Rating: 
Summary: A Slick, But Slightly Dissapointing New Installment
Review: Well for those of you who have followed my reviews on the uk site (if they ever got posted) this is the promised review of the newest Hellraiser entry. Hellseeker.This is a real tough review to do. As most of you will of realised and appreciated by now - the majority of horror films should always be rated on a different scale to that of normal films. There general crassness is something that can be savoured and enjoyed when pulle doff with cetain panache, or compensated for with wonderful characters such as this series Pinhead. The problem here, lies in the fact that it is still a far slicker, smoother, and downright better film than most horror flicks (and especially the poor status of most of this trashy but fun saga). But despite this - the movie lacks any true soul. Or evena r eal sense that the film-makers were really enjoying themselves. The story itself is the main problem. It would be fine if it wasn't for the fact that it is sooooo damn close to the previous chapter Hellraiser: Inferno. and whether you hate it or love it (personally i found it by far the greatest Hellraiser film up there with the original)Inferno undoubtably boasted originality, style, and a brave sense of direction. This film is handled with the same amount of watchable intrigue, and i never really got bored, but the whole thing should of been made later on...maybe in a couple of sequels time - to distance itself from Inferno. For Pinhead lovers, beware...he turns up here about as much as in Inferno, but delivers his usual panache in the form of Doug Bradly (starting to get a little too old for the role now maybe?? but hell - i love him). He does seem to be growing slightly less scary with each outing however.
The return of Kirsty Cotton is a welcome one, even if we don't see much of her either....her most enjoyable moment being the obvious set up at the end that leaves the film open to what could be some damn fine sequels (rumours are - they're trying to fiml Hellraiser 7 and 8 back-to-back...so here's hoping they're actually meant to be seen together as a double bill with the return of Kirsty vs Pinhead). The director (although this is his first feature film) handle sit all finely enough - having worked on manymany good and bad horrorfilms (including the director of photography on the likes of House On Haunted Hill and Valentine) his eye for colours and contrast shines through, and whilst its still all a little untextured , its far better than most of the films he's merely collabarated on. The DVD is good. With a crisp widescreen presentation and 5.1. surround, a bunch of trailers (though none for the film - as usual...come on dimension !) some pointless alternate takes, a brief look at the special effects and a commentary by the director. Oh - and by far the finest typography design on the front cover of the whole series ! It matter to me ! So then - a mixed bag. For a quick glance to my reviews of the whole series...check out my stared guide below....and until next time....send e-mails to dimension to make them make the double-bill !.. Hellraiser ...1/2 (sheer originality but slightly dated)
Hellraiser 2 : Hellbound ... (crass and tacky)
Hellraiser 3 : Hell On Earth ...(stupid but fun in a daft way)
Hellraiser : Bloodline ... (a mix of good and really,really bad)
Hellraiser : Inferno ...1/2 (a masterfull chapter, fantastic)
Hellraiser : Hellseeker ... (an adept but unoriginal telling)
Rating: 
Summary: Hellraiser: Hellpiece of Hellcrap
Review: This is going to be short. I didn't like this movie for a few reasons: a) Little emphasis was put on plot explanation.
b) We didn't get to see a lot of Pinhead.
c) It wasn't obvious enough that the man had tried to kill Kirsty.
d) This movie was just stupid; most useless crap ever. Pinhead had little airtime, and I'm sorry, but they dragged that movie out way too much. Screw you guys, I'm going home. And oh yeah, Pinhead? Shut the hell up.
Rating: 
Summary: This is one of the worst movies ever
Review: This movie could have been better if they had decide not to release it at all. It was so bad that I got scared thinking of the how bad it was. Rather than seeing it I would recommend drowning yourself. It confuses you so much I can't even remember who I am. And Pinhead could easily get owned by my grandmother. This movie sucked. 1 star is generous.
Rating:
Summary: Pleasantly Surprised
Review: I really thought this movie was going to be beyond redemption. I only rented it because I've seen everything in the tiny video store I frequent. I was surprised that I liked it! No, It was no where near the first ones, not even close, but it wasn't horrible. I liked the way Kristy was no longer little miss innocent, and if she'd gone through all this in real life it's highly doubtful she would still be snow white anyway. I also liked the way the main character's story was told through hallucinations and dream like sequences. I especially liked the way things were neatly wrapped up at the end. I especially liked the female coroner's part. The visuals were very attractive and the story was good if a little predictable. The bottom line is that this film was enjoyable. It was not great art or story telling, but if you run out of great movies a good one is better than nothing at all.
Rating:
Summary: Kirsty: "Snow White" no longer?
Review: All the fans who disliked this sack of bilge pretty much said it all for me. I just want to elaborate on what a slap-in-the-face to fans of the franchise it was that this movie shattered the "Snow White" archetype that the character of Kirsty Cotton originally was. The callous woman in this movie is the same Kirsty who charged into Hell's labrynth in an ultimately futile quest to retrieve her father in *Hellbound*, the same Kirsty who risked her life saving Tiffany from falling into the depths of Hell in the same movie? I laughed when I read another reviewer's comment that Ashley Laurence actually said that she made this movie because she needed a new refridgerator. I hope it was a deluxe model, Ashley! With every sequel, this series becomes less and less *Hellraiser*. True fans of the film should just agree that the series ended with the second movie. After all, if Pinhead had so failed that he was on the "Pillar of Torment" at the end, for what reason would Leviathan (pretty much the *Hellraiser* equivalent of the Devil) ever release Pinhead? Dimension Films, for the Love of Leviathan, please STOP churning out these abominations!
Rating:
Summary: is this the direction pinhead is taking?
Review: i won't say that i hate this film as there are numerous reasons perhaps to appreciate or respect the direction this series has taken although i'd rather the series go back to it's original roots. and what happened to imogen boorman? wasn't she rumored to return in this series? was there barely enough room for ashley laurence to return and no one else? (yes, kirsty who we only see in fleeting glances here and there throughout the whole film) i have to agree with most of what the previous reviewer stated although the ending didn't completely alter my perception of the kirsty cotton character. the build-up is a bit subdued perhaps and there certainly is a lot less gore here than in the earlier installments of the hellraiser series. hellseeker has an interesting plot and the story is well-developed but i felt cheated mainly because the film lacks so much of the carnage or graphic violence that this series was best known for. perhaps the first two were the only films in this series that turned out the way maestro clive barker had actually intended. having said that, i do think the creators have fabricated a terrific mystery but i have a sneaking suspicion that hellraisers hard-core fans are going to be sorely disappointed. this film would probably appeal more to fans of the last hellraiser film inferno or to those folks who liked the twisted surprise endings of such films like the sixth sense, angel heart, or maybe the others. so much for the cenobites. i sure do miss them.
Rating: 
Summary: Think about the beginning.
Review: Hellseeker actually is probably the 3rd best film of the series and for this reason. It needed to be made. For all you Hellbound fanatics look at it this way, Arthraxiah (the female cenobite) mentioned to Kirsty how they always kept finding each other and how it seemed inevitable. Well this movie finally set the finality of that, when Kirsty... albiet with the Cenobites help, commited premeditated murder. Kirsty was always bad. Selfish, prone to violence.... and this movie just cemented that. Also, Hell on Earth, Bloodlines, and Inferno tried to go for the shock value horror icons of the series where this movie brought out the true nature. It is a dark look into ourselves and what we primortally desire. And Pinhead doesn't need to be ripping people apart through the movie to show that... the chains are just a sign of the most humiliating, suffering pain. Nothing more.
Rating:
Summary: This direct to DVD is a total waste of time
Review: The Hellraiser series is not a bad series. In fact most of the Hellraiser films are quite good and even the later ones in the series have some merit. Sadly this one does not because... (1)Hellraiser and the Cenobytes are in it for about 7 minutes.
(2)The story is ripped directly from Jacob's Ladder and Angel Heart. It is a TV movie with some interesting production values but just based on points 1 and 2 above I think you have a good idea of where you should keep your money. Don't even bother renting. Maybe next time you see a few seconds of it on the Sci-Fi channel at 4am you will understand how bad this is....
Rating: 
Summary: "Welcome to the worst nightmare of all...reality"
Review: The Hellraiser franchise holds a special place in my heart. I will never forget the first time I saw the opening chapter in the series of films inspired by Clive Barker's nightmarish visions. Watching the original "Hellraiser" now is a mixed bag-some of those special effects look a bit hokey, but others still come across as chillingly effective. Who can forget the glistening visage of Uncle Frank? The lascivious Julia? Or the first appearance of the ominous and verbose Pinhead? The second installment improved on the first, as the film whisked the viewer away to the abode of Pinhead and the Cenobites. A gruesome, perverse picture, "Hellbound: Hellraiser 2" raised the expectations about future entries to a fever pitch. Up next came "Hellraiser 3," a personal favorite of mine even though legions of fans have subsequently disowned it. The series moved into the latter stages of its life from this point forward, taking bold steps in an attempt to expand far beyond anything that viewers had come to expect. "Hellraiser: Bloodline" moved the action into the future while simultaneously looking at the past in an effort to tell the history of the Lament Configuration, the box that unleashes Pinhead and his infernal minions. Then came "Hellraiser: Inferno," a film that toyed with concepts of memory in a way that is a sort of precursor to "Hellraiser: Hellseeker." The sixth entry in the indomitable "Hellraiser" franchise employs techniques eerily reminiscent of films like "Irreversible" and "Memento" without showing scenes backwards. Trevor Gooden (Dean Winters) and his main squeeze Kirsty Cotton (Ashley Laurence) aren't getting along that well. They argue incessantly about the things a couple always argues about, but unfortunately they do so while driving a car. When tempers flare Gooden takes his eyes off the road long enough for the car to do a header off a bridge into deep water. The story picks up from this point forward, following Trevor as he recovers from injuries sustained in the accident. Sadly, good old Kirsty didn't make it through the crash, and now Gooden faces questions from the police. The two detectives who question Trevor try and use the old good cop/bad cop routine to extract a confession from the man. Gooden has no idea why the police are voicing suspicions about the accident since he had no reason to try and harm his loved one. The ongoing investigation is a minor inconvenience anyway because Trevor Gooden feels bad physically and emotionally. He suffers from crushing headaches and other ailments as a result of the crash, although the doctors seem to think he shouldn't have any problems. Then the hallucinations start, frightening visions of gory violence and weird apparitions that leave Gooden feeling confused and alone. His encounter with a cute neighbor in his apartment building leads to a murder he knows nothing about. In come the cops again, asking increasingly ominous questions about what Trevor knows. Everything is turning weird, with time skewing off into past, present, and future directions. Gooden worries he's losing his mind, and he's right. What he should have asked himself was to whom would his mind go. Fans of the "Hellraiser" movies already have a good idea who's going to turn up in the end to claim Trevor Gooden. Yep, it's Pinhead, that urbane, witty denizen of Hell who always finds time to pop up on earth to lecture the mortals on the evils of bad living. It turns out that that accident might not have occurred the way we thought it did, that maybe Trevor isn't the aw shucks sort of guy we thought he was. 'Tis a pity when a good seed goes bad. Or does it? I won't spoil the shock conclusion for you, but "Hellraiser: Hellseeker" holds its cards tightly to its vest. The film is a roller coaster ride that doesn't let the secret out until the final frames. Director Rick Bota did a good job crafting yet another entertaining "Hellraiser" sequel. He imbues his film with a stark, washed out atmosphere that more than adequately expresses the bleakness Trevor Gooden feels after the accident. Bota also knows that a movie wishing to attach itself to the Pinhead canon must have a vicious bite in terms of gory violence. A whole host of sharp objects express themselves in various ways in the film, much to the delight of gorehounds looking for yet another movie to tease the palate. Even the acting is better than you would expect for a low budget straight to video horror flick. Ashley Laurence, returning to the role that made her semi-famous in the horror world, does a better job acting the seminal part of Kirsty Cotton than she did in the first two films. She might be a bit older, but she's still easy on the eyes. The only downfall to Laurence's appearance is that she doesn't have more than a few scenes. Pity. The director should have made greater use of this actress. Moreover, Doug Bradley as Pinhead once again appears only briefly, a big disappointment to fans of the man with the face of a million nightmares. The DVD edition is quite good for a straight to video movie. You get a commentary from Rick Bota, a special effects featurette, alternate scenes that give Ashley Laurence greater screen time, and a bunch of trailers for films like "Imposter," "Backflash," and "Hellraiser: Inferno." This sixth installment is the last of the "Hellraiser" films that have been released; two more are slated for release within the next year and a half. I hope they give us more Pinhead and more over the top gore. I think I will go back and start watching the series from the start again. You should, too.
Rating:
Summary: Very Suprising!
Review: Heads up I am going to keep this review short and simple. Hellaraiser Hellseeker was way better then my expectations.
Eventhough there was not much Pinhead it still had thrills and chills. I thought the whole concept of the plot was rather different but brilliant. And I am not going to give it away because I don't want to be a plot spoiler. If you are a fan of the series you are sure to like Hellseeker.
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