Hellbound - Hellraiser 2 (1988)
Front Cover Actor
Claire Higgins Julia
Ashley Laurence Kirsty Cotton
Kenneth Cranham Dr. Channard
Imogen Boorman Tiffany
Sean Chapman Uncle Frank
William Hope Kyle Macrae
Doug Bradley Skinhead Cenobite
Oliver Parker Workman 2
Nicholas Vince Chatterer
Oliver Smith Browning
Clare Higgins Julia Cotton
Kenneth Cranham Dr. Philip Channard/Channard Cenobite
Sean Chapman Frank Cotton
William Hope Kyle MacRae
Doug Bradley Pinhead/Captain Elliot Spencer
Barbie Wilde Female Cenobite
Simon Bamford Butterball Cenobite
Nicholas Vince Chatterer Cenobite
Movie Details
Genre Horror; Thriller
Director Tony Randel
Writer Clive Barker; Peter Atkins
Studio New World
Language English
Audience Rating R
Running Time 1 hr 36 mins
Country UK
Color Color
Plot
Horror fantasist Clive Barker , director of the original Hellraiser , maintained creative control over this worthy sequel as Executive Producer, but was unable to occupy the director's chair due to his involvement on other projects. His creative touch is still quite evident here, as the original film's story is expanded in scope and intensity. The story picks up immediately after the events of the original, with the mentally-unbalanced Kirsty ( Ashley Laurence ) confined to a mental hospital after her experiences in the hellish domain of the grotesque Cenobites, which included the gruesome death of her father. Her case attracts the attention of hospital director Dr. Channard ( Kenneth Cranham ), whose marked interest in her story has more than a little to do with his research into the occult. The chief focus of this extracurricular activity seems centered on his impressive collection of puzzle boxes, many of which are versions of the Lament Configuration — the device which opens the gateway to the Cenobites' dimension. To further realize his diabolical obsession, Channard conducts grisly human sacrifices to resurrect the body of Kirsty's evil stepmother Julia ( Clare Higgins ) — who has literally been through hell and back. He also recruits mute autistic patient Tiffany ( Imogen Boorman ), an expert at solving puzzles, to decipher the correct version of the box. Haunted by visions of her mutilated father suffering in hell, Kirsty joins Tiffany in hopes of rescuing him from the Cenobites' dimension. Tiffany gains them access to the portal, and they make the nightmarish journey down the corridors of hell. Narrowly escaping the diabolical Pinhead ( Doug Bradley ), they come face-to-face with Julia, who has already handed Dr. Channard over to the Cenobites to be transformed into a hideous new creation. First-time director Tony Randel acquits himself nicely, and seems to have a real flair for the surreal material; the script by longtime Barker collaborator Peter Atkins elaborates on elements only hinted at in its predecessor. It should follow that the slightly larger budget would allow ample room for this expansion, but the production values actually appear somewhat slimmer. What the film lacks in refined style it makes up for in utter dementia, particularly in its depiction of graphic bloodletting — numerous scenes were trimmed or deleted altogether in order to obtain an 'R' from the MPAA. — Cavett Binion
Personal Details
Seen It Yes
Index 329
In Collection Yes
Purchase Date 8/4/2003
Tape Label 113
Product Details
Format VHS
Region Region 1
Release Date 2003
Nr of Disks/Tapes 1
Links
Internet Movie Database