Hellraiser (2022) — A Review

7th October, 2022.

It’s Friday: and normally?

I’d be eating dinner: and getting ready to eat another episode of Star Trek Strange New Worlds.

You’ve probably worked that out, by now.

Today?

I’m going to be doing something different: watching a movie.

Watching the 2022 version of Hellraiser, released, today.

Unlike every episode of the franchise since the late 90s?

This has feature some involvement from Clive Barker: the man who created the original movie, and wrote the story it’s based on.

I’ll have my written and video review up, tomorrow night.

I’ll see you then.

~≈🧟‍♂️≈~

Candyman — A Review

8th March, 2020.

OK … I have to confess, I’ve — sort of — got used to watching Dr Who on a Sunday night.

You’ve possibly realised that, if you’ve been following me for a while.

At any rate?

I’ve sort of got used to watching things on Sunday nights.

Tonight … ?

I fancied a movie.

And, frankly?

Consider an upcoming rebooted version is due out, in summer?

I felt watching the original might be an idea … 

~≈¥≈~

Hellraiser: Judgement — A Review.

6th October, 2019.

It’s Sunday.

I think … 

Hang on … 



Yes.



It’s Sunday: and I’ve had the day off.

And, I should add, been looking after my nephew, Jude: who’s getting to that age where … 

Well … talking computers talking at him is hysterical.



If you’re on a Mac, and get the the chance?



Running this bit of code in Script Editor, will show you the sort of thing I mean … 



say "Hello Jude" using "Zarvox"say "My name is Zarvox" using "Zarvox"
say "Shush!" using "Zarvox"
say "I’ve got a lovely bunch of coconuts" using "Zarvox"

You should get the sort of thing that impresses eight year olds.

~≈¥≈~



At any rate … ?



It’s a Sunday night I’ve had off.

And time — I felt — to catch a film.

Granted: I had enough in the collection to keep me indecisive for minutes …



Do I go for cheesy?   The Creature from The Black Lagoon or Inseminoid?

Something highly literary?   The Congress, for example?

Or something a touch grim … ?

Like the Gary J. Tunicliffe directed, Hellraiser: Judgement.



In as many sense of the word as you can think of … ?



Hmmm.

~≈¥≈~

Nik Nak’s Daily Teaser — 5-10-2019: Clive Barker.

5th October, 2019.

Yes.

It’s officially officially.

I’ve bought more stuff from Amazon.

Mad fool that I am.

Mostly DVDs and blu-rays, since you ask.

Including Deep Six: written by Old Peculiar regular, Debbi Mack.

She’s been commenting here for many years, after all.

The only issue, there … ?

Is Amazon have no idea when it’ll be despatched.

I’m assuming that’s because it’s print on demand: only printed when a copy’s ordered.

That?   With the costs involved?

Is understandable.

But also a touch frustrating … 

Especially when yo look at the US delivery dates* … 

~≈𐩕≈~

Lord of Illusions: A Review

3rd September, 2019.

It has to be said, I’ve just had a look at my emails.

And … ?



I’m getting one or two offers of interview coming through.



At a time I suspect I won’t be able to claim help from the job centre: as I’m now working part time … 


Oy!

At any rate … ?

And outside of any parliamentary excitement?

Today’s been a day off.

Which means it’s time for a movie.

I finally made my mind up, and went for … Lord of Illusions.

Hmmm …



~≈†≈~

The Midnight Meat Train: A(nother) Review

24th August, 2019.

Yes … 

At last … !

I’ve managed to go into town, today: to head for my GP’s, to pick up a prescription that I could then collect from the in-store pharmacy at Sainsbury’s.

Except, of course, and given that this is me we’re talking about … ?

I handed in the prescriptions, did my shopping, paid for may shopping, got a cab home … and only realised I’d forgotten my medications, about four hours later … 

And tramped back to the High Street to pick up them … and a bag of spuds.

The things we do for health, hey?

~≈§≈~

At any rate … ?



I fancied a movie tonight: as I’m working a late shift tomorrow.



Frankly, I fancied one I’d already seen, many years ago.

As it had cropped up in comments from Old Peculiar regular, Anne: who’d mentioned she’d liked it.

I felt sitting in with The Midnight Meat Train would be … 

Well, good … 

~≈§≈~

Nightbreed — The Directors Cut: Interesting …

3rd November, 2016.

You know, I’ve a pile of things I’ve gotten done.

And another pile: of things I’ve yet to do.

Places I’d like to be, and people I’d like to see.

But … ?

There’s a bit of wish fulfilment going on … 

At any rate … ?

At any rate, I had a quiet night in: with everything I needed doing, done?

I felt I could dig up something from my movie collection.

The film in question?   The 2014 Director’s cut of 1990s Clive Barker film, Nightbreed: based on Barker’s own Cabal.

Frankly?

I’m going into ‘Hmmm’ mode, here.

~≈Â≈~

Clive Barker’s Book Of Blood: A Review

26th May, 2014

Can I make a confession, here … ?

I’ve known of — although not read much by — Clive Barker, for some years.

Certainly for long enough to know the man is — if not prolific — then certainly someone who has fingers in pies.

Quite a few fingers.

In lots of pies.

Lots of different types of pies.

You know, like a forefinger in a strawberry pie: a pinky in a steak and kidney pie.

Maybe with a ring finger in some kind of quiche.

That’s sounding just a little ambiguous, isn’t it … ?

The guy covers quite a bit of creative territory, is what I’m trying to say … !

After all, the man who wrote The Books Of Blood, and Weaveworld is also the man who did the cover art for The Books Of Blood.

And directed the original film version of Hellraiser: from his own novella, The Hellbound Heart.

Probably wouldn’t surprise me if he did the costumes, background music, and make-up for Gone With The Wind, in his spare time, either.

But … !

But you take my point: Clive Barker’s a bit of a polymath.

Or gets bored easily.

One of the two.

~≈®≈~

The point I’m trying to make, here … ?

Is that Mr B’s noted for both creative writing: and creative projects that spin off from them.

You can’t blame a man for wanting to follow through on a project, can you … ?

At any rate … ?

At ANY rate, I’ll be honest: I’ve managed to squander a bit of cash on renting a film, tonight.

Clive Barker’s The Book Of Blood.

And yeah … Mr B had a hand in the production of this one.

As a producer, I should add … !

~≈®≈~

Hellraiser: A Box of Delights …

22nd June, 2012.

You know, if you see yourself as vaguely patriotic — but NOT a fan of the world’s most popular sport — those times when England’s playing — and, it seems, winning — can be a real pain.

Hmmm …

Mind you, by the sound of it, the Ukrainian hosts aren’t going to shut up about that debatable Marko Devic goal.

Score another point for the Goal-line Technology argument …

At ANY rate … ?

At ANY rate, it sounds like England are through to the quarter finals: which means I’m personally going to be seeing what ELSE I have in my movie collection.

Because, as you might have guessed … ?

I spent today in the company of an old favourite, the original — and some would argue, best — entry in the franchise, Hellraiser.

☕☕☕☕☕

The Midnight Meat Train: Blood, Guts and Seriously Disturbing Bits … !

I’ve GOT to admit, I had a quiet night in, last night.

Well …

Quietish … bar the ‘Eww, GROSS’ comments I managed to come out with …

You see, there really was not a lot on TV, last night.

Let me rephrase that: there was plenty.

But nothing that was actually reaching out to me and saying “Hello, I’m worth your time: please watch me and enjoy my company” …

He says, trying DESPERATELY to not sound like he talks to his TV set …

But that simple lack of anything on TV I felt was worth watching … ?

Had me rooting through my film collection, to see what I had sitting around saying ‘Watch Me’.

Thankfully … ?

I THINK I found something …

~≈†≈~

Candyman: A Review

15th April, 2011

I’ve GOT to admit, I was going to tell you that Kevin D, Movie Night Adrian, and I, saw the James Bond film, Quantum Of Solace, on Tuesday.

I meant to … !

But as Adrian and I caught it, not long after it was originally released on DVD … ?

I wasn’t too worried: after all, I stand by what I said, back then: but do know both Adrian and Kevin were/are very impressed by Daniel Craig’s version of the title character.

»»◊««

At any rate, Quantum of Solace wasn’t what Adrian and I managed to catch, tonight …

As you can probably tell from the poster …

The film was the 1992, Clive Barker scripted, Candyman.

Derived from Barker’s own short story, The Forbidden, Candyman sees Virginia Madsen — who Adrian and I had last seen in The Haunting In Connecticut — as Helen Lyle, an unhappily married graduate student, working, along with a friend, on a doctoral thesis on urban myths and legends.

And, on being told by one of the university’s cleaners, that one particular urban legend — the Candyman of the title — seems to have its origins in the run-down housing projects* of Cabrini Green.

With the story of the son of a slave who was a talented painter who’d fallen in love with a young white woman he’d been commissioned to paint.   Who’d been punished by having his right hand, his painting hand, hacksawed off, and then being stung to death by bees.

On being told this, Helen has to investigate.

»»◊««

Hellraiser: Demons to some, angels, to others …

21st February, 2009.

Yep, I know it’s another old movie.

But one that’s interesting to watch, I always think …

And you’ve probably worked out that a Saturday night movie is getting to be something of a habit, by now, with Hellraiser being a bit of a special request from an old friend.

Honestly, Adrian, I’d’ve baked a cake, if I’d known …

Either way, myself, Adrian, and Allison were all in for this one.

I’ve tied the IMDb page into the title, as usual, but to summarise, it’s the story of what happens when Larry Cotton (Andrew Robinson – Garak, from Star Trek: Deep Space 9) and his wife, Julia (Clare Higgins – recently on stage as Jocasta, in the National’s production of Oedipus) move into the unused family home in England. With unexpected results, as Larry brother, Frank, is … around …

Well, I’ll try not to say too much, except to say that an entirely theoretically H.P Lovecraft title, The Horrible Thing In The Attic got a mention.

Now, I’ll admit to liking this one.

And, although it’s showing its age*, it’s worth watching as I personally think its got things to offer.

First off?   Is a simple question: what exactly do we call Hell?

Pinhead – one of the more striking characters in the film and an iconic figure to horror fans – the apparent leader of the Cenobites pursuing Larry’s brother, Frank, says of them that they are “ … demons to some, angels to others.”

Ambiguous?

Certainly.

But the Cenobites are summoned by Frank at the start of the film and offer him experiences “… beyond limits.”

The way the film seems to set up the back-story implies that one has to call the Cenobites; the opening scenes show Frank buying the puzzle box used for this purpose.

Which, to me, begs a simple question.

Can hell be hell if you have gone there willingly?

Indeed, are looking forward to the trip?

There’s probably a lot to be said there, on that; probably Googling for it would be an idea, it occurs to me that many philosophers, theologians and psychologists – certainly a lot of people more educated or eloquent than me – have written a lot, about punishment and the extent of personal responsibility.

But it does show, I think, that there are times that we must accept responsibility for things we have done.

Trying to get away from the choices we make, in the way that Frank tries escaping the Cenobites is something that could back-fire.

Julia, incidentally, seems much more accepting of what happens and of the consequences of her actions.

However, it’s where we have innocence on our side, or ignorance – I have Larry’s daughter, Kirsty, in mind, here – that we find a different situation.

The scene I’m thinking of, here, is where Kirsty opens the box. She knows only that it’s got something to do with her situation, but not what, and wishes to find out.

And is introduced to the Cenobites chasing Frank.

Now her position is different, it seems to me: she is, effectively, an innocent in events.

And as such, it seems to me that she is granted some degree of leeway by Pinhead, and the other Cenobites: they seem to realise they are dealing with someone who’s called them accidentally, and are prepared to negotiate for something they want.

Which is the crux of the movie, it seems. Not just personal choice, but knowledge of what the choice means, for oneself and others.

Someone I knew once explained three words of importance to those on the fetish/BDSM scene: Safe, Sane, Consensual.

They also emphasised that, while these were important, so was knowledge of the lifestyle: knowledge of what was going on was and is important for truly informed consent.

Otherwise things could go bad, rather than be enjoyable.

I’ll leave it there, for now; it is getting late.

* Reminds me, you can read about the remake, here.