☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆
(Really Liked It)
Netflix Synopsis: As Pinhead and his band of diabolical demons propagate evil on Earth, three generations of L'Merchants battle the legions of darkness.
The Peeps: Alan Smithee (directors); Peter Atkins (writer); Doug Bradley, Bruce Ramsey, Valentina Vargas
Quick Run Down: Dark, Violent, Gory, Suspenseful
Worth the Watch?: Surprisingly, Yeah!
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| The Elysium Configuration |
Hellrasier: Bloodline is set in 2127 on the Space Station Minos. Paul Merchant (Bruce Ramsey) is using a robot to unlock the notorious Lament Configuration, attempting to release the Cenobites it holds and destroy them via the station, which Merchant specifically designed for the task. Just as he is about to complete his mission, though, some soldiers pop in and arrest him. Come to find out, Merchant has sent all of his crew away and has stopped responding to radio calls. He has holed up in the space station setting everything in place to kill off Pinhead and his friends. Upon questioning, Merchant tells of his mission and how his ancestors are responsible for the box and, indirectly, its malevolent powers. This inspires the film to flashback to the 18th century, recalling the story of Paul's ancestor, toymaker Phillip L'Merchant, and how he was commissioned by a notorious black magician to construct the box. This bit of the story unfolds with its own little twist, but the key point is that the Merchant bloodline (there's our title!) is cursed with the responsibility of knowing it created the box. Phillip creates a design for something to counter the evil of the Lament Configuration - called the Elysium Configuration - but he dies before he can complete it. Fast forward to 1996 (current day for the making of the film; a flashback for the film's time span), and we have another Merchant that has created a huge building that resembles the Lament configuration (the building showcased at the end of
Hellraiser III: Hell On Earth). Now, Pinhead is looking to make this huge ass Lament Configuration the gateway to hell, and he needs Merchant to open it up for him. Once this story wraps up, we jump back to 2127 and find Pinhead with his Cenobite compatriots lose and taking out the army crew one by one. Paul Merchant still has his plan in mind, but can he get the soldiers on his side in enough time to kill Pinhead once and for all? Duh, duh, duh DUH!
The above description probably sounds confusing as hell, but this fourth installment of
Hellraiser is actually pretty straightforward and easy to follow. There's a female character, Angelique, that supposedly plays an important role in terms of the origins of the box, etc., but, honestly, she's just a red herring. An opportunity to spruce up the sinister and sexy nature of the Cenobites and that 'other realm'. The story still eventually finds its center in Pinhead. Being set in space, there's an impulse to roll your eyes as the film begins. Afterall,
Leprechaun, Critters, and the Friday the 13th franchise (
Jason X) all have (bad) installments set in space.
Bloodline, though, works really well. I think the reason for this lies in Alan Smithee. Smithee finally comes into the franchise and inserts some vitality and seriousness without being melodramatic or silly. There's some really good cinematography going on, the acting is good (Ramsey plays the lead Merchant character in all the time periods in the film), and the 1996 flashback scene is really well written by Atkins and enhanced even more by Smithee's deft directing. There's an actual sense of danger throughout the sequence, and it's probably the best the franchise has to offer after #1 and up until this one, #4. Also, the theme of fairy tale is still continued in this installment. Barker did not start the film off with this conceit in mind, but Smithee manages to include it but also (finally) grasp the dark quality of the motif which allows him to steer the film in its more sinister, original atmosphere. It's the good vs. bad theme but handled in a substantive, rather than silly or campy, way.
This installment has some good gore, and, though it may be the same amount as the others, its presented in a much darker and meaner style. So, it stands out more than the gore in the previous films. Also, there's a Cenobite addition involving twins that's pretty damn entertaining, before AND after the transformation, and it makes for a cool horror movie moment. Plus, it brings a whole new dimension to the idea of sibling sharing. Lastlly, a few quick side notes about the film, this would be the last
Hellraiser that Barker would be involved in. He declined any part in the remaining five films. This was probably a good call, as this would also be the last installment to make it into theaters. The remaining films are straight to DVD or VOD pics that follow no real bearing to one another. Looks like my next five films are gonna be interesting...
So, if you wanna watch a dark, gory, violent, and often suspenseful horror film,
Hellraiser: Bloodline is the way to go. For #4, it's a surprisingly good watch and satisfies most of the horror cravings we horror hounds look for in such flicks. So, if you get a chance, check it out. It's on Netflix!
"Do I look like someone who cares what God thinks?"
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