The Hellraiser Films and Their Legacy

by Paul Kane

Best-selling horror novelist Clive Barker's 1987 film Hellraiser has become an undisputed horror classic, spawning a movie franchise that to date includes eight films. Exploring not only the cinematic interpretations of the Hellraiser mythos but also its intrusion into other artistic and cultural forms, this volume begins by identifying the unconventional sources of Barker's inspiration and following Barker from his pre- Hellraiser cinematic experience through the filming of the horror classic. It examines various themes (such as the undermining of the traditional family unit and the malleability of the flesh) found throughout the film series and the ways in which the representation of these themes changes from film to film. The religious aspects of the films are also discussed. Characters central to the franchise--and the mythos--are examined in detail.

Genres: Horror, Nonfiction, Film

255 pages, Paperback

First published November 27, 2006

About the author

Paul Kane has been writing professionally for almost fifteen years. His genre journalism has appeared in such magazines as Fangoria, SFX and Rue Morgue, and his non-fiction books are the critically acclaimed The Hellraiser Films and Their Legacy and Voices in the Dark. His award-winning short fiction has appeared in magazines and anthologies on both sides of the Atlantic (as well as being broadcast on BBC Radio 2), and has been collected in Alone (In the Dark), Touching the Flame, FunnyBones, Peripheral Visions, Shadow Writer, The Butterfly Man and Other Stories, The Spaces Between and GHOSTS. His novella Signs of Life reached the shortlist of the British Fantasy Awards 2006, The Lazarus Condition was introduced by Mick Garris - creator of Masters of Horror - RED featured artwork from Dave (The Graveyard Book) McKean and Pain Cages was introduced by Stephen Volk (The Awakening).

As Special Publications Editor of the British Fantasy Society he worked with authors like Brian Aldiss, Ramsey Campbell, Muriel Gray and Robert Silverberg, he is the co-editor of Hellbound Hearts for Pocket Books (Simon and Schuster), an anthology of original stories inspired by Clive Barker's mythos - featuring contributions from the likes of Christopher Golden and Mike Mignola, Kelley Armstrong and Richard Christian Matheson - The Mammoth Book of Body Horror (Constable & Robinson) - featuring Stephen King, James Herbert and Robert Bloch - and the Poe-inspired Beyond Rue Morgue (for Titan).

In 2008 his zombie story 'Dead Time' was turned into an episode of the Lionsgate/NBC TV series Fear Itself, adapted by Steve Niles (30 Days of Night) and directed by Darren Lynn Bousman (SAW II-IV). He also scripted The Opportunity which premiered at Cannes in 2009, The Weeping Woman - starring Fright Night's Stephen Jeffreys - and Wind Chimes (directed by Brad '7th Dimension' Watson. He is the author of the novels Of Darkness and Light, The Gemini Factor and the bestselling Arrowhead trilogy (Arrowhead, Broken Arrow and Arrowland), a post-apocalyptic reworking of the Robin Hood mythology gathered together as the sell-out Hooded Man omnibus. His latest novels are Lunar (which is set to be turned into a feature film) and the short Y.A. book The Rainbow Man (as P.B. Kane). He currently lives in Derbyshire, UK, with his wife - the author Marie O'Regan - his family, and a black cat called Mina. You can find out more at his website www.shadow-writer.co.uk which has featured Guest Writers such as Neil Gaiman, Charlaine Harris, Dean Koontz, John Connolly and Guillermo del Toro.

Reviews

[Andrewc Ehs · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Hellbound Heart started it & this explains why...film-wise. Clive Barker helped direct the first film, the scariest entry in the franchise. I liked the foreword by Doug Bradley, he really pours into his part in the films. The Cenobites are probably the creepiest group of creatures on screen. They have terrified audiences ever since their first appearance on screen in 1987's Hellraiser. This is a good insight behind the work it took to bring each film to life. All the work put into the films & this book has paid off. It's the ultimate paged archive of the Hellraiser franchise.

[Paul Downey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Superb read

A thorough and detailed look at the first 8 Hellraisers films and beyond with interviews, anecdotes and behind the scenes photos. A must for Pinhead fans

[Martha · Rating 3 out of 5]

Having only watched the first two Hellraiser films, there was only so much I could get from this book. However Paul Kane does a good job with this one, blending thematic discussions with behind the scenes trivia and general information. A pretty good read even for those with a casual enjoyment of the films.

[Santosh Bhat · Rating 3 out of 5]

an interesting read about how the hell raiser franchise was made, but the author tries to attach underlying meaning to plots where none exist sometimes.
I guess only die-hard Clive Barker fans who have watched all the hell raiser movies would rate it higher than 3 stars. The Hell raiser movies are more grotesque and watchable than your average horror franchise ... though I haven't actually watched any except for a bit of Part 3 on YouTube ... rather that is my take-away after reading the book.

[Aaron the Pink Donut · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book goes step by step threw each film-giving a good synopsis along with a thorough making of ,social impact, impact to the series and a Thoughtful and in-depth dissection of the mythology and symbology of the films. The book also covers non-film Hellraiser related items (props, comic books, other Clive Barker stuff, etc…). A pretty decent reference book for Fans of the series.

[Scott · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nice overview of all the films and then some. I liked the inside info on the making of the films although I would have liked more of a social history approach to the endeavor.

[Bob James · Rating 5 out of 5]

Simply the best, greatest, and most comprehensive account and chronicle of the Hellraiser mythology and films ever written.

[Hadaesia Daemonblade · Rating 5 out of 5]

A must-read for any Hellraiser fan... when do we get the second edition?

[Shaun Kirby · Rating 4 out of 5]

So far a great insight to the Hellraiser films