Hellraiser (1987)

Every now and then, I enjoy taking a trip back to my teenage years to re-watch some of the flicks that shaped my interest in horror, both in literature and on the big screen. While I intended to look deeper at the Friday the 13th franchise this week, I could not pass up the fact that the Clive Barker classic Hellraiser debuted in the UK today in 1987. Couple that with the fact that Barker has finally finished the much anticipated Scarlet Gospels and my interest to visit Pinhead was complete.

Plot/ An unfaithful wife encounters the zombie of her dead lover, who's being chased by demons after he escaped from their sado-masochistic Hell.

Growing up, I was a huge fan of Edgar Allan Poe and H.P. Lovecraft and I spent most of my teenage years in the 1980s searching for an author that could take me on a journey into some of the dark depths that those two masters could. That search ended when I saw Hellraiser and discovered Clive Barker. In the era of the slasher, this was a cinematic trip that challenged ones mind. Complete with a tremendous mix of gore, storyline and atmosphere, this was so much more than the typical horror of the decade. Yes, some of the characterizations were off and the acting was so-so, but that was a small flaw in a horror masterpiece. In the end, Hellraiser was a groundbreaking horror flick that influenced a generation and opened my eyes to horror maestro Clive Barker. If you have not see this one, shame on you. It is a must for every horror fan.