THE DANMAN CAN

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 .