Oh man, Clive Barker's timeless cinematic masterpiece of horror and cool demons with funny names (cenobites)! Introducing Pinhead (who doesn't even have a name in this movie) and his buddies Chatter... uhm, the female one... and uh, the fat guy with the shades... Anyway, we open with a sweaty guy in a wife-beater purchasing a mystic puzzle box which gets his flesh torn off by hooks and a group of S+M freaks from Hell (the cenobites)! Later on, the guy's brother (along with his wife Julia and nubile daughter Kristie) move into the same house Frank performed the ritual in. Julia starts having these fantasies about Frank when Larry gets cut and spills blood in Frank's old room... and the floorboards drink it! This leads to a very fleshless, very mangled Frank emerging from the floor seducing Julia into killing for him and supplying him with blood. And after feeding Larry and a couple bald guys to him, Frank is whole again! But, there's still Kristie to worry about! After a run in with her fleshless uncle, Kris swipes Frank's puzzle box, runs away, passes out, and wakes up in the hospital. Playing with the box, she opens a gateway into Hell and barely escapes being eaten by a cenobite! Soon after, the cenobite gang (the S+M guys) show up and give Kris the first degree. She bargains her way out by promising the 'bites she'll lead them to their target, Uncle Frank! Frank "accidentally" knifes Julia, then, as he looks for Kris, he walks right into the Cenobite Room (all your 18th century homes have one!) and they "Rip his soul apart!". After they're done with him, they go for Kris! Thanx to her boyfriend though, she sends them back to Hell and escapes and the hobo that's been following Kris throughout the movie turns into a skeletal dragon, grabs the box, and flies off! Damn bums.... they can turn into dragons but cant get off welfare? Like I said, Pinhead debuted in this flick, but is credited under "Cenobite Leader" or "Panicky Idiot #2", or something. HELLRAISER spawned 4 disgustingly disappointing sequels. However, THIS is the one to watch! And you should... so, uhm... GO NOW!... please?

Sequels: HELLBOUND: HELLRAISER II, HELLRAISER III: HELL ON EARTH, HELLRAISER: BLOODLINES, HELLRAISER: INFERNO

If You Liked This Flick, Check Out: SHREIKER or RAWHEAD REX