Hellraiser: Inferno (2000)

Hellraiser: Inferno marks the first juncture in the franchise where ideas deviated beyond the formula set in place by the first borderline surreal, masochist piece.Gone is the dreamy, sordid aesthetic used back then, the Cenobites who were front and centre are reduced to limited appearances and the story is less otherworldly and something decidedly more noirish and down to earth. Whether that's accepted by franchise die-hards and horror hounds alike is subjective, but I didn't mind it's slow burn approach or sidewinding tone. Craig Sheffer, the closest thing you'll get to Josh Brolin without breaking the bank, plays a crooked Detective who finds himself dragged down a rabbit hole of creepy, murderous goings-on when he's assigned to hunt a serial killer known as 'The Engineer'. Of course the murders always seem one step ahead of his grasp, and naturally dark secrets from his sketchy past are brought to light as he gradually begins to lose his mind. Doug Bradley does eventually return as the iconic Pinhead, with a few members of the Cenobite posse, but their presence is kept mostly on the back burner for quite a while. Taking antagonist duties for a while instead is Sheffer's eerie psychiatrist, played with sinister charm and knowing charisma by James Remar, a dubious fellow with a few tricks up his own sleeve. This is the one entry that sticks out from the franchise in it's diversion from the usual path of distinct, abstract psychosexual horror and mutes the whole icy nightmare down to rebuild a story in it's own image. You'll either appreciate the initiative, or you'll miss the good ol' freakshow of the original film. Up to you.

Saw a few clips of this film & just had to watch it when collecting the Hellraiser Franchise on DVD!This has to be my favourite out of all of the Hellraisers I've seen! It was dark, sinister, had a great story-line & it was easy to follow too! It focused more on the story than the cenobites & Pinhead himself, but that didn't matter as the vibe from the film & the creepy visuals along with the gory effects added & improvised well. The film's premise is about a crooked cop named Joseph who is a selfish arrogant man who cheats on his wife, breaks rules & manipulates people to cover for him & portrays them. He's an arse full stop, until he meets his match & find the Lament Configuration Puzzle Box & unleashes evil into the world. Onto him that is, & here's were his world of lying, cheating & portrayal come crashing down & catching up with him!The film had some creepy visuals likes I said. Along with it being very dark & sinister & better looking than the others especially the first 3 (or 2?). But yeah, the film had everything in it which made it great! It had a very gloomy feel to it also & lured you in as it progressed.I'd give this film a strong 9.5/10! It was dark, sinister gloomy, bloody, gory & just all round the best Hellraiser film to date!

The first Hellraiser that moved completely away from the story so far. The only thing that returns is of course Doug Bradley as pinhead. What we do have is Craig Sheffer of Nightbreed (1990) fame as the investigating copper. The flick itself isn't that bad after all if you don't see it as a Hellraiser flick. If pinhead should be replaced with another demon it would be great but for a Hellraiser flick it didn't satisfy. Why, because it's all about Det. Joseph Thorne (Sheffer) going berserk in his mind due a crime he didn't commit but it all looks like he is the killer. The box he found naturally made him go mad because he resurrect the cenobites. here in inferno they aren't called cenobites and pinhead isn't called pinhead.On part of the gore, there isn't really any and it's low on hell too, so pinhead do appears in the beginning for a few seconds but it almost is waiting until the end before he returns. And it's also the ending that is worth seeing because it's a dream in a dream in a dream until you even don't know what you see. Pinhead do s his one-liners at the end and the cenobites did look fine.But it's a whole different thing that we were used to see in the franchise. Still worth seeing and above mediocre.Gore 0,5/5 Nudity 0/5 Effects 2/5 Story 2,5/5 Comedy 0/5

Hellraiser: Inferno is just what this series and the Horror genre in general need a double helping of style and substance.Scott Derrickson, the director of "The Exorcism of Emily Rose" and the remake of "The Day the Earth Stood Still" had to get his full-length horror/sci fi film genre chops somewhere. He did that by directing and co-writing "Hellraiser: Inferno," the fifth film in the "Hellraiser" series. Not only is this film on par with Clive Barker's original nightmare, it shamefully went straight to video.Craig Sheffer is outstanding as Joseph Thorne, our anti-hero. He is a Denver detective with a knack for solving complicated puzzles and cases. He also has a knack for snorting cocaine, stealing crime scene evidence, and visiting prostitutes. He ignores his wife and young daughter, wrapping himself up in every case. His partner, Tony (Nicholas Turturro), is more grounded, with a wife and two kids of his own. In the beginning of the film, the pair investigate the brutal murder of an acquaintance from Joseph's high school years. The man was literally torn apart, and also found at the scene was the finger of an unidentified child, and a strange wooden puzzle box. Joseph takes the box, later picks up a hooker, and after another night of debauchery, solves the puzzle box in a seedy motel while the hooker sleeps.Derrickson has crafted an ugly looking film along the lines of "Seven." He crosses the taboo line in that children are victims of this world (and the afterlife). He also rivets the viewer, as the case's turns become more and more unexpected. Derrickson co-wrote the screenplay with Paul Harris Boardman, and they come up with both a clever police procedural as well as a spooky demonic film.Joseph's voice-over narration is as necessary as Harrison Ford's in "Blade Runner," "Hellraiser: Inferno" is by far the strongest entry in the series, full of horror and interesting ideas, as well as some excellent performances and suspenseful plotting. Good stuff all around.Pinhead: It's all a puzzle, isn't it, Joseph? Like a game of chess, perhaps. The pieces move, apparently aimlessly, but always towards one single objective: to kill the king. But who is the king in this game, Joseph? That is the question you must ask yourself.