On The First Day Of Halloween

Simply put, I wait all year for October to begin. It isn't just because of Horrorfest, it's also the leaves turning colours and crisp air, apples and scarves, candy and pumpkin pie. You can't go wrong. There is a reason people love scary movies. There is something amazing about being terrified while being safe and sound. That kick of adrenaline when the closet springs open and, despite what the PC brigade says, horror movies often have very well timed comedic relief.

So, Horrorfest commences with the very first movie!

Title: Hellraiser
Year: 1987
Synopsis: An unfaithful wife encounters the zombie of her dead lover, who's being chased by demons after he escaped from their sado-masochistic Hell.

Tagline: It will tear your soul apart.

It is because I love to start things off with a bang that I selected Hellraiser. For those of you who do not know, Clive Barker wrote a little novella called 'The Hellbound Heart' and that is what this shining cult nugget of awesomeness is based off.

What most people fail to realize about Hellraiser is that it actually is a romance. No, really. It is a demented and sticky love story between Frank and Julia, both mentioned in the synopsis above. I mean, it gots to be love when the chick is killing random men for her fleshless lover to feed off! Of course, there is an end game. He wants his body back.

Temptation is not something anyone in this family knows how to resist. Not even Kirsty Cotton, who despite knowing exactly what the box is about, still opens it. What a dummy. Fortunately, she finds a loophole and tosses her demented uncle under the bus, not literally. Figuratively. And because Pinhead, who is actually only called Lead Cenobite in this film, is so reasonable, he actually agrees to let her off the hook in exchange for Frankie boy.

Or does her? Since there is a Hellraiser 2 and Kirsty is back in action there, I think not.

Honestly, the most disturbing part of the movie is the opening scene when the box is first being purchased in the marketplace. All those dirty nails. I mean, haven't these people heard about manicures? Ugh.

I would write to you all about the reasons I love Pinhead, but I already did that last year and you can read it here if you are so inclined. It's a good read, I highly recommend taking it for a spin.

Like so many things from the eighties, this movie does suffer from the evil bitch called time. The special effects are outdated, skin ripping scenes are actually humour, but still it is a gem. To me, the campiness makes it that much better. I think about how people were terrified by this movie, can hear the screams in the theatre, and how people had to close their eyes. Then it gets me wondering about how desensitized we are in this day and age.

Oh, well.

If you haven't seen this movie, you have to. There are some terribly funny lines. And it's worth the the 86 minutes of your life. Trust me, you aren't doing anything better at the moment. Don't you want to know what 'demon to some, angel to others' means?

And no, it isn't my dating profile slogan. Although, that's a rather brilliant idea!