Hellraiser: Inferno (2000) Reviews

• Not too bad a sequel...

  Gislef2001-03-28

  ...as long as you keep in mind they tried to do something different with the franchise. As such, the fifth installment is more of a supernatural morality tale in the line of Angel Heart and Jacob's Ladder. Everything does make sense, if you get all the way to the end. Whether you like the inclusion of the Cenobites depends on whether you think they have to be center-stage or not. They basically do what they're supposed to here, and this movie does a better job of establishing how they torture people (as opposed to just ripping people apart in ugly ways) then the previous movies have done. The idea that they engage in psychological torture is one that none of the previous movies in the series have expanded upon in any great depth (although the fact they inflict pleasure as well as pain still needs to be touched upon a little more - the twin she-Cenobites kinda hint at this, though). Basically this is perhaps the more subtle of the movies in the series, due to the apparent requirement that the Cenobites not play a large part. Rewatch it a time or two without the expectations that this will be a blood-oozing, skin-rippping "Pinhead movie" like the others, and you might be surprised.

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• A nerve-wracking experience, it messes with your mind.

  Joshua Calvert2002-01-28

  I saw this film alone in a "house container" in the middle of the night, during my 24H shift as the radio Duty Officer in a UN military camp in Eastern Africa. Maybe that's why it made such an impression on me, partly, anyway! Whatever the unusual setting for viewing it, it must be said I'm a long time fan of Clive Barker and his universe(s), and that that of course helped in gearing up my imagination. In my opinion, the special Barker trademark, namely a mood of overwhelming and insanity-inducing Biblical horror, translates well to the screen in this film. The protagonist, played by Sheffer, remembered from another Barker movie, Nightbreed, is caught in a web that seems impossible to escape. Even though he's a real dumb b*****d, you just can't help feel a little sorry for him; the way he is manipulated by gruesome, hellish powers is almost too much. No way he can experience what he does without loosing his mind! The acting isn't anything special, but I tell you, if you are capable of living yourself just a bit into the story, you'll feel like I did: That movie has warped my fragile little mind! Advice: see it alone, tired, just before you are going to sleep, and with your senses alert to begin with - and you'll be ready to continue the roller coaster ride in troubled dreams afterwards. Disturbing! 7 out of 10.

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• This is a great psychological thriller....

  sauron2212001-06-20

  Hellraiser Inferno was a great movie. The acting could have been better, but it took a completely different turn than I expected it to. Pinhead is what he was in the first two Hellraisers, A judge of Hell. If you notice Hellraiser 3 and Bloodline make him the bad guy, while in the first two movies it was the humans who were the evil ones. This movie requires you to THINK. If you don't like having to think about a movie don't watch it, but if you liked the Blair Witch Project, You will like this movie. This sequel brings back the style of the first two, but with enough difference to shock you in new ways. I believe this movie gets the point across that I think Clive Barker was trying to get across when he started this series, You create your own Hell, and you confront your own demons. This movie is not like the rest of the series. It is more of a psychological terror than a slasher film. Give this movie a chance, and think about it.

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• Surprisingly enjoyable.

  GenK19812004-06-21

  Well i watched this film on Terrestrial TV having been a fan of the 1st and 2nd in the saga but truly hating the 3rd and 4th. I must admit, it's pretty good. The film severely sidesteps from the 'all out gore' of the previous 4 and instead introduces an element of suspense which honestly kept me watching the film throughout without wanting to take a quick break away from the TV. Acting is Solid, Bradley again as Pinhead is flawless even though his screen presence has been toned down. Sheffer is excellent as the main character, delivers his lines very well and was very convincing in the more dramatic scenes of the movie. James Remar is surprisingly good also in his supporting role as the Doctor. The film's suspense really reminded me of the silent hill games and the films characters were all pretty dark and untrustworthy. Even Sheffers character was sleazy and a bad cop. As for the gore, it is still there, but not quite as nasty as what we have come to expect from a hellraiser movie. It was introduced when it needed to be, though I have to say the cenobites were nowhere near as gruesome as they should be. Overall the film is really worth watching. Credit to the Director and the Writer for being brave enough to change the whole element of the Hellraiser Saga......but then again.....the saga really needed to be saved. 7. out of 10.

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• Best Hellraiser?

  benefit_r2006-06-28

  Let me start by saying that recently I've been on a bit of a Hellraiser trip. I read the "Hellbound Heart" book, and decided to re-watch the movies. Originally I saw #2 first, then #1, both of which I love, and re-watched. Recently I saw #'s 3 & 4. Three SUCKS. Four I thought was interesting for the history of Lemarchand and the box, but it was kinda cheesy. Now for this. This movie, for lack of a better word, is perfect. After going to school for multimedia, I was first amazed by the cinematography. The acting is flawless. The story, while not quite the "traditional" Hellraiser movie, is so interesting... if you haven't seen this you need to watch it. I was really impressed with a few of the things the movie incorporated. In the book, it mentions "The Engineer" which has never been worked into any movie previously, and it also gets the "flouresence" - that in the previous movies just looked like a crappy lighting effect - perfectly. As for the Cenobites, Pinhead is of course perfect, you can't go wrong with Mr. Bradley, and the others are original and creepy. I'm a horror movie fan, but most movies don't really creep me out any more (especially after watching a bunch of Takashi Miike flicks), but there was one scene in particular that really got to me. Great.

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