After watching Hellraiser I and II, the smell of food made me queasy. I held off the popcorn for Hellraiser III but was cooking it half way through the film.
I Loved Hellraiser III. It’s a magnificently unapologetic camp-fest. Pinhead went from a cerebral personification of hell and torture to a full-blown Slasher.
The scenarios were surreal, corny, and so unlike Hellraiser I and II that I kept thinking I was watching Nightmare on Elm Street. The lighting was bright, the plot holes huge — Pinhead was so verbose and expressive… is that Freddy wearing a mask?
Cenobites and Pinhead were never designed as the stars of the film. They were the instruments of Torture — the true antagonists of the first two features. In Hellraiser III, Pinhead joins Freddy, Jason, and Michael Myers as a Slasher, using hooks and chains to kill swiftly. He put on sunglasses, turned on his Harley, and went down the highway blasting the “Hellraiser” song by Motörhead.
There is a scene where Pinhead chases Joanne “Joey” Summerskill (Terry Farrell) into a church and, instead of killing her, chooses to pose as Jesus, complete with the gory effects of crucifixion. That’s straight from Freddy’s playbook! The original Pinhead would have no use for such gestures.
I happen to be a fan of Slashers. They make death seem less consequential. Hellraiser III officially turns Pinhead into the campy killer, moving away from torture and existential angst. His death count skyrockets! He puts the rest of the Slasher to shame by annihilating an entire dance club.
Hellraiser III: Hell on Earth is a campy mess to those who don’t partake in Horror or Slashers. There is absolutely nothing to see but more fodder to justify the hate of the genre.
For Slasher fans, this chapter welcomes Pinhead to the official kill count board. He rivals Freddy in quips and Jason in kills. When I think of Hellraiser I think of the first two films. When I think of Pinhead I think of Hellraiser III: Hell on Earth.
One out of Seven toilet paper rolls, if you’re a casual film viewer.
Two out of Seven, if you fancy yourself a horror film from time to time.
Four out of Seven, if you’re a Slasher junkie.
