Hellraiser: Revelations (2011)

With The Visit behind me, I still had some work to do and needed something dark in the background. After some debate, I decided to venture back into a franchise that I absolutely love, Hellraiser, with the ninth installment Hellraiser: Revelations.  

Plot/ two friends discover a puzzle box in Mexico, which opens a gateway to Hell. Before long, Pinhead has returned to make the lives of everyone in his way miserable.

While I have not reviewed all of the Hellraiser movies, I have seen them all, and this ninth installment has to be the worst. I can now see why Doug Bradley passed (not that his presence would have saved it). There were some interesting effects in this one (even if they were predictable and similar to earlier entries in the franchise) and who would not love to see the box, chains, a pleasures of the flesh instilled by the cenobites. Unfortunately, there was absolutely nothing new in this one, and it felt like a modified rip-off of all of the others. The performances are uneven, the dialog bad, the characters did nothing to appeal to anyone, and the atmosphere was non-existent. Even the classic Pinhead character failed to develop and was shell of himself, with Stephan Smith Collins trying too hard to channel the definitive traits of Bradley. In the end, this is definitely one movie I could have done without and even as a huge fan of the franchise; I will never watch this one again. Stay away!

Buried Alive (2007)

As I continue through October, counting down to retirement and my favorite holiday (26 days left), I was stuck searching for something late last night on Demand. Since I have not got the man cave finished, I am still stuck sharing a television (which sucks)! My selection for the evening was the 2007 entry Buried Alive.

Plot/ A college prank at an abandoned house accidentally awakens a frightening spirit.

I really had no idea what to expect when I put this on last night, while the idea seemed simple enough, I was not sure that simple is always better. After watching it, I saw the potential, but nothing truly jumped out to make this more than just average. In fact, the only thing that was not just average was the amount of nudity (a ton, and that may be the only selling point). As the movie progressed, the plot and storyline just seemed all over the place (like the acting) and even the back story did little to bring the point to light. Sure, there were some decent gory moments, but that was not even close enough to save this one. If you are a fan of boobs in horror movies, check this one out, if not, Stay Away!