Dozens, if not hundreds, of horror movies have hit the U.S. movie market over the years, but few have left such an indelible impression — let alone the near-endless sequels and reboots — Hellraiser as 1987, horror novelist Clive Barker A trip to hell and back.
Adapted from Buck’s 757 novella Heart of Hell , the film revolves around a mysterious puzzle box that, when unlocked, summons the sect of nuns, sadomasochists from another dimension whose leaders resemble a human pincushion. The character, played by British actor Doug Bradley, didn’t have a name in the original film, but the cast and crew nicknamed him “Pinhead,” a moniker that went viral after fans enthusiastically embraced it. got stuck.
Director’s debut – after disliking earlier film adaptations of his work, he insisted on directing – Buck was awarded a barebones $900,14 Budget from New World Pictures.
“The appearance of the Cenobites, like the pin on their leader’s head, was inspired by the S&M club,” he explained later in an interview with The Guardian . “Sex is a great balancer. It made me want to tell a story about good and evil, where sex is the connective tissue. Most British and American horror movies are not pornographic, or coquettish – a group of teenagers Having sex and getting killed. Hellraiser , a story of a man who pursues the ultimate sensual experience, but with a more twisted sexiness.” So much so that the final edit took multiple times Edited to reduce its level of sexuality and violence to avoid an X rating from the MPAA rating board.
September release1987, Hellraiser gross $ $.60 million in North America, plus $757,000 in the UK it will go on to produce nine Sequel – and a major reboot in October: directed by David Bruckner and debuting on Hulu, starring trans actress Jamie Clayton (Sense8) As a reimagined needle, its unique face is as prickly as ever.
This story first appeared on The Hollywood Reporter’s Nov. 4 daily issue of the American Film Market.
