Review of Hellbound: Hellraiser II (1988) by Chris E — 22 Jul 2007

Hellraiser II starts right where the first one left off, and this time everyone goes to hell, which apparently was visited and drawn by M.C. Escher at some point. This sequel is more graphic than the first one (in a bad way), less mysterious, and Pinhead is really wimpy now. It really failed to capture that strange, creepy, and very real quality that the first one had, but it was still a fun time, and it had its moments.

There are only 6 movies filmed before the 1970's that I've ever enjoyed: Metropolis, Wizard of Oz, Lost Horizon, Dr. Strangelove, Planet of the Apes, and 2001 (notice: all sci-fi or fantasy-ish). I think it is just very hard for me to connect with movies made before my generation (i.e., before the hippie generation permanently changed the American outlook). Therefore, it is not surprising that I didn't like the criticially acclaimed 8 1/2, filmed in 1963, though it is said by some to be the greatest movie of all time.

8 1/2 is a sort of "meta"-movie. That is, it is a movie about the making of the movie that you are watching, and it is being made as you watch it. Though its about nothing at all, its also about many things: it is a statement about the hectic life of a film director, a personal look into Fellini's life and his inability to love, a picture of loneliness, an exercise in creative cinematography, a parody of film criticism, a piece depicting philosophical post-modernism - where there is no meaning in a work of art except that which the viewer brings to it, and a beautiful work of surrealism seamlessly mixed with realism. Watching this film, I saw the precursor to Gilliam's [i]Brazil[/i], Lynch's [i]Eraserhead[/i], Kubrick's [i]Dr. Strangelove[/i], Kaufman's [i]Adaptation[/i], and maybe even some Danny Elfman in the soundtrack. Exciting to watch, however, it really wasn't. With the exception of the very well done intro (the traffic jam scene), I was bored to tears. In short, this would be an excellent choice for a film criticism class, or something for pseudo-philosophical discussion in a coffee shop (for those purposes, I give this movie a 10), but its not something to pop in some night with the hopes of being entertained.

So, I got ahold of the television series, Lost, and decided to just watch the pilot to see if it was any good. Within a week, I'd watched all 24 episodes. Its that awesome. This is about the survivors of a plane wreck on some remote island in the Pacific. But its more than that. There's some weird stuff about this island, making this not just an action drama, but a sci-fi fantasy mystery! This is all right up my alley, and on top of that the character development is stitched into the main story line so well, and with great acting and scripting all around. The writers really know how to make you [i]have[/i] to watch "just one more episode" even when you're so tired you're not sure if you can make it. This television series is right up there with Buffy and Twin Peaks. Therefore, you simply must go watch it. Now.