Review – Hellraiser

This is the film that put Clive Barker on the movie map. He gets director’s credit for this loose adaptation of his novella “The Hellbound Heart,” though rumor has it that they had to bring in another guy to finish the job when the author had some trouble getting it done. Barker’s made a tidy living exploiting the cross-over between traditional horror and kinky sex, and this movie is a typical example. I’ve grown progressively less and less fond of the series as the sequels have come out, but I still like to watch the first one every now and again. Fans of the film or the series may also enjoy the added features on the DVD, which include feature length commentary and an after-the-fact mini-documentary. Buy the tape (or the disc if you’re really into it)