 I am pressed to think of a horror franchise that's been as divisive amongst fans as HELLRAISER. If you have ever cared enough about the series to visit or contribute to a HELLRAISER message board or forum then you have probably faced a fandom unlike any other. The passion flows ferociously and opinions are received with aggression, dismissal and arrogance. The HELLRAISER fanbase is divided into two camps - those who worship Clive Barker and those who worship the mythology. In 1987 British horror novelist Clive Barker made his directorial debut by adapting his novella THE HELLBOUND HEART into a feature film. In doing so he created a seminal movie and introduced one of horror's most enduring and beloved monsters, PINHEAD. It was a simple film, built upon a simple book. In it PINHEAD remains nameless and makes up less than 10 minutes of screen time. He is not established as a lead villain and, in fact, Clive Barker's intention was for the character of Julia to be the film's monster. As it was, audiences love iconic figures and PINHEAD's appearance was so commanding that he became the crux of the legacy - rightfully so. With the surprise success of Barker's original independent film came a natural demand for more, which lead to HELLBOUND - a direct sequel continuing Julia's story in Hell. Of course PINHEAD and his servants returned much more predominantly and the original modesty of Barker's story was turned into something grand and formulaic. Don't get me wrong because it is still a very powerful and aesthetically amazing film but there's no denying it's target audience were the same teenagers who flocked to A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET.  Many of those fans from the "Clive Barker camp" resist the rest of the franchise. The first two films work together fluently and from part 3 onwards, it's a steady downward decline into mediocracy and insult. Barker was still on board for HELL ON EARTH and BLOODLINE (3 and 4), however his creative input was all but gone. Those two films had some great themes and concepts and number 3 in particular (director's cut is best) gave us PINHEAD's back-story. That said, they weren't of the standard Barker has established years ago with the first film. And then came a string of sequels (5 more) which took the mythology into all sorts of new places. Some good, some bad. I'm one of those people from the "mythology camp" and always welcomed new ideas and concepts to the series. Unfortunately all but one of these sequels were adapted from unrelated scripts and re-worked to fit the franchise. To say that I am a fan of these sequels is an overstatement, but I have taken to the Hellraiser communities and defended them. When it comes to people's resistance and rejection to my own theories, the most common argument and misconception is "No Clive, No Doug, No Hellraiser". People with this point of view clearly don't understand HELLRAISER at all. I can appreciate people being loyal to both Barker and Doug Bradley (PINHEAD) but their assertion that there is no Hellraiser without them is misguided. It's important to note that Clive's original novella was only 164 pages long and it told a very basic story. Hell was only suggested and PINHEAD was little more than a figure lurking in the shadows. Barker's story was a human one and he didn't consider PINHEAD significant enough to name. His purpose was to usher people to hell - nothing more. The '87 film was as equally simplistic and neither mediums explored any great mythology. All of the mythos, constructs and conventions have been built upon in later sequels and subsequent fictions. Much of this legacy has been created by other people, not Barker. He actually signed away the property and left it in the hands of others. His involvement in the series was no longer required, although it was appreciated.  Elliot Spencer about to become Pinhead To be so precious over Clive's ownership of HELLRAISER is naive. Fans ought to accept that. To declare that it is not HELLRAISER without PINHEAD is even more absurd. I've come to the opinion that PINHEAD is the one common factor holding the series back. He's become such a focal point that the important themes have become lost and are being ignored. His character only came to be when his human-self opened the Lament Configuration in the 1950s. Hell is certainly a lot older than that. PINHEAD is just one of the thousands of Hell's servants and to constantly focus on him is to ignore a rich and delicious tapestry of ideas. I want to explore more than what's been on offer. I want to go beyond PINHEAD, into the depths of Hell. And so comes HELLRAISER: ORIGINS. A new vision. A new exploration.  Conceptual artist, Paul Gerrard and director Mike Le Han have proposed a whole new take on the HELLRAISER mythos and their vision is exciting and bold. Their concept and artwork have been floating around the internet for a few years and they recently focused their energies into producing a high-concept teaser to pitch to the studio. They propose a visually arresting and detailed exploration into HELLRAISER, some eons before Clive's novella was set. Of course those two HELLRAISER camps have locked-heads and ORIGINS has become viciously divisive. The new teaser trailer implies a deity. A figure who resembles PINHEAD but is not. This idea gives the story a religious parallel with the possibility of others being created in his image. The trailer seduces us with ultimate pleasures and suggests a connection with Barker's original themes. And most importantly the teaser reassures us that were ORIGINS to be made, it would be in capable hands. This is not a cheap knock-out flick looking for a quick buck. This is a labor of love. A courageous proposal of which no such respect has been granted to HELLRAISER in over 25 years. Its time for the "Clive camp" to let go. It's time for HELLRAISER to rise up. No sequel is going to breath new life into the series and no remake is going to resurrect it. Lets bid PINHEAD a fond farewell and open our minds to the next incarnation. It's long over due. Visit the website and take the time to explore and engage with the content. There's so much to sink your teeth into. In the coming weeks I will be interviewing the guys behind HELLRAISER ORIGINS and can hopefully shed more light onto their creation. Stay tuned... 
12 Comments
antipax
7/11/2013 03:24:39 am
You're propagating uninformed nonsense with your post. Clive was very involved with HR 1, 2, 3 (after they decided to do reshoots), and 4 was his storyline and he was a producer. The comics of the 90s were based on guidelines Barker collaborated to create (see Concepts and Guidelines for a Marvel Hellraiser Series), and he even took on the role of writer for a few stories later down the road, not to mention the recent BOOM Studios Hellraiser series which has been heavily influenced by his ideas, especially the period when Mark Miller was writing it. And the novella is a masterpiece. It's true that Pete Atkins also added a lot to the Hellraiser series, but he's close to Clive Barker and always debated storylines with him when he wrote the scripts. Bloodline was a terrible mess but that wasn't Barker's or Atkin's fault. Miramax didn't want to spend the money to make the movie they greenlighted. Barker has been adding to the Hellraiser universe over the years and the Scarlet Gospels is coming out next year which will finally continue where The Hellbound Heart left off. So I have no idea why you are propagating this uninformed notion that Hellraiser is up for grabs by any curious guy who decides to take a go. That's the mindset which has led us to the train wreck of the Hellraiser franchise. Total garbage. Thanks for your comment. I'm not propagating anything and your suggestion that I am clearly puts you into the "Clive Camp". Clive signed away the rights to HELLRAISER before the original film was released (he's on record discussing this if you've got the time to search). Like almost every film franchise/property, the rights belong to the studio - not the author. I too am excited about The Scarlet Gospels, but keeping Pinhead as the crux of the mythology is like flogging a dead horse. You can read various quotes from Barker on his own website, which support the content of my article. Nothing I have written is propagated. Thanks for taking the time.
Gabriel
7/11/2013 04:59:46 am
I think the concept is great. After watching "Hellbound" I developed a fascination with the entity Julia referred to as Leviathan, and whole dimension of "Hell" as it was portrayed. It's been ages since I read the book and I can hardly remember any of its detail accurately but I wanted more. The premise of this movie strikes right where I hoped it would, in terms of a "prequel"-esque feature. As far as I've read Clive gives this project his blessing or at least I assume so as he shared/posted about it on facebook. The concept artwork is also amazing. It's reminiscent of a few Silent Hill creatures, which I f***ing love. Personally, I think you guys are on the right track. I'm looking forward to this film as well as the one Clive himself is supposed to create.
Viktor Zion
7/11/2013 10:35:51 am
So...after reading the article, I'm not entirely sure which side I'm on, exactly. I enjoy Clive Barker's book, and all, and I agree with both of you said. I enjoyed all the movies EXCEPT for the last one. I tried to sit through it and watch it, but it was just too painful for me to finish it. I also enjoy the mythology behind the movies and books. So, it leaves me in a deliemma on what side I'd be on. I've been reading a lot of the feedback on the various links to this article and I think it's important to bare in mind that the ORIGINS teaser is only a conceptual trailer. All SFX films go through this process in one form or another and compared to most, ORIGINS is a cut above the rest. This visualisation is simply a pitch and will not represent the end product. That guy wont play the high-priest and that wont be his voice. This entire scene/scenario probably won't even make it into the actual film. Rather than criticise the technical aspects of the trailer, people should focus on the overall ambition. Good to see support for it getting traction!
Carmen
7/11/2013 02:06:47 pm
Truthfully, I love the book "A Hellbound Heart", Hellraiser was a good attempt at getting as close as they could to the book for its time. But the sequels, as much as I like the many different creations thrown into them, they never seem to satisfy. This teaser trailer looks like it has some potential, despite a couple issues I had with the voice and all reddish, firey pit look.
Brian West
7/11/2013 05:20:20 pm
While I personally thought the trailer looked visually interesting it would require two things to be welcomed in the franchise IMO. First and foremost it would need to be collaborated with the man who's universe it is to create, Clive Barker. Secondly, and this would maybe be solved by the first point, Clive barker has stated he does not like CGI, and prefers physical effects... It seems it would be a hard, and expensive task to tackle creating this world without the use of CGI. Just my 2 cents... but what do I know?
strommer
7/11/2013 05:58:49 pm
you say you want to get away from pinhead as the protagonist, so you create a character that is a cheap rip off of the original. Don't get me wrong i love the concept, but i just think if your trying to get rid of Pinhead then create something original. we have already seen multiple cenobites throughout the series make a new one don't copy the one you didn't want in the first place. 7/11/2013 06:52:48 pm
ok....im a huge barker fan (hold on a sec before u go thinking thats such a negative thing) but ive been getting into the mythology for a while now and i like the concept of it. As far as the movies go u can see a decline in care of the story and more of a emphasis of throwing gore scenes together in a mess. This is first felt in hellraiser 3. its more of a money grab using pinheads name rather than an actual moving story that sticks with us. Now if another director/producer can bring back this feeling without using Clive, im all for it. Movie wise the films past Bloodlines doesnt do it for me. U can tell they are for the most part a cash grab that get worse and worse till film 9 which almost everyone rejects. I will give this new film a chance because im a fan but i will say two things bother me already. It says "BEFORE THERE WAS MAN" and "BEFORE LIFE"....then cuts to a MAN opening the box.......um ok. Thats a man i do believe. Anyway after we see him scream for no reason other than bright light, we see him pulled down a hallway to.....a room full of LIFE or rather living men. Screaming and writhing in agony......other than this it looks promising and as i said i will give it a chance....it just....come on. Also if the first box wasnt made till the 1700s, when Philip LeMarchand 1st made boxes, what is it doing before time began? idk maybe they will make sense of it. like i said ill give it a chance. I wish they would do something with the stories of the other boxes. Like The Hollow Heart Box, Misery's Canticle, or any of the other 15 boxes. But im sure if or when it got to some producer they would say "Does it got that guy with pins? No...well who will go see that? Bring that guy back with pins, have him kill some ppl and do it for 10 mil. then we can talk." smh. I am a fan of Clive and i do get into the mythology of Hellraiser, but u gotta admit 5-9 are utter garbage when it comes to movies and storytelling. (mostly) I would be open to better iterations of this genre.
Buffy
7/11/2013 08:11:34 pm
Great Trailer! I love Clive Barkers mind. Weaveworld and Hellbound Heart being my favorites of all his fantastic books. The movie Hellraiser took horror to a new height for me and I have been a true fan ever since. A fan of Clives and a believer in the mythology, I straddle the fence. I agree that the films focused too much on Pinhead and not enough on the elements of Hell. I love the sequels but feel they fall short with the mythology than can be vast beyond Pinheads presence. The very last movie Revelations was a total bomb, not because Pinhead wasn't Pinhead but because the story and direction were LAME, plain and simple. Good luck with this project and I look forward to what you help create within this mythology.
Andrew
8/11/2013 12:58:34 am
The only point I took issue with is the idea of two "camps". I absolutely love Clive Barker's work and I am a huge fan of the Hellraiser films (except for that last ashcan garbage). I will admit, my favorite Hellraiser films and comics are the ones that Clive Barker has had a direct hand in, but I have grown to love all the mythology. I think that the idea of two "camps" that can't agree on a direction for the series is a little bleak. Personally, I would like to see a joining of the two ideas. Just as the recent comics have done, showing a new Pinhead taking over for the old, I believe that a film should do the same. With a stronger input for Clive, plus a deeper origin or new progression, I think that we can have an incredibly long lasting and rewarding series. Put both ideas to work and see where the concepts Clive has provided can truly take us. I'm loving the feedback. The response to this article has well and truly compounded the article's sentiments. From the message boards, FB feeds and private emails I have been receiving I thought it was important to clarify a couple of things. Firstly I am NOT behind HELLRAISER ORIGINS. I am a fanboy just like the rest of you. I have been watching the ORIGINS progress for some time and wrote this article out of frustration at the negativity and hostility in the Hellraiser community. The article provides links to the guys behind this project. - Also - many people have taken exception to the idea of two "camps". Remember that this is just one person's observation. I have spent years interacting in the HR community and those two points of view, while not entirely across the board, dominate the discussion. It's important to remember that Clive surrendered the rights to Hellraiser back in the 80s. Anyhow, thanks again for all of the feedback and support. The point of this website is to interact with folk like yourselves. Feel free to take a wander and look around - perhaps start with the "About" section to get an idea of what this place is all about. Cheers. =) Leave a Reply. |
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