Hellraiser: Judgement (2018)

This is now the tenth entry in the long-running 'Hellraiser' series which started all the way back in 1987. Author and director Clive Barker created a truly unique horror story as he usually does, but to this day the story of the mysterious Lament Configuration and its inhabitants remains his most infamous. It's just too bad that the series didn't retain any kind of quality control in the thirty plus years since the original, though the newest film 'Judgement' shows some hope for the film's future.

The story involves three detectives tracking down a notorious serial killer, only to find themselves entering a much darker and bigger world. The biggest strength in 'Judgement' lies in its core concept which consists of a sort of judicial system, only in the depths of Hell rather than a courthouse. You admit your sins, have them written down, sent to a decision maker who consumes the sins, then onto the jury who makes the final verdict and then you are sent to be cleaned and butchered by Hell's minions. It's one of the most interesting concepts I've seen in a horror film in a while, the only downside here is that due to the low budget the filmmakers are unable to fully realize such a brilliant concept in full.

I also love these scenes due to the interesting creatures/denizens that inhabit this world. The film's director Gary J. Tunnicliffe  standing out even more than Pinhead himself as the Auditor. He is funny, quirky, and a character that I truly want to see more of a background to in future storylines. Sadly, Pinhead is relegated to little more than a brief cameo in what is supposed to be his film series. While that's nothing new with many of these 'Hellraiser' sequels, it's still one of the biggest issues plaguing the series as a whole. The detectives and human cast are also either repugnant, annoying, or just completely forgettable which makes me long to go back to the Hell scenes and losing interest in the main plot.

And the plot is one of the biggest issues with 'Judgement'. This is not a 'Hellraiser' film to me. It's a better than average supernatural crime drama with a really interesting concept, but then you just throw in the Lament Configuration and Pinhead for a quick buck due to name recognition. As a 'Hellraiser' movie, I think 'Judgement' isn't much to get excited about but as a horror movie in general it's interesting and has a lot of good ideas on paper. It's just the shoe-horned in elements and its really short running time (81 minutes) that hurts 'Judgement'. I think even if Pinhead was in the film more, the things he does in the movie just don't seem to fit his personality. Without spoiling anything, the ending sees Pinhead going against certain principals we've come to know him for which leads to the extremely rushed ending that I guess sets up another sequel but I can't really be sure.

 I know the budget is really not the director's fault here, and for what he had to work with he got extremely creative but in the end I see 'Hellraiser: Judgement' as more of a test film for a much bigger and better film coming our way. It shows some great concepts and a new direction to go for the franchise that I'd like to see, but this film on its own is a flawed but still enjoyable mess.

Hellraiser Judgement

(6/10)

Special Features include a Gag Reel, Deleted Scenes, and a Post-Credits scene.

Love Never Dies: 5 Romantic Horror Films

Even us horror fans feel love sometimes. The horror genre, like many in film itself incorporates some form of romance and why not? It's one of if not the strongest human emotion and can be applied to so many different stories of all types. So today, I will be presenting five of my favorite romantic horror films for you and your valentine.

Let the Right One In (2008) 

The vampire film has been done to death, and the romantic angle has long decayed but here comes a little Swedish film that gave it some life. It takes something we can all connect with (childhood loves) and turn that on its head with vampires, giving us a film that we have more emotional investment in. It also appeals to its audience with its sadness, as it is essentially a doomed romance like so many stories of old and in the end we feel for this strange child couple and all of this is wrapped up nicely with some wonderful cinematography and strong performances by the child actors. Skip the American remake and put up with subtitles for two hours, and you'll be satisfied by the end.

Bram Stoker's Dracula (1992) 

One of the oldest love stories ever told, 'Dracula' had one of the best adaptations from director Francis Ford Coppola. Using old fashioned film techniques, it brings a truly unique experience than your usual horror fare at the time. It's a classy horror film that has horrific and grotesque moments, but is executed and performed with expertise. Gary Oldman is truly a master of his craft, donning at least three distinct forms of the titular Count and plays the role with finesse. Also, what is a more romantic thought than someone who transcended time and defeated death itself for the one he loved?

Return of the Living Dead 3 (1993)

By the 90's, the horror genre was dead in the water. Stale sequels or direct to video garbage littered the land but then here comes a underrated gem from director Brian Yuzna. The much superior sequel to the cult hit sees a young couple who meet an unfortunate motorcycle accident. The young woman sadly dies, leaving her grieving boyfriend desperate and angry. Well it just so happens that this boy's father is working on a top secret zombie formula (because of course) and his desperation turns to madness and horror and all of it in the name of love. I won't lie, it isn't like the film is a masterpiece but man is this an entertaining zombie flick. The special effects work is some of the best in the genre and the story while essentially a rehash of many doomed lover films manages to give us some decent characters and you feel bad for them when things don't go quite the way they expect.

Bride of Chucky (1998)

Chucky and Tiffany are almost your typical married couple. Sure, they're homicidal plastic dolls but they fight over the dishes, children, and even gossip in Hollywood like many of us do. That is why I think the characters are so beloved by horror fans and why they've cemented themselves in pop culture. They're relatable in many ways despite the horrific acts they commit and even through their gripes and domestic violence, they show that they do feel for one another. It's just in their own little way and we go with them because of that. I picked 'Bride' out of the series mostly down to the story focusing on the couple's relationship more than the sequels and its the perfect date movie.

Hellraiser (1987)

Christian Grey has nothing on Pinhead. Clive Barker's film adaptation of his short story is one of the sickest, mean spirited, and violent films in the horror genre. However, it's also a love triangle romance story about one couple feeling unfulfilled and another going as far as murder and betrayal in order to be with each other. Frank and Julia, as horrific as they are as a couple do seem to show genuine love for each other, with Julia sacrificing her husband's soul for her lover's resurrection. 'Hellraiser' isn't the traditional love story, but hey no relationship is the same and very few of them are far from what we consider 'normal'. It's my number one pick for your Valentine's Day and I hope you enjoy it.

Valentine (2001)

That boy you rejected back in middle school is back...and he's not very happy. 'Valentine' is a late game in the slasher genre, and that's even for its time. 1996's 'Scream' was a phenomenon that rejuvenated the long dead sub-genre and like 'Halloween' before it, it spawned dozens of imitators. 2001's 'Valentine' is one of the better imitators you can spend time with, even if its a tad too tame (but we'll get to that in a bit). The plot is like many slashers before it: a young boy named Jeremy Melton is turned down, humiliated, and harassed by his school peers and a group of young girls in particular during the Valentine's Day dance. Many years later, the girls have grown into beautiful women and on the eve of the anniversary since that incident happened, one of their own turns up dead and they begin to receive special valentines in the mail.

Just a personal note, I have to say that right away I loved this movie's opening as it opens with Katherine Heigl meeting an unfortunate end. That's not a spoiler as its on the back of the DVD just so you don't go yelling at me. Anyway, 'Valentine' has the usual slick production value you expect from these post-'Scream' films. It's nicely shot, with some moody lighting and a lot dated 90's/00's music throughout. The movie takes the Giallo route by having practically every character in the film be unlikeable, petty, and annoying. The problem with this is, the movie also never hints at the killer being anyone else but Jeremy in the end. Even with some slight twists near the climax, it doesn't pull it off leaving a lot of pointless characters and sidestories by the wayside.

Now, I have to talk about the kills in 'Valentine'. Unfortunately, during this time several real life tragedies had come to pass including the horrific Columbine killings. Naturally, this worried many parent groups and the blame was quickly shifted to horror films like 'Scream' among other things. Oddly enough, even with the now seemingly lost uncut version of 'Valentine' the film still received no grief from the MPAA (or as their known by horror fans: assholes). No, director Jamie Blanks made the decision in the end to chop up the film out of respect and while I can commend him for doing the right thing, it's what people come to see slasher films for. The kills are all that matters in most cases, especially when the film has little else like 'Valentine'.

Fortunately, the kills do not suffer too much but they are noticeably shortened in some instances my favorite kill involving glass shards included. Still, besides the kills you do get some fun gross out moments such as a girl eating insects unknowingly and some funny moments throughout to recycle some of the movie at least. Despite its problems though, I still really enjoy watching 'Valentine' every year. It's definitely no 'My Bloody Valentine' and everyone in it sucks but the kills that weren't butchered are surprisingly brutal and happen quite often throughout the short running time. It's an okay imitator with the same problems as most, but the higher production value, genuinely creepy masked killer, and some memorable kills make it worth a watch.

6/10