Movie Reviews #4 - Hellraiser : Bloodline (1996)

Plot : (from imdb.com) In the 22nd century, a scientist attempts to right the wrong his ancestor created: the puzzle box that opens the gates of Hell and unleashes Pinhead and his Cenobite legions.

Review : Hellraiser in space! Yes, they go where horror franchises go to die. But in the case it is the opposite. For me personally this is my favorite so far and here is the reason why : it tries to make sense of what's been going on. 

The story follows the creation of the Lemarchand box through 3 generations; past, present and future. It starts with how the box was made and how it was used to summon a demon. Therefore we now have an explanation as to why it is an evil entity. The story then continues to the present where the Cenobites are trying to end the bloodline of the boxes creator since they are the only ones who can stop them. And finally it wraps in the future where the last Merchant is trying to destroy the demons once and for all. 

Not only does the story give us some satisfaction finally, but it has a great arc that ends the storyline for the Cenobites convincingly. Yes, there are more sequels but they all take place in the present day so you rightfully assume that the future portion is where the storyline ends.

On the visual side, you can feel that the budget has been cut (the CGI is terrible) but the practical parts are pretty good and very gory.

In the end this movie was much better then I had expectation for it to be. Most will probably hate it but I had a satisfying time with it.

Score : 7.5 / 10

Movie Reviews #3 - Hellraiser III : Hell on Earth (1992)

Plot: (from imdb.com) An investigative reporter must send the newly unbound Pinhead and his legions back to Hell.

Review: With part 3 the Hellraiser series has gone in a different direction. Gone is Kristy and in comes a reporter who has stumbled onto the Lambent box and the evils that it brings about. The story is more straightforward and streamlined: Pinhead is trying to get on earth. This is what you would think Pinhead should have been trying to do from the beginning. We also get a look into his origins, which makes things much clearer. Although it was a little hokey to have his good and evil versions split and fighting each other.

    The change of setting to New York City is an exciting one. There is a lot more carnage to be unleashed on the big city. Unfortunately the finale in the streets felt quite empty, where was everyone, it`s freaking New York.

    The story is silly at times but myself I dug it. There is no need to make it overly elaborate, it`s just Pinhead. It takes a while before Pinhead is set loose but once he, things get crazy. He kills EVERYONE in a club just to start off. A lot of creative deaths here, appreciated it a lot. The Cenobites he creates though are very dated for the date and ridiculous. One of them throws CDs, another ones has a rocket camera eye and probably the silliest of all was the bartender who makes explosive cocktails. Its completely ridiculous but since I've never taken the series that seriously it didn't bother me. I was just happy they decided to go all out crazy with this instead of holding back.

    I had a good time with Hellraiser 3. It`s dumb but it goes with what it is and if you don`t have too much attachment to the first 2 you can appreciate it. If you are a series purist though you will most likely hate it.

Score : 7/10

TV Reviews #1 - X-Files Season 3 (1995-1996)

There is a noticeable trend so far with seasons of X-Files. The beginning and end of each season delves into the alien conspiracy and the disappearance of Mulder's sister. However the middle of the season has more to do with the occurrence of the week and less to do with the conspiracy. This isn't necessarily a bad thing as we get to see a lot of unique urban legends and monsters come to life. It would probably become dull if they only focused on the alien storyline.

    Season 3 had a lot of fun one-shot episodes. There were a few stories of people with special powers that they used for evil purposes. One of the creepiest was the episode with the guy who would use online dating in order to find his overweight victims. It was a storyline that was just ahead of its time. Other strong episodes include the one about the gargoyles and the one about voodoo in the military. There were a lot of guest stars who are now famous people including Jack Black, Giovanni Ribisi, Kurtwood Smith and Peter Boyle.

    On the conspiracy front, the storyline got more confusing. There were implications that Mulder's father was involved and the alien bounty hunter continued his attacks. In the end they also added a character that has a healing touch but we are still waiting to figure out how he fits in.

    The season ended on a good cliffhanger that keeps the viewers interest for season 4. Overall it's a strong season for a show that has now found its groove. It was stronger in the one-shot episodes then the ones dealing with the conspiracy but with the way it ended business looks like it will pick up on that front.

Score : 7.5 / 10

Movie Reviews #2 - Hellbound: Hellraiser II (1988)

Plot: (from imdb.com) Kirsty is brought to an institution after the death of her family, where the occult-obsessive head resurrects Julia and unleashes the Cenobites once again.

Review: Hellraiser 2 is very much a continuation of the first movie. We keep the same protaganist Kirsty and the story continues along a similar path. It does a lot of things that a good sequel should do; it expands upon the concepts of the original film whilst keeping the same principal ideas of the first one. The problem though is that it keeps the confusion of the first one and even manages to make it even worse. Before going into this we should look at the good points.

    The movie is fantastic visually. We get to explore the world that the Cenobites come from, and it is far out there. Beautiful matte painting backgrounds provide a fantastic backdrop and they add in lightning that looks great. The world consists of great pyramids and complex structures that boggle the mind if you think of them deeply. There's a new Cenobite who's look is just so bizarre yet compelling.

    The plot itself starts with some interesting ideas but then it loses itself into a mess of confusion. Kirsty going to find her father is a good start but once Dr. Channing gets involved it gets just weird. Why does he want to unleash this world, what is there to gain? Why did he think this was going to end well? And then there's all the questions on what Cenobites can and cannot do. If Pinhead is so powerful, why does he stay there when this doorway seems so easy to open? It's probably not meant to be overthought but I can't help it, it bothers me.

    This one does not shy away from the gore either. There are all kinds of skinnings and violent deaths. It's a little less silly then in the first one but I wonder how all this happens without any normal people noticing the crazyness.

    My opinion of this movie is very close to the first one. It has many of the same positives and negatives. Watch at your own risk.

Score : 6/10