Director: Clive Barker
Writer: Clive Barker
Tagline: Demon to some. Angel to others.
Actors: Andrew Robinson, Clare Higgins, Ashley Laurence, Sean Chapman, Oliver Smith, Doug Bradley, Nicholas Vince, Simon Bamford, Grace Kirby
Runtime: 1h 34m
Category: Book Adaptation, Demon, Torture
Synopsis: Frank Cotton has acquired a strange puzzle-box which, when opened, releases the pleasures of Heaven or Hell. Upon solving the box, Frank is immediately torn to pieces by a band of demons known as the Cenobites, who are experts in torture. A few years later, Frank’s brother Larry, and his wife Julia, move into the old family home, where Frank was staying. After a nasty cut bleeds all over the floor where Frank was ripped apart, his remains underneath the floor panels start to feed off of the blood; bringing him back to life, but at a minimal state. Convincing Julia to help him regain his original form, she brings unsuspecting strangers back to the house so Frank can “feed”. After discovering Julia’s little secret, Larry’s daughter Kirsty finds the old puzzle-box and unknowingly re-releases the Cenobites. Not knowing that Frank had escaped them, Kirsty makes a deal to lead them to him in exchange for her life. Soon a battle ensues between the forces of evil and a college chick with a puzzle-box.
Review: I had seen most of this movie many years ago when I was just a lad. I was kinda bored with it back then; but now it’s like nothing I’ve ever seen before! Even though there have been so many other movies like this, none can compare. There is nothing that can hold a candle to what Clive Barker accomplished with this hideous masterpiece. The story is one of the most original and ballsy that I have ever seen. What production company do you know of that would say ok to a movie about demons ripping people to shreds back in the late 80’s? I think that the 80’s did a lot for the torture and slasher genres. This movie gave way to many of the films we know and love today; Saw (I, II, and III), and Hostel (2005), just to name a couple. With all of the gore and a strong storyline, this movie is an instant classic.
I thought that the story was a bit loose but I understand why; it had to give room to expand in the next SEVEN movies! Yeah I said seven. Being the first of eight installments I understood that a lot of the story was gonna be left out for sequels to explain. But I thought that the story was really cool; a puzzle-box being the gateway to Hell…nicccccccce. This was something that I had never seen before, and it intrigued me. I’m not really a fan of the torture genre but this movie is the landmark of the entire genre. Never again will there be another breakthrough film like this, because I doubt that another production company will produce a movie about demons mincing people into bite-sized pieces. Maybe…but I doubt it.
The acting was actually…kinda bad; except for Clare Higgins and newcomer Ashley Laurence. But most of the movie revolved around them anyway so I guess it could be overlooked. The Frank character had no real acting to do but talk in a deep voice and sound menacing…oh yeah…and wear make-up and prosthetics. So, overall the acting was ‘eh’, but in movies of this genre, acting is not what people are watching.
The gore is what really made this film what it is today; probably one the goriest films of all time. I’m not saying that it is, but it certainly should be considered in the top ten. I know that a lot of the late 70’s and 80’s horror films were the proprietors of much of the gore we love to see today. Thus, giving us a nice boost into the carnal outrages we view in theatres. This movie however, is the goriest 80’s movie I’ve ever seen; and it’s not all catsupy like in the 70’s. The torn flesh and the exposed sinew were masterfully done. I think that the scene where Frank re-animates is one of the most cinematically beautiful (gory-beautiful) scenes I’ve ever seen. Not too many films back then can compare to the caliber of this speeding bullet.
Rating: 19. I would have rated it higher but the thing that got me was the time it took for the rest of the story to unfold. I was hoping to see more of the Cenobites but was only treated with a drawn-out story of Julia snaring and killing guys for Frank. I understand that this movie is only the base for a long line of sequels, but come on…give me a break. But the gore brought it back up and caused this movie to be one of the goriest of the 80’s. Well done Clive Barker…well done. (19of25).
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