Hellraiser: Bloodline (1996) **1/2 [Hellathon Pt. 4]

I don't recall ever having seen Hellraiser: Bloodline (1996) (I haven't seen any of the sequels that follow either). Yet when I watched it, certain scenes felt very familiar. I did in fact have a full-sized theatrical poster for the film for many years (it may still be in my basement) which I'm not sure how I obtained (I think it may have been via a video rental store). While Bloodline is a messy movie, it's nowhere near as bad as its reputation suggests. I actually found the first half of the film to be on par with Hellraiser III: Hell On Earth (1992). As with that film, I like that HR:BL tried something different from the films that preceded it, but the fourth entry is even more muddled than HIII. That's partially owing to the fact that there are three timelines that could have been handled better to create a more synchronous feel and partially because the film devolves into mediocre horror/sci-fi/action stuff in the finale. Plus there is, of course, the troubled history of the film's production. It was perhaps too ambitious an idea for a single feature film from the start. Still, I found this entry in the series pretty entertaining and there is some great makeup effects and gore to appreciate.

My reviews for the first three films here, here, and here.


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