Thursday, October 16, 2014

What's the deal with Hellraiser?

Hellraiser is one of my all-time favorite horror movies. The first sequel ‘Helbound: Hellraiser 2’ is a fantastic example of how a cohesive story can be told if you keep the creator involved, much like Halloween 1 and 2, or Nightmare on Elm Street 1 and 3. Hellraiser is more like Halloween in this respect, as the stories of the second movies takes place mere hours after the events of the first ones. But even knowing this, the plot is muddled. I’ve read the novel Hellraiser is based on ‘The Hellbound Heart’ and I’ve seen all the movies (save the maligned reboot). So here’s the deal with Hellraiser

The Lament Configuration is the puzzlebox featured in all the Hellraiser movies. Like Freddy’s Glove or Chucky’s…Chucky doll, this prop is iconic for the series. It’s a dimensional gateway between the mortal world and the dimension where Pinhead and the other Cenobites live. To solve the box calls them. Then the fun begins.

(pictured: fun)

People intentionally solve the box because they’re depraved sadistic lunatics, or they can unintentionally do it and get stuck in the same boat. This is how Kirsty, our female protagonist in movies one and two, gets involved with the Cenobites. Speaking of…

Pinhead and the Cenobites (best rock band name ever!) are the denizens of the Lament Configuration Dimension. They serve a god named Leviathan, harvesting souls that solve the box and ‘pleasuring’ them in their own private hell for eternity. They were originally thought to be nothing more than demons, but Kirsty reveals they were once human. They were so tormented they became Cenobites, carrying on the work of Leviathan.

This revelation had far-reaching repercussions in the series. In movie two the shock causes the Cenobites to protect Kirsty. They fail, but at least they tried! We also see Pinhead’s human side a few more times, trying to split from his evil side. It’s a complex relationship. His human side was an officer in a war, and became so jaded he sought the box. The other Cenobites in the first movie have less-defined backstories. The female (Deep Throat) is supposed to have been a nun, the fat one (Butterball) is a fat guy, and the eyeless one (Chatterbox) is a little boy.

Whatta cute little scamp!

There are fan theories about what each of them did, but Pinhead is the only one we know for sure. He’s also the only one to show in every installment, since he’s the coolest/best acted/best fleshed out.

What this amount to in Hellraiser and Hellbound is the Cenobites are after Kirsty and her family because her uncle opened the Lament Configuration. All the weird tunnels in the walls bits are their dimension connecting with our own. It's all quite simple really.

Just don't ask me to explain The Engineer

So that's the deal with Hellraiser: humans made into demons torturing people who solve puzzles in hell for eternity. Hope that clears up a few things!

HAVE A NICE DAY!

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