credit: Hellraiser
There’s been some push and pull when it comes to the new Hellraiser movie, which will be premiering soon on Hulu, but after getting a look at the trailer, it feels as though this movie will hold true to the original idea that Clive Barker came up decades ago. One of the best pieces of news that could have been given is that Barker actually helped out a bit with this reboot, which hopefully means that his influence was enough to keep things as true to the source material as they could be. Creating a female version of Pinhead was a strange move that a lot of people struggled with for a bit, but there is a need to step back a moment and realize that it’s not changing that much about the movie, and it could be an interesting development that might not make much difference. As many fans might remember, one thing that Pinhead always displayed without pause was an arrogant manner that made it clear that he saw all those who would not embrace his ideology as beneath him. It doesn’t appear that this will change, at least not in a way that would upset the balance of this story.
credit: Hellraiser
The Cenobites already look disturbing as hell.
It’s almost as though those in charge of the special effects took a look at the old practical effects and said, ‘hold my beer,’ as they came up with something that looks like an image born from a thousand different nightmares lumped into one image. For this movie, that’s a good thing, thankfully, since it means that Pinhead’s minions appear as nasty and as terrifying as they need to be, even if it’s likely that many will have already found a way to mock them and make jokes that rob the images of their terror. Does anyone remember what several of these creatures have looked like through the years? The pain-loving and terror-inducing creatures are an unapologetic bunch that knows the exquisite feeling of torture and have no qualms about dishing out unimaginable amounts of pain upon anyone that crosses their path. One can only imagine what special abilities they’ll have this time around.
It’s interesting to wonder how much of the original story will be used this time around.
Hellraiser wasn’t a perfect story in the movies, no matter what fans say, as the fact is that many fans have admitted that after the first movie, things went off the rails very quickly. But how much of the original tale will be used is hard to say, especially since this idea could be very far-reaching in terms of world-building and the effect it could have if things continue to move forward. It would be easy to believe that there’s already a sequel being discussed for this reboot, but whether or not it’s going to happen kind of depends on how well this movie is received. Already it would appear that a lot of people are impressed with the trailer, and it’s easy to think that Hulu will see a bit of a surge on October 7th when the movie releases, but after that initial push, one can only guess at what people are going to say, and how the future of Hellraiser will be shaped moving forward.
credit: Hellraiser
The Lament Configuration appears to have changed a bit.
Plenty of things change during a reboot, so it’s very easy to think that this part of the story would have been changed as well, but instead of just being a puzzle box, the Lament Configuration appears as a type of spindle-shaped device now that still acts as a puzzle. As a means of releasing the Cenobites, it’s still serving a purpose obviously, and the blood is a great way to release the creatures since it does look like an enticing object that many people might want to try and figure out. After looking at the trailer, it does appear that this will be one thing that stays the same, that a sacrifice is needed to fully activate the device, thereby freeing the creatures that will seek to convert or eliminate as many people as they can in order to serve their own purpose.
It does look worth watching.
It’s fair to think that some folks would rather see this on the big screen where they might enjoy the full, gory effect that Hellraiser movies have been known for since the first movie hit the screen. But looking at the track record of the last several movies, it’s fair to think that it might be best to see what the reboot can do on a streaming channel before taking things back to the big screen. Maybe if it does well enough, it could lead to another big screen appearance, but as of now, it feels as though this was the best option.
Hell is about to be raised again.
what the reboot can do
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