Review of Hellraiser (1987) by Love M — 09 Jul 2010

Wow! This movie was freakin' cool. Not looking too much into the whole sadomasicism thing, I really liked it. It was brutal, the story was twisted, and there is something wrong with Clive Barker. Not everyone's cup of tea, and not always mine, but it works.

The best part of this movie was the make-up and special effects. In a time when everything can be done cheaper and faster on a computer, it is refreshing to go back to the older movies and see what "real" special effects can accomplish. The rebirth of Frank is amazing! And his subsequent transformations are equally well done. The acting is great, and I was genuinely scared a few times. This is not a "Boo" kind of scary; it's a "for the love of God, just do it and get it over with" kind of scary. Highly recommended for horror fans, and a cautious recommendation for fans of great make-up and costume, if you're not too squemish.