Yeah. Kinda disappointed Barker said we'd learn his name in it, but it's always just the Hell Priest.

[@tacobellalugosi2527]

to me and my friends we look at this film and hellbound as a dark fairy tale !!! both film are great

[@johnashley327]

Best reviews out right now. Cheers from a yank.

[@volusize]

When I hear the name Clive Barker my mind immediately goes to Candyman

[@AarenJable]

Nice! Good review guys. Any plans to review the second one?

[@kenhammscousin4716]

Best hell raiser review, ever. And yes I am the comic book guy from Simpsons

[@happytang1802]

Pyramid Head of Silent Hill is just like Pinhead: iconic, but no one calls their real names (I don't think anyone knows Pyramid Head's real name!)

[@bushwick4289]

do they have a jeepers creepers review

[@harrypothead42024]

Clive should rest easy knowing that I don't think fans figure that his in-universe name is Pinhead that is just what we out here watching call him.

[@shaunbritton939]

Just bought this film today and watched it all the way through its a brilliant film very well made

[@mph8200]

Ya know how movies come out same time same thing... Volcano/Dante's Peak, Armegeddon/Deep Impact. What if they did that with Bound but the other was with Clare Higgins and Meg Foster

[@vinnieharris4716]

Great review guys. I love how this movie still holds up.

[@lacyinmon1004]

I saw this movie when I was 13 and loved it.

[@EntertainmentFan11]

The Vagrant is the same guy who sold the Box to Frank, yes, but he's also the Puzzle Guardian. Also, the latest Hellraiser film has just been released earlier this year. Maybe you guys should check it out, and see what you think?

[@thomaskphillips2582]

you are greatest movie reviewers on you tube alongside Ravens Film Productions & Deusdaecon Reviews (1987 Hellraiser was before computers in 1990s & internet in 2000s=perfect timing)

[@thomaskphillips2582]

christopher young's music for hellraiser is suitable and brilliant

[@Hammerhead547]

Fun Fact: Julia's first victim is none other than Norman Lovett who played Holly on Red Dwarf. He left the show to pursue a movie career and this was his first role.

[@CarouselExperiment]

About bloody time you reviewed this hahaha I love this movie, brilliant review as usual.:)

[@hypnocilicdreams]

i`ll tear youre soul apart, haha, best intro yet, thumbs up sraightaway :D

[@mrkipling2201]

Good protein in eating grasshoppers, maybe the vagrant character had a protein deficiency!! Whenever I hear the Hellraiser films mentioned or something like that, I immediately associate Pinhead and the chains dangling from the ceiling with it.

[@lonedragon3261]

Garak is the best character on DS9 and my second favorite Trek character! I've always said DS9 would be the best Trek show if only Garak had been a main character instead of a recurring character.

[@matthias_samahl1266]

So im guessing you'll be doing 2 reviews each week? Holy shit i love halloween! Hellraiser is one of my favorite horror movies and so is the second one! Never seen any of the other sequels, i'll try and watch them alongside you guys. I hope they don't go downhill to fast.. at least i will have a great review to look forward to.

[@garycallan7384]

You really need to review From Beyond

[@garyhall331]

i believe the significance of Frank skinning the rat was him telling Julia that he wants to take his skin

[@danielrees6884]

Have you guys read the scarlet gospels? it's the true sequel to the hell bound heart novel. it's awesome!

[@krisorgan]

Brilliant and disturbing film making at its finest. Also Clare Higgins was outstanding in this movie, as was Andrew Robinson, his effortless transition from the obedient nice guy Larry to horrible scumbag Frank was nothing short of brilliant. Then of course you have Doug Bradley’s iconic performance as pinhead. A truly iconic horror classic. The best in the series by far.

[@tj112286]

Are you guys gonna do the 2nd one?

[@mongomongo7664]

The only thing I like about this film is when Frank comes up from the floorboards it's pretty cool

[@christopherbostic4429]

I like the part in the pet shop with the creepy hobo, i man who is he?the devil himself?

[@slipknotjc1]

Gary the female Cenobite says We can't not without you right before pinhead interrupted her

[@lonedragon3261]

Doesn't matter that they are nails. His head looks like a pincushion. I called him Pinhead as a kid having not seen the movie or spoken to anyone about it. Just from seeing pictures/clips of him.

[@Destroya7961]

When you pointed out that it was amazing that Larry never smelled anything despite the dead bodies hidden in his house without his knowledge I was like oh my god I never even thought of that that’s the only issue I have with this movie because how do you not smell that it’s impossible to miss for crying out loud to give you an idea of just how bad the smell of rotting corpses is when they were filming the Texas chainsaw massacre 1974 they ordered to many taxidermied animals so they did the only thing they could think to do with excess supply they decided to burn them and the guy who played nubbins sawyer aka the hitchhiker said his experience on that movie set that day was worse than his experience in Vietnam that’s just how bad the smell of rotting corpse is that he’d rather be fighting for his life dodging bullets every second and dodging land mines every minute than filming a movie in Texas so yeah it’s impossible to miss unless Larry and everyone else in this movie can’t smell anything at all which is a thing it’s called anosmia

[@tuanlamtran8134]

Can’t wait to see your guys review on 2022 version. I had a lot of complaints about 2022 version (wanna see if you guys have the same opinions).😂😂😂

[@ChristieKanemetalbarbie]

awesome guys!

[@AubreyTheKing]

I love Hellraiser! They say there's gonna be a reboot of the film soon. I'm sure it'll be good, but it won't out beat the original!

[@IronHeel]

You guys are awesome!

[@kingahorodecka9423]

Definitely do the second one, It's the best of the series!

[@5jerry1]

~ The second one is a train wreck, but it is better than the ones that followed it.

[@ThreadBomb]

Hellraiser 2 is brilliant.

[@DMZPlastixofficial]

i'm glad i subbed to these guy's they are awesome

[@samuelward4410]

I think the symbolism with the rat and Frank is the rat is supposed to symbolize Larry and that he is "skinning a rat." At least that's what I took from it.

[@DMZPlastixofficial]

just watched this movie now i'm here?

[@Monkismo]

If anyone's got a copy of the Hellraiser films without the commentary, you can find them on KZbin.

[@thomaskphillips2582]

Hellraiser 1987 & Hellbound 1989 & Hell on Earth 1992 & Bloodline 1996 I loved christopher young music for this horror franchise but there should have been no more films after Bloodline! Bloodline was last big hollywood film that Valentina Vargas did the film may have ended her career in hollywood?

[@PotterPointFilms]

Off The Shelf Reviews have you guys ever sene the 2004 drama film Lightning Bug? I'd personally recommend it, it feels like a horror film with some suspenseful moments, a sense of intensity and dread, and co-stars Ashley Laurence of Hellraiser fame.

[@Protoman85]

If Frank is in the attic, how did Larry bleeding on the floor get to Frank? Does the house have a floor above the attic...?

[@5jerry1]

~ Julia was alone in the attic, so Larry went up to show her the injury and ask for help. At that point, some blood dripped onto the floor, starting the chain of events.

[@hedheb2619]

The movie shows you who the homeless guy is at the end - jeeeesshh how the hell did you miss that ?

[@stazjohnson8618]

Did the re-dubbing happen post release? I saw this when it came out & I'm sure all the actors (apart from Andrew Robinson) still had their British accents.

[@ThreadBomb]

If that version still exists I'd really like to see it.

[@sidnew2739]

That's impossible.

[@racewiththefalcons1]

Holy shit, Larry is Garek!??!??!?!?

[@ajk6907]

Are you guys planning on looking at Nightbreed too?

[@georgetaylor2024]

Interesting to look at

[@lonedragon3261]

Iain, you play 40k? I have a medium size Tau army. I haven't played in years though.

[@MisterTutor2010]

Pinhead's real name is Bill O'Reilly :)

[@mrmijunte10]

MisterTutor2010 and the box is his loofah

[@Blizzard757575]

I want Iain's t-shirt collection.

[@thecawmaster9892]

Quickly becoming one of my favourite youtube channels,just seems like a couple of normal guys :)

[@scopeouthorrorreviews2682]

Do a review on the original amityville and how it played on the public perceptions

[@JustinDHerd]

Are you guys going to review Barker's Lord of Illusions or Nightbreed? Also, while it's a bit out of your wheelhouse, I think it'd be awesome to hear your thoughts on The Scarlet Gospels considering it's Pinhead (aka The Hell Priest) vs Harry D'Amour (Scott Bakula from Lord of Illusions).

[@richarddeese1991]

Frank looks like 80s Vision without the mind stone! ;) Rikki Tikki.

[@thecinematicmind]

One cinematic accomplishment.

[@alexlynn5111]

Shed said "We can't, not alone"

[@UnCreativeDeconstructionism]

*Turn up*

[@bloodyjack6800]

hey iain and gary are you guys going to talk about the other hellraiser movies also can you do a review on the candyman sequels

[@iamtrappedonanisland998]

Nooo! Hellraiser 3 is now blocked" in my country" first resident evil reviews now hellraiser reviews..sigh.. i still have the phantasms and iain youve turned me onto the gaming vids..im in alaska on an island i hope its not just my location..lol

[@MEDUSATHERULER]

Ouch

[@EmilyGloeggler7984]

And yet still not as half as horrific and disturbing as "Starman". With that said, this movie is still disturbing and perhaps unnecessarily so. I think the sequel, personally, takes the basic plot in this and elevates it, even with its flaws.

[@iidirectxii7545]

One of the best horror movie's ever, they certainly don't make them like this anymore.

[@krisorgan]

4 actors played Frank, you forgot Andrew Robinson. Just saying..

[@willlyon7129]

Are you planning to do Nightbreed?

[@paperbackwriter80]

Hell Yeah! Clive Barker's Nightbreed is so awesome and filmed in Alberta! It blew my little bourgeoning goth mind! The character of Boone is a man troubled by dark dreams that he's attracted to, but, can't admit or rather he cannot reconcile himself to the dark sensuality that's so appealing; the Breed are wickedly enchanting, alluring to that dark private place... They speak to the primal within. Mmmmm... I love Craig Shaiffer!

[@fox-jake8784]

You guys should review Dirty Harry when you get the chance.

[@charliemanner1914]

Please do Scream 3 if you haven't already. If you have please link it here. Thanks.