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Hellraiser Chronicles edited by Stephen Jones check out website: www.titanbooks.com
Others, less fond of horror, might not be familiar with the film itself, but show them a picture of Pinhead and the majority will recognise him instantly. It is in these two reactions that the strength of the original films and the on-going series lies. The first film, based on a novella by Clive Barker entitled 'The Hellbound Heart', brought us the unnerving premise that has since served to maintain the interest of devoted fans. For the first time, we are introduced to the puzzle box or Lament Configuration for the purists.
When solved, the box opens a doorway to Hell and summons forth a very particular type of devil, the Cenobites: demons of pleasure and pain. The intrusion of these terrifying creatures into the familiar and domestic lives of the protagonists and the fearsome, yet strangely enticing, nature of the film's monsters was a creation of genius, instantly making a place for 'Hellraiser' in the canon of fright fans and film lovers alike. The second reaction hinges on the amazing feats of imagination performed by the writers, designers and artists who created the look of the Cenobites and their world. 'The Hellraiser Chronicles' serves to celebrate their works and achievements as it is packed full of photos and artwork that allow the reader a glimpse into the effort and talent that went into making these films so visually arresting. The book is an essential purchase for Barker fans as it contains an introduction by the man himself. It's an interesting read, a nice little excursion into the mind of the original creator. For the next fifty pages or so it's all about the imagery. There's plenty of full page photographs accompanied by original artwork, most of which by that multi-talented Barker bloke again, that makes this book an essential buy for 'Hellraiser' enthusiasts and any other SF bod with a strong stomach. These pictures are accompanied by little quotable Hellraiser snippets that you can use to make home-made greetings cards. For instance, I think Pinhead's line, 'We have eternity to know your flesh', would be great for Valentine's Day. Whilst the piece at the end of the book 'Creating The Cenobites' is interesting enough, it unfortunately serves to remind you that, lovely looking as the book is, it seems to me to be like it was originally designed as a tie-in to promote the third film. Having said that, this is apparently, correct
me if I'm wrong, the only official book dealing with the films themselves and
I'll be treasuring my copy of it. I only hope that someone sees fit to do a fuller
work, containing more interviews and information, something to sit chunkily on
my bookshelf. With the seventh and eighth sequels soon to come out (yikes!) there
is obviously enough demand to warrant this. Any takers? Paul Skevington
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OTHER REVIEWS - November 2004
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When
you meet someone with a genuine love for the horror genre you know it's a reasonably
safe bet that at some point in their existence they have watched 'Hellraiser'.
There's also a good chance that they have a copy of it safely tucked away in their
DVD collection. Just saying the name of the film in the company of these people
is usually enough to spark up a discussion.
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