THE DANMAN CAN

Magic, cults, horror, neo-noir. "Flesh is a trap, and magic sets us free." "The grave is lonely, but living is worse." Clive Barker Feature Films Ranked

George Pavlou 's first two (of three) feature films were based on Clive Barker screenplays. While  Rawhead Rex  (1986) ( review ) (the second of those two) is a better film overall, 1985's  Underworld , though deeply flawed, is an interesting precursor to Barker's  Nightbreed  (1990) ( review ).  Jacob Knight  aptly stated in his  review  of UW  that it's "the  L.A. Takedown  (1989) ( review ) to  Nightbreed 's  Heat   (1995) ( review )," exploring a lot of the same territory. This neon-drenched neo-noir, released in the U.S. in a longer version known as Transmutations (which is included on the Blu-ray copy of  Kino Lorber 's  4K UHD  release that I picked up, so I'll have to watch that next time), was not what I expected based on the poster (thanks Charles Band ). Admittedly, it's uneven, underdeveloped, and not terribly exciting, but it's visually quite striking (particularly for a clearly ...

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...

Hellraiser III: Hell On Earth  (1992) brought the franchise into the '90s and with it every cliche of that decade's horror films (the fashion, the performances, the hyper-stylized camerawork, the music). Gone is the cold blue look of the first two films (my reviews of those  here  and  here ), gone are the tragic familial elements, and gone is the old school gothic flavor.  While it ups the action, it also ups the silliness, particularly when it comes to the Cenobites (and even Pinhead is a bit too pristine).  Hellraiser III  does attempt to deepen the series' lore and, though its plot and logic are pretty muddled, I like that it didn't simply try to replicate the first two films (plus Doug Bradley gets much more screen time and he's a lot of fun here).  HIII  works best as a slice of horror entertainment—don't expect the same thought-provoking themes of the first two films and have a good time. Hellraiser  Franchise Fims Ranked

I've always liked how  Hellbound: Hellraiser II  (1988) picks up right where the first film ( review ) left off, but I've always enjoyed the first hour more than the remainder of the film. The buildup, in this case, is much more interesting than the payoff. Once the characters actually  go  to Hell,  Hellbound  begins to gradually lose steam.  I appreciate the special effects artistry that went into  Hellraiser II ,   it's nice to get more Cenobite action, and the brief Frank sequence is great. But the presentation and the performances veer a bit too much into horror tropes and cliches at times in the last 20 minutes.  Kenneth Cranham   as Doctor Channard is a much more menacing presence before he becomes a Cenobite, where he proceeds to do nothing but spout one-liners. And, as much as I like matte paintings and, occasionally, artificiality in movies, some of the sets/design are a bit cheesy and the editing a bit sloppy in the...

Hellraiser   (1987)— Clive Barker 's  Faustian  micro-budget horror classic of obsession and eroticism—holds up very well thanks to excellent, gooey special effects, strong lead performances by  Andrew Robinson  and  Claire Higgins , touches of surrealism, a brilliant, sumptuous score by  Christopher Young , and an iconic "villain" portrayed by  Doug Bradley . Clive Barker Feature Films Ranked Hellraiser Franchise Fims Ranked

Rawhead Rex  (1986) is not a "good" film, but it’s  awful ly good fun. Full of hammy acting, cheesy makeup (though some of the effects are decent), and half-baked ideas—it’s more fun to laugh at than to glean anything thought-provoking from. It’s like a C grade  An American Werewolf In London   (1981) ( review ) and that’s OK—shitty monster movies have a place in the world too (and I kind of love this one). I do think that  Clive Barker  would have preferred for viewers to have a more meaningful experience with his  story , which is why I think it could be adapted again with more successful results. (Whoever tackles it should  definitely  keep the golden shower baptismal scene though.)

Nightbreed (1990), essentially  Clive Barker ’s The Island Of Dr. Moreau with a dash of vampire lore, is a film I’ve never been able to fully embrace (despite having seen it numerous times).  Messy in the same way as  Hellbound: Hellraiser II  (1988) ( review ), there’s a bit too much goofiness that doesn’t mesh well with the more adult themes and a definite lack of backstory and characterization (though David Cronenberg is fun in his role). There’s also confounding editing choices. I honestly think there is too much going on in the final third (the action is wild but haphazard).  It all makes for a hodgepodge, which, even in the director’s cut ( review ), never quite gels. That cut does flesh out characters better and the ending is vastly different (and superior), but overall it really just feels longer. As much as I love  Hellraiser   (1987) ( review ), Clive Barker is simply a better writer than director. The ideas behind the film are more ...

Rawhead Rex  (1986) is not a "good" film, but it’s awful ly good fun. Full of hammy acting, cheesy makeup (though some of the effects are decent), and half-baked ideas—it’s more fun to laugh at than to glean anything thought-provoking from. It’s like a C grade  An American Werewolf In London   (1981) ( review ) and that’s OK—shitty monster movies have a place in the world too (and I kind of love this one). I do think that  Clive Barker  would have preferred for viewers to have a more meaningful experience with his  story , which is why I think it could be adapted again with more successful results. (Whoever tackles it should definitely keep the golden shower baptismal scene though.)

Candyman  (1992) is one of the best horror movies of the 90s and remains a genre classic almost 20 years on.  Bernard Rose 's film deftly walks that delicate line between class and trash—treating its  Barker -based subject matter with respect but not shying away from the grue or the tropes that, when handled this well, we love. While it’s still problematic,  Candyman  is a bloody gothic-cum-urban tale of social status, racial inequality, fear, and romance with a grimy yet beautiful visual style.  Tony Todd ’s magnetic charisma, a compelling performance by  Virginia Madsen , and an exceptional and exquisite score by  Philip Glass  only sweeten the deal. Top 10 Horror Films (1990–Current)  

Candyman  (1992) is one of the best horror films of the 90s. Bernard Rose 's film deftly walks that delicate line between class and trash—treating its Barker -based subject matter with respect but not shying away from the grue or the tropes that, when handled this well, we love. While it’s still problematic,  Candyman is a bloody gothic-cum-urban tale of social status, racial inequality, fear, and romance with a grimy yet beautiful visual style,  Tony Todd ’s magnetic charisma, a compelling performance by  Virginia Madsen , and an exceptional and exquisite score by Philip Glass . Top 10 Horror Films (1990–Current)

Rawhead Rex  (1986) is not a "good" film, but it’s  awful ly good fun. Full of hammy acting, cheesy makeup (though some of the effects are decent), and half-baked ideas—it’s more fun to laugh at than to glean anything thought-provoking from. It’s like a C grade  An American Werewolf In London   (1981) ( review ) and that’s OK—shitty monster movies have a place in the world too (and I kind of love this one). I do think that  Clive Barker  would have preferred for viewers to have a more meaningful experience with his  story , which is why I think it could be adapted again with more successful results. (Whoever tackles it should  definitely  keep the golden shower baptismal scene though.)

Focus On Film   Episode 60  is up! Danman and Rygar talk about some things and most of those things are films + more! Download the MP3  HERE In this episode: March 2018  Criterion Collection  Titles Announcement Criterion Most Wanted Best & Worst Of The Month   – Lady Bird  (2017), The Shape Of Water (2017), The Room   (2003), Hellraiser III: Hell On Earth (1992)

Hellraiser III: Hell On Earth  (1992) brought the series into the '90s and with it every cliche of that decade's horror films (bad fashion, poor performances, hyper-stylized camerawork, cheesy music). Gone is the cold blue look of the first two films, gone are the strong lead performances, gone are the tragic familial elements, and gone is the old school gothic flavor. While it ups the action, it also ups the silliness, particularly when it comes to the Cenobites (and even Pinhead is a bit too pristine). It's not bad per se, and I like that it didn't simply try to replicate the first two films, but Hellraiser III  works better as a slice of fun entertainment and less as a thought-provoking meditation on themes, as with the first film and the first half of the second.

I've always loved the first hour of Hellbound: Hellraiser II  (1988) more than the rest of the film. The buildup in this case is much more interesting than the payoff. Once the characters actually go to Hell, Hellbound  starts to gradually lose steam. I do appreciate the special f/x artistry that went into Hellraiser II and it's nice to get more Cenobite action but the delivery and the performances veer a bit too much into horror tropes and cliches at times in the last 40 minutes.  Kenneth Cranham   as Doctor Channard is a much more menacing presence before he becomes a Cenobite, where he proceeds to do nothing but spout one-liners. Not to mention that some of the sets/design are a bit cheesy and the editing a bit sloppy in the Hell segments. Still, it's good grotesque gothic entertainment.

Hellraiser   (1987)— Clive Barker 's micro-budget horror classic of obsession and eroticism—holds up very well after 30 years thanks to excellent, gooey special f/x, strong lead performances by  Andrew Robinson  and  Claire Higgins , touches of surrealism, a brilliant score by  Christopher Young , and an iconic "villain" portrayed by  Doug Bradley .