139 reviews
- Smells_Like_Cheese
- Mar 18, 2012
- Permalink
Having grown up with horror movies and been exposed to the numerous big horror franchises, I am no stranger to the "Hellraiser" movies, and must admit that I have been watching them ever since the first one came out. However, I am sad to say that since the third movie or so, the franchise has been on a steady declining spiral, and the stories have progressively strayed from the original idea.
This ninth movie was a bit of a surprise to me, as I came upon it by sheer luck. I hadn't even heard about it, and honestly, I thought they had finally put the franchise to rest after a number of disappointing movies. But I was wrong.
So I sat down to watch this movie, and I must admit that I was appalled to see that Doug Bradley wasn't in the role as Pinhead. That was an insult to us fans of the movies (or fans of the first handful of proper "Hellraiser" movies, at least). But still, I gave it a go.
That being said, I have got to be blunt honest. Doug Bradley was (and always will be) Pinhead. Stephan Smith Collins is a really bad substitute. I am not saying that he is a bad actor, as I am not familiar with his work outside this one movie, but he didn't have that diabolic charm and wit that Bradley brought to the Pinhead character. Nor did he have that iconic voice that we all have come to love (or fear, whichever you prefer). So the Pinhead portrayed in "Hellraiser: Revelations" was a mere cheap imitation of the original Pinhead.
As for the story in "Hellraiser: Revelations", one thing only has to be said: "are you kidding?" The story in this ninth installment was a rude insult and a downright copy of the storyline from the first movie. Sure the setting was changed and small adjustments made, but the overall storyline and plot was the exact same thing. Which leads me to ponder on whether or not this movie was necessary? Wouldn't it had been better to just let the franchise lie dormant? Surely this wasn't the best they could come up with. And also, just why did Doug Bradley pass on this? Leaves you with something to think about, doesn't it? And leaves you with a somewhat vile aftertaste in your mouth.
"Hellraiser: Revelations" dragged on forever, just retelling the story that we were introduced to in the first "Hellraiser" movie, so it was basically just pointless repetition. A way to introduce the franchise to new viewers? I don't know, but for us who have followed the growth and decline of the franchise, it was a rude slap on the face.
The movie leaves little room for the characters to develop and grow, despite the actors/actresses doing their best with their given parts. You just never really buy into the characters, and they are lacking depth and credibility.
Having seen every single "Hellraiser" movie since the very first, this one is without a doubt the most boring, pointless and far-strayed from the original plot. It is worth a watch if you want to see it just to have watched all of the movies, but that is about it. There is nothing new here; everything is just a re-write of old material. It is like brewing coffee on an old and already used coffee filter. It was horrible.
One of the things "Hellraiser: Revelations" had working for it, was the effects. There weren't a lot of special effects, though whatever little they did use worked out well enough. Personally, I could have used a lot more of the traditional wicked torture and torment that is associated with the Cenobytes and the "Hellraiser" series.
I have seen "Hellraiser: Revelations" now, and I can honestly say, despite being a "Hellraiser" fan, that I will not be making a second return to this movie ever!
This ninth movie was a bit of a surprise to me, as I came upon it by sheer luck. I hadn't even heard about it, and honestly, I thought they had finally put the franchise to rest after a number of disappointing movies. But I was wrong.
So I sat down to watch this movie, and I must admit that I was appalled to see that Doug Bradley wasn't in the role as Pinhead. That was an insult to us fans of the movies (or fans of the first handful of proper "Hellraiser" movies, at least). But still, I gave it a go.
That being said, I have got to be blunt honest. Doug Bradley was (and always will be) Pinhead. Stephan Smith Collins is a really bad substitute. I am not saying that he is a bad actor, as I am not familiar with his work outside this one movie, but he didn't have that diabolic charm and wit that Bradley brought to the Pinhead character. Nor did he have that iconic voice that we all have come to love (or fear, whichever you prefer). So the Pinhead portrayed in "Hellraiser: Revelations" was a mere cheap imitation of the original Pinhead.
As for the story in "Hellraiser: Revelations", one thing only has to be said: "are you kidding?" The story in this ninth installment was a rude insult and a downright copy of the storyline from the first movie. Sure the setting was changed and small adjustments made, but the overall storyline and plot was the exact same thing. Which leads me to ponder on whether or not this movie was necessary? Wouldn't it had been better to just let the franchise lie dormant? Surely this wasn't the best they could come up with. And also, just why did Doug Bradley pass on this? Leaves you with something to think about, doesn't it? And leaves you with a somewhat vile aftertaste in your mouth.
"Hellraiser: Revelations" dragged on forever, just retelling the story that we were introduced to in the first "Hellraiser" movie, so it was basically just pointless repetition. A way to introduce the franchise to new viewers? I don't know, but for us who have followed the growth and decline of the franchise, it was a rude slap on the face.
The movie leaves little room for the characters to develop and grow, despite the actors/actresses doing their best with their given parts. You just never really buy into the characters, and they are lacking depth and credibility.
Having seen every single "Hellraiser" movie since the very first, this one is without a doubt the most boring, pointless and far-strayed from the original plot. It is worth a watch if you want to see it just to have watched all of the movies, but that is about it. There is nothing new here; everything is just a re-write of old material. It is like brewing coffee on an old and already used coffee filter. It was horrible.
One of the things "Hellraiser: Revelations" had working for it, was the effects. There weren't a lot of special effects, though whatever little they did use worked out well enough. Personally, I could have used a lot more of the traditional wicked torture and torment that is associated with the Cenobytes and the "Hellraiser" series.
I have seen "Hellraiser: Revelations" now, and I can honestly say, despite being a "Hellraiser" fan, that I will not be making a second return to this movie ever!
- paul_haakonsen
- Dec 18, 2011
- Permalink
None of the films have been as good as the first three in this series. This one is no different.
Most of the acting, especially by the lead antagonist, Nick Eversman, is terrible. The effects and gore are nothing more than copies of scenes from the other movies with nothing new added to make it any more interesting.
I love the original Pinhead character, played by Doug Bradley in all of the other films. Stephan Smith Collins who portrays Pinhead in this sequel tries to recreate him but manages doing a poor man's imitation, instead of bringing anything new to the screen.
To future writers of any more sequels: STOP! Either come up with a new lead so we don't miss Bradley's performance so much or reboot the series from the start and try to come up with something new. Maybe consult with Clive Barker to see where he would go with it. Or better yet, put together some real money and have him write it instead.
Most of the acting, especially by the lead antagonist, Nick Eversman, is terrible. The effects and gore are nothing more than copies of scenes from the other movies with nothing new added to make it any more interesting.
I love the original Pinhead character, played by Doug Bradley in all of the other films. Stephan Smith Collins who portrays Pinhead in this sequel tries to recreate him but manages doing a poor man's imitation, instead of bringing anything new to the screen.
To future writers of any more sequels: STOP! Either come up with a new lead so we don't miss Bradley's performance so much or reboot the series from the start and try to come up with something new. Maybe consult with Clive Barker to see where he would go with it. Or better yet, put together some real money and have him write it instead.
- moustasch1
- Oct 17, 2011
- Permalink
In 1987, Clive Barker unleashed the first film in the "Hellraiser" saga onto the masses, from his literary work "The Hellbound Heart." The first film was, and still is in many ways, an iconic, classic entry in the horror genre. The rest is history. At the time I am writing this review, the series has spanned nine films (with rumors of a TV-show possibly in the works), and countless spin-off media including a popular line of graphic novels and comics.
"Hellraiser" is a staple in horror, which is what makes this latest film so infuriating and heart-wrenching.
"Hellraiser: Revelations" is the latest in the series (beginning with the fifth film, all releases have skipped theaters and been plagued with lower budgets and even lower-grade actors and crews). Directed by Victor Garcia (from a script he also co-wrote), this mess of a film is DOA, with lame-brained acting, penny-pinching special effects, and a horrid plot that is essentially a lazy re-imagining of the original film. This is a slap-in-the-face to fans of the series, who have stuck by it even as the later sequels got worse and worse following the surprisingly strong second film. (Which is one of the rare horror sequels that had any thought to it, and is arguably almost as good as the original, despite obvious differences in tone and scope.) Beginning with the third film, the series took a nose-dive, although one or two entries, notably the fifth film, were watchable and enjoyable. This one, however, is the worst of the bunch.
Two spoiled young men, Nico and Steven, vanished sometime ago during a wretched trip to Mexico where they partook in prostitutes and copious partying. After murdering a prostitute, and after being given the mysterious puzzle box by a vagrant, Nico solved it, summoning "Pinhead" (played by a new actor... more on that later), whom dragged him to hell. Steven brings Nico back from hell via sacrifices, and later shows up to a house where he and Nico's family are having dinner.
At the house, Emma, Steven's sister, finds the box, and eventually the families begin to experiences strange and bizarre things over the film's anemic 75-minute running time, before a series of lame-brained twists that I won't spoil ends the film in an abrupt and very anti-climactic climax.
First the acting. I haven't really seen any of the actors in this film before (which I'm guessing is due to the almost non-existent budget preventing us from getting any name-actors), so I don't have anything to compare them to. But the acting was uniformly foul. All emotions by all parties seem forced, and our two leads (Jay Gillespie and Nick Eversman) are about as believable in their performances as a sheep wearing a dollar-store werewolf mask trying to blend into a pack of wolves. They simply cannot act.
Technically, the film is a mess. Garcia's shot-choices are bland, boring, and scream "inexperienced film-school student", and the lighting is atrocious. I was shocked to learn the cinematographer was David Armstrong, whom proved himself to be a capable DP on numerous other films, including six of the seven "Saw" films. Here, all of the lighting and shots seem hastily thrown together, and you could tell Mr. Armstrong didn't have enough time or motivation to work with. I study film and video production at college, and I've seen student-films shot on standard-def camcorders that look better than this from a technical standpoint.
The effects are also lousy. The cenobites looks soul-lessly designed, and their costumes looks like cheap rental-store robes. Pinhead's new design doesn't work and has too much shadow-work around his needles and creases/cuts, making him look a bit goofier than the eerie paper-white look of past films. Gore effects are phoned-in, with cheap, obvious prosthetics. The few CG-type effects are hilariously cheap looking. The set-design is bland and uninspired as well. Especially in the Hell scenes, which haven't been updated since the original film. Hell's still just a mass of swinging chains and pillars, which worked in the original film due to some excellent shots by Barker and the fact we hadn't seen anything like it before, but looks silly and cheap nowadays.
And onto the biggest complaint most people have... and a very justifiable complaint it is. Doug Bradley, whom portrayed Pinhead in all eight previous films skipped out on this one. He wasn't pleased by the script or the next-to-nothing paycheck, so he bailed. Our new Pinhead is portrayed by Stephen Smith Collins, with voice-over work by Fred Tatasciore. And good-lord, is the performance(s) bad!
I already mentioned the new makeup for the character's head didn't work as well as in previous films. But I could forgive that if the performances for the role were good. They aren't. First of all, Collins, who does the on-screen acting just doesn't look the part. He looks more like a light-weight professional wrestler with his head-shape. And his body language doesn't have any of the poetry or art of Bradley. He performs the role as though he had no rehearsals or prep-time, and is timidly being told what to do by the director off-screen. He seems in over his head. And Tatasciore's voice-over work is laughable. Gone is the booming voice of past films, which was dripping with darkness and emotion. Now, Pinhead sounds kinda like Don LaFontaine (the man known for providing voice-over work as the narrator of just about every movie trailer before his untimely death) trying to whisper with a bad Eurpoeon accent while suffering a sore-throat. It's just... awful.
This film is undoubtedly a career-killer for most involved, and it may just kill the franchise. It's beyond awful, and I give it a 1 out of 10, not just for being a bad film, but for being a tarnish on the classic original's legacy. Avoid this, I saw it for free on Netflix, and I still feel like the studio owes me a refund!
"Hellraiser" is a staple in horror, which is what makes this latest film so infuriating and heart-wrenching.
"Hellraiser: Revelations" is the latest in the series (beginning with the fifth film, all releases have skipped theaters and been plagued with lower budgets and even lower-grade actors and crews). Directed by Victor Garcia (from a script he also co-wrote), this mess of a film is DOA, with lame-brained acting, penny-pinching special effects, and a horrid plot that is essentially a lazy re-imagining of the original film. This is a slap-in-the-face to fans of the series, who have stuck by it even as the later sequels got worse and worse following the surprisingly strong second film. (Which is one of the rare horror sequels that had any thought to it, and is arguably almost as good as the original, despite obvious differences in tone and scope.) Beginning with the third film, the series took a nose-dive, although one or two entries, notably the fifth film, were watchable and enjoyable. This one, however, is the worst of the bunch.
Two spoiled young men, Nico and Steven, vanished sometime ago during a wretched trip to Mexico where they partook in prostitutes and copious partying. After murdering a prostitute, and after being given the mysterious puzzle box by a vagrant, Nico solved it, summoning "Pinhead" (played by a new actor... more on that later), whom dragged him to hell. Steven brings Nico back from hell via sacrifices, and later shows up to a house where he and Nico's family are having dinner.
At the house, Emma, Steven's sister, finds the box, and eventually the families begin to experiences strange and bizarre things over the film's anemic 75-minute running time, before a series of lame-brained twists that I won't spoil ends the film in an abrupt and very anti-climactic climax.
First the acting. I haven't really seen any of the actors in this film before (which I'm guessing is due to the almost non-existent budget preventing us from getting any name-actors), so I don't have anything to compare them to. But the acting was uniformly foul. All emotions by all parties seem forced, and our two leads (Jay Gillespie and Nick Eversman) are about as believable in their performances as a sheep wearing a dollar-store werewolf mask trying to blend into a pack of wolves. They simply cannot act.
Technically, the film is a mess. Garcia's shot-choices are bland, boring, and scream "inexperienced film-school student", and the lighting is atrocious. I was shocked to learn the cinematographer was David Armstrong, whom proved himself to be a capable DP on numerous other films, including six of the seven "Saw" films. Here, all of the lighting and shots seem hastily thrown together, and you could tell Mr. Armstrong didn't have enough time or motivation to work with. I study film and video production at college, and I've seen student-films shot on standard-def camcorders that look better than this from a technical standpoint.
The effects are also lousy. The cenobites looks soul-lessly designed, and their costumes looks like cheap rental-store robes. Pinhead's new design doesn't work and has too much shadow-work around his needles and creases/cuts, making him look a bit goofier than the eerie paper-white look of past films. Gore effects are phoned-in, with cheap, obvious prosthetics. The few CG-type effects are hilariously cheap looking. The set-design is bland and uninspired as well. Especially in the Hell scenes, which haven't been updated since the original film. Hell's still just a mass of swinging chains and pillars, which worked in the original film due to some excellent shots by Barker and the fact we hadn't seen anything like it before, but looks silly and cheap nowadays.
And onto the biggest complaint most people have... and a very justifiable complaint it is. Doug Bradley, whom portrayed Pinhead in all eight previous films skipped out on this one. He wasn't pleased by the script or the next-to-nothing paycheck, so he bailed. Our new Pinhead is portrayed by Stephen Smith Collins, with voice-over work by Fred Tatasciore. And good-lord, is the performance(s) bad!
I already mentioned the new makeup for the character's head didn't work as well as in previous films. But I could forgive that if the performances for the role were good. They aren't. First of all, Collins, who does the on-screen acting just doesn't look the part. He looks more like a light-weight professional wrestler with his head-shape. And his body language doesn't have any of the poetry or art of Bradley. He performs the role as though he had no rehearsals or prep-time, and is timidly being told what to do by the director off-screen. He seems in over his head. And Tatasciore's voice-over work is laughable. Gone is the booming voice of past films, which was dripping with darkness and emotion. Now, Pinhead sounds kinda like Don LaFontaine (the man known for providing voice-over work as the narrator of just about every movie trailer before his untimely death) trying to whisper with a bad Eurpoeon accent while suffering a sore-throat. It's just... awful.
This film is undoubtedly a career-killer for most involved, and it may just kill the franchise. It's beyond awful, and I give it a 1 out of 10, not just for being a bad film, but for being a tarnish on the classic original's legacy. Avoid this, I saw it for free on Netflix, and I still feel like the studio owes me a refund!
- TedStixonAKAMaximumMadness
- Apr 27, 2012
- Permalink
This was terrible. I just spoke to Doug Bradley when he was at Crypticon who had been offered the script. He said it was the worst piece of crap that he'd ever read. So he passed.
His exact words were that when he had spoken to Weinstein Entertainment about it and how terrible it was. They said "We don't give a crap at how terrible this movie will be. We need one more in the can to secure the franchise for the reboot".
Needless to say, because if his ridicule of the whole idea, the reboot of Hellraiser was not offered to Doug Bradley, which is too bad.
It is also rumored that it will be PG13. This movie will fail even worse that this one did.
FYI, straight from Doug's mouth, Clive Barker is NOT in support of this remake anymore. This franchise is officially dead now.
Thumbs down.
His exact words were that when he had spoken to Weinstein Entertainment about it and how terrible it was. They said "We don't give a crap at how terrible this movie will be. We need one more in the can to secure the franchise for the reboot".
Needless to say, because if his ridicule of the whole idea, the reboot of Hellraiser was not offered to Doug Bradley, which is too bad.
It is also rumored that it will be PG13. This movie will fail even worse that this one did.
FYI, straight from Doug's mouth, Clive Barker is NOT in support of this remake anymore. This franchise is officially dead now.
Thumbs down.
This was the worst film in the series by far. I understand it was rushed out but the script seems to have been written by a 10 year old.
The characters were cardboard cut-outs. Actually I think I would have had more of an emotional connection to cardboard than the cast.
The storyline and I use the term in the loosest possible sense was so jumbled it was nigh on impossible to keep track of what was happening and when it was happening.
I am so glad Doug Bradley refused to appear in the film as he would have shone so brightly among the others the screen would have just been a white light.
So Revelations. Well if the word is translated as Apocalypse I think I was a valid title.
Don't bother to see this film unless you enjoy staring at wet paint.
The characters were cardboard cut-outs. Actually I think I would have had more of an emotional connection to cardboard than the cast.
The storyline and I use the term in the loosest possible sense was so jumbled it was nigh on impossible to keep track of what was happening and when it was happening.
I am so glad Doug Bradley refused to appear in the film as he would have shone so brightly among the others the screen would have just been a white light.
So Revelations. Well if the word is translated as Apocalypse I think I was a valid title.
Don't bother to see this film unless you enjoy staring at wet paint.
- dave-m-sewell
- Nov 20, 2011
- Permalink
The worst movie in the hellraser franchise without question. I thought some of the previous movie attempts were quite bad, but this one gets the prize! The basic plot is not the worst ever filmed, but there is nothing original, and simply walks in the path of the hellraser "mythology" without adding anything new. The acting is average, sometimes bad, and the direction simply gets the job done.
The reason that this movie is worst than the rest, is the fact that Doug Bradley refused the part of Pinhead, so it went to someone it shouldn't have. Stephan Smith Collins, the new Pinhead, is simply terrible for this part. It is not only the fact that the tone of his voice is NOT Pinhead "material", but his facial structure does not sit well with the make up, and the result is a fat looking Pinhead. I suppose they eat quite well in Hell these days, so he gained a few pounds (lol).
I have to mention that they did fine work in the make up department. However, make up alone is not enough to support an entire movie. It is a surprise that this movie event went out on DVD the way it is. It is a waste of time to watch in my opinion. I suggest that any Hellraser fans still out there, read the new comic book by Clive Barker from now on, instead of watching these terrible movies...
The reason that this movie is worst than the rest, is the fact that Doug Bradley refused the part of Pinhead, so it went to someone it shouldn't have. Stephan Smith Collins, the new Pinhead, is simply terrible for this part. It is not only the fact that the tone of his voice is NOT Pinhead "material", but his facial structure does not sit well with the make up, and the result is a fat looking Pinhead. I suppose they eat quite well in Hell these days, so he gained a few pounds (lol).
I have to mention that they did fine work in the make up department. However, make up alone is not enough to support an entire movie. It is a surprise that this movie event went out on DVD the way it is. It is a waste of time to watch in my opinion. I suggest that any Hellraser fans still out there, read the new comic book by Clive Barker from now on, instead of watching these terrible movies...
- demetrius11
- Nov 2, 2011
- Permalink
I gritted my teeth and gave it a chance, but in the end there is no escaping it. No Doug Bradley, no Pinhead. No Pinhead, no Hellraiser. It's not worth talking through the awful script, the mediocre effects or the below par acting, others have covered those in existing reviews. My only comment would be that the actors on screen know they are making a fail movie and it shows on screen. And when the fake Pinhead arrives on screen, it's game over. After watching this, I looked up the interviews with Doug Bradley to find out why he didn't get onboard with the project, after all, he's been involved with every Hellraiser film so far. I would recommend watching the interviews BEFORE the film, it might save you 90 minutes of your life that you won't get back.
- black_sun001
- Oct 16, 2011
- Permalink
It's not often I feel compelled to write IMDb reviews. Many times I've wanted to hop onto the site after having seen a movie to share my likes or dislikes about it, but for the most part this desire quickly fades and instead I just end up writing about a select few movies: Those for which I felt an extreme passion or extreme hatred. Usually the latter; in the case of Hellraiser: Revelations, the former.
Without saying too much on the plot-- the word count won't permit me-- this is the first Hellraiser since the fourth to be intended as a Hellraiser film (and not a hasty rewrite of an unrelated horror script) and the first since "Hellbound" to treat the Cenobites and their backstory the way Barker wrote them. Gone are the global-domination seeking, demonic Hellspawn that made a twisted mockery of the series; back are the sexually amorphous, amoral hedonists that made the characters interesting and frightening to begin with. Make no mistake-- the Pinhead here is a far inferior version of the previous entries', and Doug Bradley's presence is sorely missed; he brought a certain charisma to the character this is difficult to articulate, let alone replicate, and his absence from the movie is in fact its most glaring flaw. The return to true "Hellraiser" form, though, should please fans of Barker's originals: The characters who fall into the path of the box are not intrepid reporters but shallow, narcissistic perverts. Missing from many of the sequels was the idea that the box-- and by extension, the Cenobites-- sought prey for a reason, and that the fates that befell them were simply amplifications of what would have become of them in everyday life.
This all said, the movie is not completely devoid of flaws beyond Bradley's absence. The production had a notoriously short shooting schedule, and it shows in the super abbreviated running-time and its resultant pacing. The further the movie goes on, the more rapid and sloppy the pacing becomes, to the point that the climax of the movie rapidly falls apart, as characters start displaying traits that were only hinted at before and which needed more development for their actions to be taken seriously. It's a disappointment that such a strong feature fell apart so quickly, and in so glaring a way. Yet even this butchered pacing isn't the movie's biggest flaw.
Normally I shy away from addressing other reviews; however, because of the direct-to-video nature of most of the Hellraiser franchise, and the close-knit community created as a result, it's difficult to separate a review of one of the entries in the franchise from the fan reaction. In this case, the absence of Doug Bradley and his relative silence on the script, coupled with Clive Barker's vehement distancing of himself from the project, has led to near universal disdain for the film. Note that I haven't included anything about the movie itself; and here is where the biggest flaw of "Revelations" lies. Before the DVDs were even pressed, "Revelations" was doomed not because of its inherent value but because fans had decided already that this was going to be the worst Hellraiser ever (a difficult undertaking, considering that the last four entries were unrelated horror stories hastily doctored to include Pinhead, and three of which-- Hellseeker, Deader, and Hellworld-- were abysmal). And thus the prophecy was fulfilled; I've yet to read a review of the film that takes it seriously as anything other than a Hellraiser movie without Doug Bradley. The acting is criticized, when it was on par with the amateur theater quality of the previous entries; the cinematography is called "cheap" though it's the first entry since "Bloodline" that doesn't look like a made-for-TV movie; and... well, that's about all I've seen anyone have to say about this, so far, beyond "Where's Doug Bradley?" That's the biggest reason I came here to write this review. An honest attempt at a decent Hellraiser deserves an honest, decent review, and hopefully that's what I've done here. So if you're just looking for a Barker-approved entry featuring Doug Bradley, yes, this will disappoint you. If you're willing to look past that and return to the world of "The Hellbound Heart," this very well may become one of your favorite Hellraisers.
Without saying too much on the plot-- the word count won't permit me-- this is the first Hellraiser since the fourth to be intended as a Hellraiser film (and not a hasty rewrite of an unrelated horror script) and the first since "Hellbound" to treat the Cenobites and their backstory the way Barker wrote them. Gone are the global-domination seeking, demonic Hellspawn that made a twisted mockery of the series; back are the sexually amorphous, amoral hedonists that made the characters interesting and frightening to begin with. Make no mistake-- the Pinhead here is a far inferior version of the previous entries', and Doug Bradley's presence is sorely missed; he brought a certain charisma to the character this is difficult to articulate, let alone replicate, and his absence from the movie is in fact its most glaring flaw. The return to true "Hellraiser" form, though, should please fans of Barker's originals: The characters who fall into the path of the box are not intrepid reporters but shallow, narcissistic perverts. Missing from many of the sequels was the idea that the box-- and by extension, the Cenobites-- sought prey for a reason, and that the fates that befell them were simply amplifications of what would have become of them in everyday life.
This all said, the movie is not completely devoid of flaws beyond Bradley's absence. The production had a notoriously short shooting schedule, and it shows in the super abbreviated running-time and its resultant pacing. The further the movie goes on, the more rapid and sloppy the pacing becomes, to the point that the climax of the movie rapidly falls apart, as characters start displaying traits that were only hinted at before and which needed more development for their actions to be taken seriously. It's a disappointment that such a strong feature fell apart so quickly, and in so glaring a way. Yet even this butchered pacing isn't the movie's biggest flaw.
Normally I shy away from addressing other reviews; however, because of the direct-to-video nature of most of the Hellraiser franchise, and the close-knit community created as a result, it's difficult to separate a review of one of the entries in the franchise from the fan reaction. In this case, the absence of Doug Bradley and his relative silence on the script, coupled with Clive Barker's vehement distancing of himself from the project, has led to near universal disdain for the film. Note that I haven't included anything about the movie itself; and here is where the biggest flaw of "Revelations" lies. Before the DVDs were even pressed, "Revelations" was doomed not because of its inherent value but because fans had decided already that this was going to be the worst Hellraiser ever (a difficult undertaking, considering that the last four entries were unrelated horror stories hastily doctored to include Pinhead, and three of which-- Hellseeker, Deader, and Hellworld-- were abysmal). And thus the prophecy was fulfilled; I've yet to read a review of the film that takes it seriously as anything other than a Hellraiser movie without Doug Bradley. The acting is criticized, when it was on par with the amateur theater quality of the previous entries; the cinematography is called "cheap" though it's the first entry since "Bloodline" that doesn't look like a made-for-TV movie; and... well, that's about all I've seen anyone have to say about this, so far, beyond "Where's Doug Bradley?" That's the biggest reason I came here to write this review. An honest attempt at a decent Hellraiser deserves an honest, decent review, and hopefully that's what I've done here. So if you're just looking for a Barker-approved entry featuring Doug Bradley, yes, this will disappoint you. If you're willing to look past that and return to the world of "The Hellbound Heart," this very well may become one of your favorite Hellraisers.
- BartlebyScrivner
- Oct 22, 2011
- Permalink
The best friends Steven Craven (Nick Eversman) and Nico Bradley (Jay Gillespie) travel to Mexico to have fun. They meet a vagrant (Daniel Buran) in a bar that gives a puzzle box to Nico. When he opens the device, he finds that it is a key to hell. Nico brings Pinhead (Stephan Smith Collins) that inflicts pain to him and Steven and the youngsters vanish.
Later, in Los Angeles, Dr. Ross Craven (Steven Brand), his wife Sarah (Devon Sorvari) and their daughter Emma (Tracey Fairaway) receive Peter (Sebastien Roberts) and Kate Bradley(Sanny Van Heteren) to have dinner. Both families miss Steven and Nico and they hired a private detective to seek them out, but he only finds Nico's backpack. When Emma snoops around the backpack, she finds the puzzle box and out of the blue, Steven returns covered of blood. But soon they discover that it is not Steven's soul that is inside his body.
"Hellraiser: Revelations" is a very bad sequel, actually the ninth movie of this franchise. It shows the terrible fate of the classic Clive Baker's horror story "Hellraiser" (1987) and its great sequel "Hellbound: Hellraiser II" (1988).
"Hellraiser: Revelations" has a messy screenplay that does not show anything new. Indeed, Doug Bradley has probably given up of performing Pinhead and Stephan Smith Collins is very weak in this role. The worst thing is that the conclusion gives the sensation that the author intends to make another sequel that should be released straight to garbage instead of to video. My vote is three.
Title (Brazil): "Hellraiser: Revelações" ("Hellraiser: Revelations")
Later, in Los Angeles, Dr. Ross Craven (Steven Brand), his wife Sarah (Devon Sorvari) and their daughter Emma (Tracey Fairaway) receive Peter (Sebastien Roberts) and Kate Bradley(Sanny Van Heteren) to have dinner. Both families miss Steven and Nico and they hired a private detective to seek them out, but he only finds Nico's backpack. When Emma snoops around the backpack, she finds the puzzle box and out of the blue, Steven returns covered of blood. But soon they discover that it is not Steven's soul that is inside his body.
"Hellraiser: Revelations" is a very bad sequel, actually the ninth movie of this franchise. It shows the terrible fate of the classic Clive Baker's horror story "Hellraiser" (1987) and its great sequel "Hellbound: Hellraiser II" (1988).
"Hellraiser: Revelations" has a messy screenplay that does not show anything new. Indeed, Doug Bradley has probably given up of performing Pinhead and Stephan Smith Collins is very weak in this role. The worst thing is that the conclusion gives the sensation that the author intends to make another sequel that should be released straight to garbage instead of to video. My vote is three.
Title (Brazil): "Hellraiser: Revelações" ("Hellraiser: Revelations")
- claudio_carvalho
- Jan 16, 2014
- Permalink
In this ninth installment of the Hellraiser franchise, two friends discover a puzzle box in Mexico, which opens a gateway to Hell.
I hardly even want to write a review about this crock of rubbish, because others already have and have done a better job.
Dread Central wrote, "Not only does this entry make all the other sequels seem great in comparison, you could easily confuse this for some Hellraiser mockbuster from the folks at The Asylum." This is spot-on, as they have stolen everything good from the first two films -- Pinhead, the mattress rebirth, the homeless man -- and made them into pale comparisons.
No one has been harsher than Scott Weinberg, who called the film a "contractually-mandated piece of intentional garbage that exists for no other reason than pure, simple greed... This is amateur hour stuff all the way, and it'd be almost endearingly, stupidly enjoyable if this witless cinematic refuse wasn't dancing on the grave of a true classic of the genre." Ouch!
But seriously, what is with the chubby Pinhead who has somehow lost his British accent? The only way this even makes sense is by assuming it just happens to be another demon that imitates the look.
I hardly even want to write a review about this crock of rubbish, because others already have and have done a better job.
Dread Central wrote, "Not only does this entry make all the other sequels seem great in comparison, you could easily confuse this for some Hellraiser mockbuster from the folks at The Asylum." This is spot-on, as they have stolen everything good from the first two films -- Pinhead, the mattress rebirth, the homeless man -- and made them into pale comparisons.
No one has been harsher than Scott Weinberg, who called the film a "contractually-mandated piece of intentional garbage that exists for no other reason than pure, simple greed... This is amateur hour stuff all the way, and it'd be almost endearingly, stupidly enjoyable if this witless cinematic refuse wasn't dancing on the grave of a true classic of the genre." Ouch!
But seriously, what is with the chubby Pinhead who has somehow lost his British accent? The only way this even makes sense is by assuming it just happens to be another demon that imitates the look.
- rocky_lifter69
- Oct 16, 2012
- Permalink
Every review of this movie has ripped it to shreds. Some reviews were fair, however. I'm one of these people who looks deeper into what he sees before him rather than the surface. While it is true that this film is by no means a masterpiece, it certainly isn't the biggest cinematic monstrosity of all time ("Children of the Living Dead" owns that title).
First off: Doug Bradley's absence. I'm a huge Doug Bradley/Pinhead fan, and there will never be anyone to play Pinhead better, but you have to look at what the new guy was up against. Very short shooting schedule and immediate fan ridicule pretty much doomed this poor guy. Overall, I felt he did a decent job with what he was given.
Second: special effects. Come on people, it's a direct-to-DVD movie. Are we looking for 'Star Wars' visuals here? Honestly, I felt the effects here were a bit better than they should have been.
Seriously, if you're a fan of this series, leave high expectations at the door and just give it an honest chance. You never know, you might end up liking it.
First off: Doug Bradley's absence. I'm a huge Doug Bradley/Pinhead fan, and there will never be anyone to play Pinhead better, but you have to look at what the new guy was up against. Very short shooting schedule and immediate fan ridicule pretty much doomed this poor guy. Overall, I felt he did a decent job with what he was given.
Second: special effects. Come on people, it's a direct-to-DVD movie. Are we looking for 'Star Wars' visuals here? Honestly, I felt the effects here were a bit better than they should have been.
Seriously, if you're a fan of this series, leave high expectations at the door and just give it an honest chance. You never know, you might end up liking it.
- Lamented_Sorrow_1313
- Oct 22, 2011
- Permalink
Having Watched this on the bounce after 'Howling reborn' this movie seemed much better than it actually was. Having re-watched it after exorcising the Quite nauseating howling turkey, it now occurs to me that this film is about as enjoyable as drinking your own urine whilst being buggered by a fat sweaty homeless man who hasn't showered his whole life. There is absolutely no point in discussing the plot as it's quite obvious that the scriptwriter has done a william burroughs cut up technique with the first 3 movies and re-hashed the same lines in different order. The casting exec has chosen a lead actor that has a distinct inability to read a line without looking like he's standing on the stage like a six year old at a nativity play. The rest of the cast do lots of head scratching and quite literally look like they don't know what the hell kind of movie they have signed up for. Pinhead looks like a constipated Grandad who is trying so hard at sounding like Doug Bradley that the concentration is making his pins fall out. It's like a group of 15 year old fanboys have got together and thought if you repeat the words 'Flesh', 'Pain', 'Pleasure' over and over again, you've got yourself a hellraiser film. Are their any redeeming qualities? Actually their isn't. And if your one of these people who reads all the reviews and thinks 'i'd like to make up my own mind', this is one of those times you should listen to your conscience, No good will come of it, the world will be a better place for you not watching it, trust me, please!
- xecutionrecords
- Oct 26, 2011
- Permalink
There was once, way back, a little horror movie called Hellraiser. From the mind of English writer Clive Barker, the movie took place within a dark world in which the Lament Configuration existed: a puzzle-box fascinating to anyone with an affection for mind games, and irresistible to those looking to push the boundaries of earthly pleasures. It also opened a gateway to Hell, in which a gang of sadistic demons named the Cenobites roamed in search of thrill- seeking fools to prey upon. It is now an established horror classic, and naturally spawned sequels, each declining in quality as the movies were farted out by a Dimension Films keen to keep hold of the rights to a franchise they could someday reboot. A matter of weeks before the rights expired, Dimension, now owned by the Weinstein Company, rushed production on the ninth entry in the series. The result, dubbed Revelations, was such cinematic cancer that Barker took to Twitter page to distance himself from the tripe.
Steven (Nick Eversman) and Nico (Jay Gillespie) are two young horndogs who escape their middle-class family for the seediness of Mexico, where they hope to guzzle tequila, f**k prostitutes, and generally act like annoying a**eholes. A year later, the boys haven't been heard from, and their two families gather for dinner and drinks. Steven's mother Sarah (Devon Sorvari), via a private detective, has obtained her son's video camera, which shows Nico opening the Lament Configuration and being approached by Pinhead (Stephan Smith Collins) and his cronies. We flash back and forth in time between Steven being forced to lure victims for his friend in order to regenerate his body and skin, and the family's utter shock at Steven's sudden re-appearance and increasingly bizarre behaviour.
Series regular and all-round horror icon Doug Bradley turned the movie down. Despite having to straight-face his way through Rick Bota's torturous sequels - which were already taking enough of a dump on Barker's mythology - he took one look at the script and walked away. Newcomer Collins already faced an impossible task of filling such iconic shoes, but with little to do other than rattle a few chains and donning some terrible make-up, he comes across like a chubby kid in cosplay making his own movie at home. The acting is unspeakably bad, with Eversman in particular failing to convince as an actual human person. Director Victor Garcia doesn't seem interested in even half-a****g a set-piece, with the majority of time spent with Steven's cardboard parents fretting over their blood-spattered emo child. There was only one thing in mind when this celluloid sneeze was bungled together: money. A vision that was once so fresh and shocking now represents a studio at its greedy worst, disrespecting the artist who created it all and the fans who love him for it.
Steven (Nick Eversman) and Nico (Jay Gillespie) are two young horndogs who escape their middle-class family for the seediness of Mexico, where they hope to guzzle tequila, f**k prostitutes, and generally act like annoying a**eholes. A year later, the boys haven't been heard from, and their two families gather for dinner and drinks. Steven's mother Sarah (Devon Sorvari), via a private detective, has obtained her son's video camera, which shows Nico opening the Lament Configuration and being approached by Pinhead (Stephan Smith Collins) and his cronies. We flash back and forth in time between Steven being forced to lure victims for his friend in order to regenerate his body and skin, and the family's utter shock at Steven's sudden re-appearance and increasingly bizarre behaviour.
Series regular and all-round horror icon Doug Bradley turned the movie down. Despite having to straight-face his way through Rick Bota's torturous sequels - which were already taking enough of a dump on Barker's mythology - he took one look at the script and walked away. Newcomer Collins already faced an impossible task of filling such iconic shoes, but with little to do other than rattle a few chains and donning some terrible make-up, he comes across like a chubby kid in cosplay making his own movie at home. The acting is unspeakably bad, with Eversman in particular failing to convince as an actual human person. Director Victor Garcia doesn't seem interested in even half-a****g a set-piece, with the majority of time spent with Steven's cardboard parents fretting over their blood-spattered emo child. There was only one thing in mind when this celluloid sneeze was bungled together: money. A vision that was once so fresh and shocking now represents a studio at its greedy worst, disrespecting the artist who created it all and the fans who love him for it.
- tomgillespie2002
- Apr 11, 2017
- Permalink
- blackpoint
- Oct 22, 2011
- Permalink
- Theo Robertson
- Aug 5, 2013
- Permalink
As a VERY big fan of the Hellraiser series I had very small hopes for this movie as I learned that Doug Bradley had nothing to do with this film.
Anyhow. I already prepared myself for a bad film before I saw Hellraiser: Revelations so I rounded up a few beers in front of me watching it and I gotta say.. it really wasn't that bad! It may have been the beers that made me look beyond the bad acting, the bad script, the bad effects and all the way too obviously fake crying and e.t.c.. But hey, Take a look at the budget they had! Its a pretty good piece of work for $300,000!
I found this film to be good entertainment even though it didn't have all the features you would wish for.
You as a Hellraiser fan might like it too if you can look beyond all the cheesiness. A good advice is to drink some beer, it really makes you more open-minded watching this.
Anyhow. I already prepared myself for a bad film before I saw Hellraiser: Revelations so I rounded up a few beers in front of me watching it and I gotta say.. it really wasn't that bad! It may have been the beers that made me look beyond the bad acting, the bad script, the bad effects and all the way too obviously fake crying and e.t.c.. But hey, Take a look at the budget they had! Its a pretty good piece of work for $300,000!
I found this film to be good entertainment even though it didn't have all the features you would wish for.
You as a Hellraiser fan might like it too if you can look beyond all the cheesiness. A good advice is to drink some beer, it really makes you more open-minded watching this.
- Djaevulens
- Jul 31, 2012
- Permalink
Is the acting good? No. Is the first 20 minutes bad? Absolutely. Get past all that and the last 45 minutes or so is a quality video nasty that any gore fan will at least get a chuckle or two from. I was surprised so many fans of the series hated it but It made sense when I saw this is the first movie without the original pinhead. I think that (and the stiff acting of others) is what caused the bad ratings rather then the quality of the film.
- pressdessly
- Mar 25, 2022
- Permalink
This is my first review so please bear with me. I am a recent fan of the Hellraiser series and Hellraiser 3: Hell on Earth is my personal favorite.
I purchased this movie, Hellraiser: Revelations, yesterday and I got to say; I'm not certain why everybody is bashing this one. This is NOT the worst Hellraiser sequel ("Hellworld" still retains that title). Victor Garcia has booted Rick Bota out of the director's chair and gave us a flick that, fortunately, is much closer to the first two movies (and probably with less than half the money) than "Hellworld".
The number one criticism seems to be Doug Bradley's absence. I do agree on this point. Mr. Bradley turned down this role because he knew he couldn't keep up with the two-week schedule. It's true, his presence would have improved the film immensely. Stephan Smith Collins and Fred Tatasciore do a decent job but, there is no substitute for Bradley. I find it interesting though, that they had to dub in another voice for Pinhead. Does Stephan Collins' voice really sound that bad?
Never the less, "Revelations" is a great sequel is it's own right. I like this one a lot more than the previous sequel. Clive Barker has distanced himself from this one despite the fact it's "Hellworld" not "Revelations" he should be concerned about. If you are watching the series in order; after "Deader" you might want to skip "Hellworld" and go straight to "Revelations". This is a much better movie. Doug Bradley may be sorely missed but, Rick Bota certainly isn't. I give this review 7 out of 10. One negative star for Doug Bradley's absence and two negative stars for Collins and Tatasciore giving us a not-as-effective Pinhead.
I purchased this movie, Hellraiser: Revelations, yesterday and I got to say; I'm not certain why everybody is bashing this one. This is NOT the worst Hellraiser sequel ("Hellworld" still retains that title). Victor Garcia has booted Rick Bota out of the director's chair and gave us a flick that, fortunately, is much closer to the first two movies (and probably with less than half the money) than "Hellworld".
The number one criticism seems to be Doug Bradley's absence. I do agree on this point. Mr. Bradley turned down this role because he knew he couldn't keep up with the two-week schedule. It's true, his presence would have improved the film immensely. Stephan Smith Collins and Fred Tatasciore do a decent job but, there is no substitute for Bradley. I find it interesting though, that they had to dub in another voice for Pinhead. Does Stephan Collins' voice really sound that bad?
Never the less, "Revelations" is a great sequel is it's own right. I like this one a lot more than the previous sequel. Clive Barker has distanced himself from this one despite the fact it's "Hellworld" not "Revelations" he should be concerned about. If you are watching the series in order; after "Deader" you might want to skip "Hellworld" and go straight to "Revelations". This is a much better movie. Doug Bradley may be sorely missed but, Rick Bota certainly isn't. I give this review 7 out of 10. One negative star for Doug Bradley's absence and two negative stars for Collins and Tatasciore giving us a not-as-effective Pinhead.
Don't get me wrong. There's a lot to hate about this largely unnecessary ninth entry into the long dying Hellraiser franchise. The plot is thin. The acting is terrible. The script is painful. The production value is about as good as your average "high quality" porn. Not to mention the glaring absence of Doug Bradley in the iconic Pinhead role. That being said, I sort of kind of maybe a little bit found myself somewhat enjoying this movie to a degree, despite it's flaws.
Much has been made already about the rushed nature of the production; if movie titles were honest this movie would have been called Hellraiser: The Rights Retainer. There was not a lot of thought or effort put into this movie as it was clearly just a case of the studio needing to put out something to keep their rights. But this rushed nature allowed one thing to happen that hadn't occurred since the largely underrated Bloodlines in 1996: an original Hellraiser movie was written.
See, with Hellraiser 5-8 the studio merely took existing scripts they owned and reworked them to fit in Pinhead, much to the degradation of the series as a whole. While some of the earlier movies did have their moments, none of them felt particularly like a Hellraiser movie. This one, even with it's glaring and obvious and pathetic flaws, did, at least, have a certain Hellraiser feel to it.
This alone was compelling enough for me to actually sit through the film. It was almost charming, in its own way. Although admittedly, I did have to kind of convince myself I was watching a well-made fan movie and not a poorly made studio production, watching it through this prism made it enjoyable largely.
There were some decent ideas at play with this movie and had it been given some development time it could have been a fantastic entry into the series. More so than any Hellraiser sequel, this one felt spiritually akin to the original. Though nothing happened that we haven't already seen, it was still kind of fun to get back to the original spirit of the cenobites and see them do what they do best.
There is no way I can objectively call this movie "good". But it's not the complete worst thing you can do with 70 minutes. Watched with the proper expectations and you might find yourself liking it in spite of everything.
Much has been made already about the rushed nature of the production; if movie titles were honest this movie would have been called Hellraiser: The Rights Retainer. There was not a lot of thought or effort put into this movie as it was clearly just a case of the studio needing to put out something to keep their rights. But this rushed nature allowed one thing to happen that hadn't occurred since the largely underrated Bloodlines in 1996: an original Hellraiser movie was written.
See, with Hellraiser 5-8 the studio merely took existing scripts they owned and reworked them to fit in Pinhead, much to the degradation of the series as a whole. While some of the earlier movies did have their moments, none of them felt particularly like a Hellraiser movie. This one, even with it's glaring and obvious and pathetic flaws, did, at least, have a certain Hellraiser feel to it.
This alone was compelling enough for me to actually sit through the film. It was almost charming, in its own way. Although admittedly, I did have to kind of convince myself I was watching a well-made fan movie and not a poorly made studio production, watching it through this prism made it enjoyable largely.
There were some decent ideas at play with this movie and had it been given some development time it could have been a fantastic entry into the series. More so than any Hellraiser sequel, this one felt spiritually akin to the original. Though nothing happened that we haven't already seen, it was still kind of fun to get back to the original spirit of the cenobites and see them do what they do best.
There is no way I can objectively call this movie "good". But it's not the complete worst thing you can do with 70 minutes. Watched with the proper expectations and you might find yourself liking it in spite of everything.
- jroberts3456
- Oct 29, 2013
- Permalink