Arrow Video Hellbound: Hellraiser II

After watching Hellbound for the first time in a long time recently, I must say it is better than the original Hellraiser. That being said, it has still aged poorly in my opinion. Yes, the Cenobites are back to tear some more souls apart, but we still don't see enough of them. This time round the heroine from the first film is being kept in a mental institution pleading with whoever will listen to destroy the bloodied mattress. Obviously nobody will listen and things go downhill for everyone involved from there! I must admit I can't remember Kenneth Cranham of Shine On Harvey Moon fame in this ( Who remembers that?) and the foppish killer, Cedric Downes, from one of my favourite Morse episodes, The Wolvercote Tongue.

Good value great movie even now

5/5 Stars. :)

If you’re considering watching ‘Hellraiser 2: Hellbound’ you should probably ask yourself if you’re really into seeing skinless corpses ripping each other apart with hooks and chains. If this doesn’t sound like something you’d observe over dinner then you should probably steer clear of any film with a man whose face is covered with pins is plastered all over the marketing. However, if you’re one of those weirdos (and I include myself in that term!) who actually enjoyed the first ‘Hellraiser’ film and wants to explore that dark and depraved world a little more, then you can’t go far wrong with the sequel.Yes, I know that sequels are usually inferior to the original and almost unheard of in horror terms for one to outdo its first incarnation. Now, I’m not saying that ‘Part 2’ is as shocking and original as ‘Part 1,’ simply because by definition it can’t capture the shock value of witnessing the Cenobites for the first time. However, it does give more of what Hellraiser’s audience wanted, plus it explores this terrible universe and expands on all the major themes from the original. And, for a sequel, that does kind of mean it ticks all boxes you’d want.Most of the original’s cast return, we have the girl who survived the initial encounter with those flesh-hungry monsters, the Cenobites, Kirsty come back for more. Or rather she’s been chucked in a mental institution due to repeated rants regarding how an escaped prisoner from hell seduced her stepmother into killing her father to satisfy demons who live in a puzzle box (to be fair, you can’t blame the authorities for not believing her on that one!). And her torment isn’t over, for, from the confines of her padded cell, she repeatedly sees images of her dead father, now trapped and skinless in hell and begging for help. However, it doesn’t seem to just be her dad who’s trying to get out of having their flesh torn from their body. Her wicked stepmother and sadistic doctor also have an interest in what secrets the puzzle box has in store. Enter the Cenobites.Again, ‘Hellraiser 2: Hellbound’ isn’t for the faint-hearted. You need a strong stomach, as the film-makers seem to delight in coming up with new and varied ways to remove and violate body parts using a variety of sharp implements. I won’t go into too much detail regarding the rest of the plot, but I will say that I actually prefer this one to the previous Hellraiser movie. This is because my one main criticism of the first film as that the Cenobites weren’t in it enough. Here, however, they’re back for good and in it for a much longer period of time – no bad thing when you see that practical make-up is a million times more disgusting than today’s overused CGI gore. Overall, whether you prefer the first or the second, I think most horror-lovers will agree that this is at least a fair sequel to the original and they do go together well as a pair. The third instalment takes the franchise in a bit of a new direction and some felt that that was the point when it started to lose momentum. However, these two films go together well, so if you have a strong stomach, give them a go with the lights turned out.

I had watched Hellraiser inferno the first Hellraiser Movie I watched Why I am not a huge fan of Slash Horror I find it as a Genre too gory too much blood killing and more Torture then a good horror story, Hellraiser has a pretty good story too it I really do find The Cenobites quite frightening though I never scream at Horror movies It begins with Kirsty in a mental hospital she is haunted by her dad and the violent killings of her stepmother and also then tries too tell the police detectives not too wash the bed as Julia her cruel stepmother had a incident on it she was stabbed on it if that was too happen she would come alive and at the house of the crazy doctor gets a patient too cut his hand, and put blood on the cushion which then reconstructs her stepmother Julia, unlock along with a partner in crime called Chanard to release the unlimited Horrors and Ultimate Pleasures of Hell the scene where are in a wooden mountain and there is a moving White pyramid is quite terrifying. Kirsty also makes friends with a quite girl who loves too solve puzzles it also has her dad make a appearance saying ‘’Help I’m in Hell’’ on the walls of Kirsty’s bedroom, It also has Kirsty then battle through Pinhead her stepmother and Cebonites, too find her father I think it is similar too Hellraiser one as it has Kirsty’s stepdad Paul and it also has Her evil stepmother who is played very well by Clare Higgins I also like the twist at end where she tries too bring back the man who made Pinhead and it begins with when pinhead was human in the army he opens the Puzzle Box, then he becomes Pinhead and it also has a black and white photo of a human Pinhead which Kirsty finds, I think it is a great squeal It is definitely just as more intriguing and well unleashes more secrets regarding Pinhead, and also I Enjoy watching the Deranged psychiatrist get put in a crucible of Doom , and Julia go too Paul in hell though I did enjoy seeing her go back too red flash in her skeleton like form the makeup is amazing yet scary for the undead zombie corpse, this movie is great if You love old Skool horror like Nightmare on Elm Street, and Slash Horror like Friday the 13th Halloween. I would say Pinhead is a horror genius excellent behind the scenes features the Making of Hellraiser Two and also has the Theatrical Trailer If You do Purchase this Remember in the Famous Words of Pinhead ‘’We will Tear Your Soul Apart’’ .

Often find myself wondering why we have a different set of standards for horror films than we do for other genres. Particularly with old’ classics’. Maybe I’m missing the cheesy point? This film doesn’t really make sense, like it’s predecessor the acting is terrible, the plot is rubbish, the characters don’t really make sense. Hell looks boring, the cenobites don’t really do that much they just walk around admittedly looking awesome, but they are pretty weak. A teenage girl can out run them. They’re way too amenable as well. I don’t know.The genius of this film is the make up and some of the one liners. 5/5 and it does leave you feeling like you’ve seen something better than it really is.But as a narrative experience I kept wanting to fast fwd. I know this is practically heresy at the moment but… shrug. Coolest Halloween costume idea film.

What can I say Doug as pinhead, that's all you need. Absolutely brilliant watching this again ☺️