Hellraiser (1987)

Director:

Clive Barker

Writers:

Clive Barker (novel)
Clive Barker (screenplay)

Release Date:

18 September 1987 (USA)

Genre:

Horror

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 | House

Awards:

2 wins & 5 nominations

Cast

Andrew Robinson	...	Larry
Clare Higgins	...	Julia
Ashley Laurence	...	Kirsty
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	...	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
Clive Barker		(novel "The Hellbound Heart")
Clive Barker		(screenplay)

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

Cinematography by
Robin Vidgeon

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
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)

Special Effects by
Cliff Wallace	....	special makeup effects technician

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

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
Jeff Vaughn	....	music recordist
Paul Francis Witt	....	conductor
Paul Francis Witt	....	music consultant
Anne Atkins Young	....	music supervisor
Christopher Young	....	orchestrator

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

Other crew
Tom Calderaro	....	synthesiser programming
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 McReery	....	assistant to producer
Richard Morrison	....	title designer
Patricia Poole	....	production accountant (as Pat Poole)
Carmella Prudente	....	jobfit trainee
Kathy Sinclair	....	stand-in
Clare St. John	....	production coordinator
Jane Studd	....	location manager
Alan Sutton	....	fire safety coordinator
Ene Watts	....	script supervisor
Mark Zimoski	....	consultant: percussion (as Mark Zimowski)

Thanks
John Dunne	....	thanks
Marie Fisher	....	thanks
Piers Gibson	....	thanks
John Gregson	....	thanks
Christopher Hobbs	....	thanks
R.J. Kizer	....	thanks
Alan Parker	....	special thanks
Tony Randel	....	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)
• Highlight Video (1988) (West Germany) (VHS)
• Image Entertainment (1988) (USA) (VHS) (laserdisc)
• RCV Film Distribution (1988) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
• Astro Distribution (1995) (Germany) (video) (laserdisc)
• Lumivision (1996) (USA) (VHS) (laserdisc)
• Anchor Bay Entertainment (1997) (USA) (VHS)
• Anchor Bay Entertainment (1998) (USA) (DVD)
• Anchor Bay Entertainment (2000) (USA) (DVD)
• Atlantic Film (2003) (Sweden) (DVD)
• Finnkino (1998) (Finland) (VHS)
• Future Film (2002) (Finland) (DVD)
• Nelonen (2002) (Finland) (TV)
• New World Home Video (????) (USA) (VHS)
• RCV Home Entertainment (199?) (Netherlands) (VHS)
• RCV Home Entertainment (2000) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Starmaker Video (????) (USA) (VHS)
• Vestron Video International (1988) (Belgium) (video)

Special Effects

• Effects Associates

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)
Sadomasochists from Beyond the Grave (USA) (working title)
Clive Barker's Hellraiser I: The Original (Netherlands) (DVD title) [nl]
Fogo Maldito (Portugal) [pt]
Hellraiser (Greece) [el]
Hellraiser - Das Tor zur Hölle (West Germany) [de]
Hellraiser, le pacte (France) [fr]
Hellraiser, los que traen el infierno (Spain) [es]
Renascido do Inferno (Brazil) (working title) [pt]
Shaitan Ka Beta (India: Hindi title) [hi]
Wyslannik piekiel (Poland) [pl]

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) | 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:

It took six hours to apply the prosthetic Cenobite makeup on Doug Bradley.

Goofs:

Continuity: The number of cups on the table during the opening scene (where Frank buys the box) changes from one to two then back to one.

Quotes:

Kirsty Cotton: It's just a puzzle box!
Lead Cenobite: Oh, no. It is a means to summon us.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Shrieker (1998)

Bloody good show, Mr. Barker!

Famed horror / fantasy novelist Clive Barker wrote and directed this gory, nasty and fun exercise in which Larry (Andrew Robinson) and his wife Julia (Clare Higgins) move into a big house where Larry's brother Frank has been imprisoned after solving an elaborate puzzle box. Larry wounds himself and his blood brings Frank back to life as a skinless, oozing creature who needs the blood of others in order to put himself back together. Julia, terrified but obviously intrigued (she had had an affair with Frank when he was still alive) lures men back to the house where she fatally bludgeons them with a hammer so Frank can feast on their blood. Into this mess steps Larry's daughter Kirsty (Ashley Laurence), who makes the acquaintance of the masochistic beings, the Cenobites, from whom Frank had escaped.

The most mind-boggling thing about this film is its legacy - after a few theatrical sequels, direct-to-video-and-DVD sequels have been produced ad nauseum. Please, people, the world does not need any more "Hellraiser" films! Give it a rest! Anyway, like I said, this initial entry is outlandishly gruesome - even inclining towards a kind of sadistic eroticism. Sometimes, gore can actually be arty and a thing of a dark kind of beauty, and these film-makers know it. How else to describe it? The Cenobite characters are memorable - especially Pincushion-Head - sorry, I mean Pinhead (Doug Bradley) who is only identified as "The Lead Cenobite" in the credits of this film.

"Hellraiser" is a capable film-making debut for Barker, who succeeded in making it fun entertainment.

"Hellbound: Hellraiser II" came out the following year.

8/10