Hellraiser: Hellseeker (2002)

If one can overlook two MASSIVE implausiblities, this is the best of the Hellraiser sequels. We are reintroduced to Ashley Laurence as Kirsty, before seemingly killing her in a car crash during the first scene. The focus is then shifted to her husband, and his fragile mental state following the accident, exacerbated by the odd behaviour of some of those around him, and the fact that he becomes the suspect in her death, and the deaths of several others. After tricking us into thinking Ashley Laurence's appearance is confined to a cameo appearance in the first scene, she is reintroduced again in the final third, when we learn it was really her husband who died in the car crash, and the entire film is taking place in his mind, as he lie dying. Pinhead plotted to get Kirsty after all these years, she made a deal with him to kill her husband and the women he was cheating on her with, in exchange for her own life. Kirsty herself killed her husband in the crash, after killing his mistresses, and the entire film is taking place in his mind in the final moments of his life, just like in Jacob's Ladder, again.Indeed, the biggest problem with this one is that it's almost identical to the previous film ( Hellraiser Inferno ) which itself was very similar to Jacob's Ladder. If this film had been made before the previous one, it would have fared better, and been more surprising. But as it is now, it really seems like they used almost the same script. Turning the heroine from parts one and two into the villain here is a daring move, not an easy feat to achieve successfully, but I feel they pulled it off well here. There should have been a final scene with Pinhead, perhaps proud of himself for tricking Kirsty into killing several people, thus ensuring her a place in his hell upon her ultimate death, and thus making it only a matter of time before she is his. Terrible colour tinting gives most scenes a deep blue tinge.

This is the sixth Hell raiser movie. It is not very good. the first Hell raiser movie is a lot better. Hell bound Hell raiser II is a lot better. Hell raiser III hell on earth is good movie. It is a lot better then is one. The fourth Hell raiser Hell raiser the blood line is very scary it is a lot better then this one. The seventh Hell raiser movie Hell raiser deader is a better movie. And that one was pretty bad. The eight Hell raiser movie Hell raiser hell world is a better movie. And that was pretty bad. The movie is confusing and hard not fellow. It is not scary at all. It is just strange. It is very badly written. It has an awful ending. Do not wast time and money. Do not see this movie.

When I read about this seventh film in the horror series I was intrigued that the leading actress from the original first film (and the not very good first sequel) had returned, but even with her and the actor returning as the iconic villain I knew it wouldn't be good being a straight to DVD release. Basically Trevor Gooden (Dean Winters) is married to Kirsty Cotton (Ashley Laurence), who survived the events of the first and second films, and she seems to have gotten over her fears of the Cenobites, but disaster strikes when the two of them crash their car off a bridge into a river, and she supposedly died. Travor survived and due to a head injury can only remember seeing her inside the car before being rescued, but the police suspect foul play when the doors were discovered unlocked and Kirsty's body is missing, he is prime suspect to potential murder. A month later he starts suffering hallucinations and strange events, including the appearance of Cenobite leader Pinhead (Doug Bradley), and he learns more about himself, i.e. not being a good man having cheated on his wife with various women, and he tries to get rid of the thought of Kirsty using the puzzle box, the Lament Configuration. Before she disappears however she offers a deal to Pinhead, offering him five souls in exchange for hers, so she kills three of Trevor's mistresses and one of his friends, the friend in fact conspired to kill her for her fortune. Learning his true past shocks Trevor, and in an operating theatre he goes to he finds a covered body on the table, he assumes it is Kirsty, but then he is shocked to find it is himself, he is the fifth victim to be taken, and he has been living in limbo all the time. Discovering his past and put things back together was a mental punishment for disloyalty to his wife and self denial, so he is finally taken by force with Pinhead to spend eternity in Hell, while Kirsty is still alive, walks away from the crime scene, the river, with the puzzle box, and Trevor is made responsible for the murders, and he was apparently shot in the head. Also starring Rachel Hayward as Allison, Sarah-Jane Redmond as Gwen, Jody Thompson as Tawny, Kaaren De Zilva as Sage, William S. Taylor as Detective Lange and Michael Rogers as Detective Givens. Winters is dull to be a victim or leading man, Laurence is hardly used at all and is unconvincing, and Bradley is only on screen for short moments as Pinhead, the story is hardly worth the effort at all, it is trying too much to be like a crime film, with hardly any gore or torture to grip you it is a rubbish and pointless horror mystery thriller. Pretty poor!

A shady businessman attempts to piece together the details of the car crash that killed his wife (Ashley Laurence) and rendered him an amnesiac -- and left him in possession of a sinister puzzle box that summons monsters.So, here we go... a Hellraiser film with little or no connection to the other films. Sure, you say it is connected because of Kirsty Cotton and the puzzle box. But no, you are just falling for their trick.What we actually have here is two films trying to act as one. We have Kirsty and the puzzle box (again), and her making a deal with Pinhead. I think this went partially out of character for her, but basically stayed within the realm of the Hellraiser mythology.But then we also have a story of a man who cannot remember if he killed his wife or if she died in a car accident or what actually happened. And had his wife been anyone other than Kirsty, it still would have made a good story -- and, in fact, probably would have been a better one.Because when you mix them, here comes the problem: the twist of bringing up Hellraiser basically reveals the plot surrounding the husband to not really matter, therefore making the first two-thirds of the movie completely pointless in retrospect. Instead of two decent movies, they decided to breed and make one really terrible, ugly film. And that was just stupid...