Hellraiser (1987)

Director:

Clive Barker

Writer:

Clive Barker (written by)
(more)

Release Date:

18 September 1987 (USA)

Genre:

Horror | Thriller

Tagline:

Still Raising Hell [20th Anniversary Re-Issue]

Plot:

An unfaithful wife encounters the zombie of her dead lover, who's being chased by demons after he escaped from their sado-masochistic Hell.

Plot Keywords:

Cenobites | Demon | Hell | Blood | Creature

Awards:

2 wins & 5 nominations

Cast

Andrew Robinson	...	Larry
Clare Higgins	...	Julia
Ashley Laurence	...	Kirsty Cotton
Sean Chapman	...	Frank
Oliver Smith	...	Frank the Monster
Robert Hines	...	Steve
Anthony Allen	...	1st Victim
Leon Davis	...	2nd Victim
Michael Cassidy	...	3rd Victim
Frank Baker	...	Derelict
Kenneth Nelson	...	Bill
Gay Baynes	...	Evelyn
Niall Buggy	...	Dinner Guest
Dave Atkins	...	Moving Man 1
Oliver Parker	...	Moving Man 2
Pamela Sholto	...	Complaining Customer
Doug Bradley	...	Pinhead the Lead Cenobite
Nicholas Vince	...	Chattering Cenobite
Simon Bamford	...	'Butterball' Cenobite
Grace Kirby	...	Female Cenobite
Sharon Bower	...	Nurse
Raul Newney	...	Doctor

Directed by
Clive Barker

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Clive Barker		novel "The Hellbound Heart" (uncredited)
Clive Barker		written by

Produced by
Mark Armstrong	....	executive producer
Christopher Figg	....	producer
Selwyn Roberts	....	associate producer
David Saunders	....	executive producer
Christopher Webster	....	executive producer

Original Music by
Christopher Young		(music composed by)

Cinematography by
Robin Vidgeon		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Richard Marden
Tony Randel		(uncredited)

Casting by
Sheila Trezise

Production Design by
Michael Buchanan		(as Mike Buchanan)

Art Direction by
Jocelyn James

Costume Design by
Joanna Johnston

Makeup Department
Nigel Booth	....	special makeup effects and creature crew
Julian Caldow	....	special makeup effects and creature crew
Paul Catling	....	special makeup effects and creature crew
Stuart Conran	....	special makeup effects and creature crew
Dave Elsey	....	special makeup effects and creature crew
Richard Glass	....	standby contact lens optician
Little John	....	special makeup effects and creature crew
Bob Keen	....	special makeup effects designer
Dave Keen	....	special makeup effects and creature crew (as David Keen)
William Petty	....	special makeup effects and creature crew
Geoffrey Portass	....	special makeup effects workshop supervisor (as Geoff Portass)
Roy Puddefoot	....	special makeup effects and creature crew
Jason Reed	....	special makeup effects and creature crew
Ian Rolph	....	special makeup effects and creature crew
Jim Sandys	....	special makeup effects and creature crew
Simon Sayce	....	special makeup effects and creature crew
Aileen Seaton	....	hair stylist
Sally Sutton	....	makeup artist

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Selwyn Roberts	....	first assistant director
Waldo Roeg	....	second assistant director
Rupert Ryle-Hodges	....	third assistant director

Art Department
Ron Allett	....	property master
Derek Ede	....	stand-by stagehand
Steve Ede	....	chargehand carpenter
Belinda Edwards	....	production buyer
Richard Harris	....	stand-by rigger
Floyd Jones Hughes	....	sketch artist
Colin Lovering	....	stand-by painter
Gerry O'Connor	....	prop stand-by
Steve Payne	....	dressing props
John Potter	....	stand-by carpenter
Paul Purdy	....	stand-by props (as Paul Purdey)
John Rankin	....	construction stand-by
Mark Stevenson	....	art department assistant
Paul Turner	....	stand-by props

Sound Department
Stephen Banks	....	Jobfit trainee
David Beesley	....	assistant sound effects editor
Michael A. Carter	....	dubbing mixer (as Michael Carter)
Joe Gilmore	....	assistant dubbing editor
Graham V. Hartstone	....	chief dubbing mixer (as Graham Hartstone)
John Ireland	....	sound effects editor
Nicolas Le Messurier	....	dubbing mixer (as Nicolas Lemessurier)
Tony Message	....	dubbing editor
John Midgley	....	sound mixer
Clive Osborne	....	boom operator (as Clive Osbourne)
Carmella Prudente	....	Jobfit trainee

Special Effects by
Cliff Wallace	....	special makeup effects technician
Dave Chagouri	....	special effects technician (uncredited)

Visual Effects by
Dick Dimbleby	....	optical printer
Don Lee	....	digital compositor
Peter Swinson	....	optical printer
Peter Watson	....	optical supervisor
Nick Xypnitos	....	animator
Clive Barker	....	animator (uncredited)

Stunts
Jim Dowdall	....	stunt arranger
Bill Weston	....	stunts

Camera and Electrical Department
Tom Collins	....	still photographer
Gary Donague	....	best boy (as Gary Donoghue)
Tim Field	....	camera operator: rostrum camera
Steve Foster	....	gaffer
Katya Grenfell	....	additional still photographer
Andrew C. Hebden	....	electrician (as Andrew Hebden)
Gary Hutchings	....	camera grip
Clive Mackey	....	clapper loader
Danny Shelmerdine	....	focus puller
Ray Wardley	....	electrician
David Worley	....	camera operator

Casting Department
Ping Mudie	....	assistant to casting director

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Daryl Bristow	....	wardrobe supervisor
Brian Cox	....	wardrobe assistant
Jane Howells	....	wardrobe assistant
Ro Sylvester-Fisher	....	costume assistant: Cenobite costumes (as Rosemary Sylvester Fisher)
Jane Wildgoose	....	costume designer: Cenobite costumes

Editorial Department
Roy Birchley	....	first assistant editor
Tim Grover	....	second assistant editor

Music Department
Tom Calderaro	....	synthesizer performer
Tom Calderaro	....	synthesizer programmer
Jeff Vaughn	....	music recordist
Paul Francis Witt	....	conductor
Paul Francis Witt	....	music consultant
Anne Atkins Young	....	music supervisor
Christopher Young	....	orchestrator
Mark Zimoski	....	consultant: percussion (as Mark Zimowski)

Transportation Department
John Collins	....	unit driver
Terry English	....	unit driver
Micky Grover	....	unit driver
Ron Narduzzo	....	unit driver

Other crew
John Charles	....	software manager: Sony DAC
Robert Fabbri	....	floor runner
Alan Harris	....	stand-in
Steve Jones	....	unit publicist
Su Lim	....	assistant to producer
Alex Matcham	....	production auditor
Selby McCreery	....	assistant to producer
Richard Morrison	....	title designer
Patricia Poole	....	production accountant (as Pat Poole)
Kathy Sinclair	....	stand-in
Clare St. John	....	production coordinator
Jane Studd	....	location manager
Alan Sutton	....	fire safety coordinator
Ene Watts	....	script supervisor

Thanks
John Dunne	....	grateful acknowledgment
Marie Fisher	....	grateful acknowledgment
Piers Gibson	....	grateful acknowledgment
John Gregson	....	grateful acknowledgment
Christopher Hobbs	....	grateful acknowledgment
R.J. Kizer	....	grateful acknowledgment
Alan Parker	....	grateful acknowledgment
Tony Randel	....	many special thanks (as Anthony Randel)

Production Companies

• Cinemarque Entertainment BV
• Film Futures
• Rivdel Films

Distributors

• New World Pictures (1987) (USA) (theatrical)
• Highlight Film (1988) (West Germany) (theatrical)
• RCV Film Distribution (1988) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
• Anchor Bay Entertainment (1997) (USA) (VHS)
• Anchor Bay Entertainment (1998) (USA) (DVD)
• Anchor Bay Entertainment (2000) (USA) (DVD)
• Astro Distribution (1995) (Germany) (video) (laserdisc)
• Atlantic Film (2003) (Sweden) (DVD)
• Divisa Home Video (2011) (Spain) (DVD)
• E1 Entertainment Benelux (2010) (Netherlands) (DVD) (Blu-ray) (limited edition cube)
• Finnkino (1998) (Finland) (VHS)
• Future Film (2002) (Finland) (DVD)
• Highlight Video (1988) (West Germany) (VHS)
• Image Entertainment (1988) (USA) (VHS) (laserdisc)
• Image Entertainment (2011) (USA) (DVD)
• Lumivision (1996) (USA) (VHS) (laserdisc)
• Nelonen (2002) (Finland) (TV)
• New World Home Video (19??) (USA) (VHS)
• RCV Home Entertainment (199?) (Netherlands) (VHS)
• RCV Home Entertainment (2000) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Starmaker Video (19??) (USA) (VHS)
• StudioCanal (2011) (Germany) (DVD)
• Vestron Video International (1988) (Belgium) (VHS)
• Vestron Video International (1988) (Netherlands) (VHS)

Special Effects

• Effects Associates
• ReelEye Company (special effects contact lenses)

Other Companies

• Arbuthnot Latham Ltd.  banking services
• Dennis Davidson & Associates Public Releations (DDA)  additional publicity
• Five Star Catering  catering
• Image Animation  thanks
• Kaleidoscope Films  thanks
• Optical Film Effects  titles and opticals
• Oxford Scientific Films  film extracts
• Samuelson Film Service  cameras and lighting equipment

Also Known As:

"Clive Barker's Hellraiser" - UK (complete title)
"Brama do piekiel" - Poland (bootleg title)
"Clive Barker's Hellraiser I: The Original" - Netherlands (DVD title)
"Fogo Maldito" - Portugal
"Gospodar pakla" - Serbia (imdb display title)
"Hellraiser" - Greece
"Hellraiser" - Italy (imdb display title)
"Hellraiser (Los que traen el infierno)" - Spain (Castilian title) (imdb display title)
"Hellraiser - Das Tor zur Hölle" - West Germany
"Hellraiser - Pokolkeltő" - Hungary
"Hellraiser - Renascido do Inferno" - Brazil (imdb display title)
"Hellraiser, le pacte" - France
"Hellraiser, puerta al infierno" - Mexico
"Hellraiser: Wyslannik piekiel" - Poland (imdb display title)
"Powrót z piekiel" - Poland (video title)
"Puerta al infierno" - Peru (imdb display title)
"Shaitan Ka Beta" - India (Hindi title)

Runtime:

94 min | Sweden:89 min (cut version) | Finland:86 min (cut)

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Finland:K-18 (uncut) (1998) (2002) | West Germany:18 (video rating) (cut) | New Zealand:R16 | Belgium:16 (video rating) | Finland:K-16 (cut) (1998) | Portugal:M/18 | Chile:18 | Italy:VM14 | Australia:M (theatrical rating) | Australia:R | Canada:13+ (Québec) | Canada:18A (Alberta) (re-rating) (2000) | Denmark:15 (DVD rating) | France:-12 | Iceland:(Banned) | Iceland:16 (cut) | Netherlands:16 | Norway:18 | Singapore:R21 | South Korea:15 (original rating) (cut) | South Korea:18 (DVD rating) | Spain:18 | Sweden:15 | UK:18 | USA:R (certificate #28562) | Canada:R (Manitoba/Nova Scotia/Ontario) | Germany:BPjM Restricted

Filming Locations:

187 Dollis Hill Lane, Dollis Hill, London, England, UK

Company:

Cinemarque Entertainment BV

Trivia:

The film is based on the novella "The Hellbound Heart" written by Clive Barker.

Goofs:

Continuity: When Frank first opens the puzzle box in the beginning of the film, the inner sides of the sliding pieces are white. Later, when Kirsty opens the box in the hospital, the box's inner sides are brown woodgrain, just like the exterior of the box.

Quotes:

Lead Cenobite:This isn't for your eyes!

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Paranoid (2000/III)

It ain't SUPPOSED to be Macbeth, here folks....

In a decade of cheap, exploitive slashers, we finally get this one. Relief.

Instead of some maniac ripped from Halloween, we get a simple wooden box. Simple, or so Frank thought.

What results is a cinematic masterpiece, a great mix of gore and violence, as well as a great musical score and some nice drama. The acting is fine, but there are imperfections. One common complaint: The characters are not pleasant enough we can latch onto them. Maybe that's because these seem more realistic than the characters we CAN latch onto. Just a thought, don't jump on this.

What really gets me, though, is the people calling it down, saying it's not quality entertainment. Come on guys, if it was SUPPOSED to be Shakespeare, it would not advertise as being able to "tear your soul apart."

The presence of the cenobites was originally intended not to carry the story but to emphasize it. As usual, the sequaes ignored it. Hey, merchandizing.

This is the only one of the series that depends on the story more than the demons. We hardly ever see the infamous Pinhead at all.

all in all, this was a fun movie. No Shakespeare, but it's not supposed to be. Just dramatic, gory, groundbreaking horror, delivered to us excellently by Mr. Barker.