"Hellbound: Hellraiser II" of 1988 is an almost perfect sequel to one of the most effective and terrifying achievements ever in Horror cinema, Clive Barker's 1987 masterpiece "Hellraiser". Director Tony Randel's sequel keeps up the terrifying atmosphere and genuinely infernal creepiness of its predecessor and is even considerably gorier than the (also very gruesome) original. This second entry to the "Hellraiser" franchise epitomizes pure Horror as its predecessor and takes the viewer on a terrifying journey into the pits of a Hell from the mind of Clive Barker.
The film starts off pretty much where the first part ended. After the horrifying events that took place in part one, survivor Kristy Cotton (Ashley Laurence) awakes in a mental hospital. One might think that psychiatrists are not eager to believe stories about Cenobites, demons from a bizarre, sadomasochistic Hell. The head of the institution, Dr. Channard (Kenneth Cranham), however, is obsessed with occultism and has his own plans with his new cognitions about cenobites and resurrection from Hell...
***Warning! BIG SPOILERS Ahead!*** Kristy's evil stepmother Julia (Clare Higgins) returns from Hell, and she is not the only one. So do the Cenobites. The cenobites, especially the iconic Lead Cenobite (commonly referred to as 'Pinhead', played by Doug Bradley) are some of the most terrifying creatures the World of Horror has ever brought forth. My only slight complaint about "Hellbound" is the manner of how the cenobites are humanized towards the end. It seems to be a common assumption among makers of Horror-sequels, that they somehow need to explain how monsters became monsters - which is not always a good idea, in my opinion. Ever since I first saw the first two Hellraiser parts many years ago, I have held the view that the Cenobites were most terrifying in the first part, when they were still utterly mysterious and their origin was not yet explained. This minor fault is not yet extreme in this second part, however, and it does not waste its status as a fascinating sequel. The visions of Hell are extremely creepy and terrifying and character actor Kenneth Channard brings in a new type of purely evil villain. The sequel is, once again, filmed excellently, the settings are sublime and the gore-effects are as gruesome as it gets. Overall, "Hellbound" is an extraordinary sequel that must not be missed by Horror fans. After this, the series spiraled downwards. My rating: 8.5/10
The film starts off pretty much where the first part ended. After the horrifying events that took place in part one, survivor Kristy Cotton (Ashley Laurence) awakes in a mental hospital. One might think that psychiatrists are not eager to believe stories about Cenobites, demons from a bizarre, sadomasochistic Hell. The head of the institution, Dr. Channard (Kenneth Cranham), however, is obsessed with occultism and has his own plans with his new cognitions about cenobites and resurrection from Hell...
***Warning! BIG SPOILERS Ahead!*** Kristy's evil stepmother Julia (Clare Higgins) returns from Hell, and she is not the only one. So do the Cenobites. The cenobites, especially the iconic Lead Cenobite (commonly referred to as 'Pinhead', played by Doug Bradley) are some of the most terrifying creatures the World of Horror has ever brought forth. My only slight complaint about "Hellbound" is the manner of how the cenobites are humanized towards the end. It seems to be a common assumption among makers of Horror-sequels, that they somehow need to explain how monsters became monsters - which is not always a good idea, in my opinion. Ever since I first saw the first two Hellraiser parts many years ago, I have held the view that the Cenobites were most terrifying in the first part, when they were still utterly mysterious and their origin was not yet explained. This minor fault is not yet extreme in this second part, however, and it does not waste its status as a fascinating sequel. The visions of Hell are extremely creepy and terrifying and character actor Kenneth Channard brings in a new type of purely evil villain. The sequel is, once again, filmed excellently, the settings are sublime and the gore-effects are as gruesome as it gets. Overall, "Hellbound" is an extraordinary sequel that must not be missed by Horror fans. After this, the series spiraled downwards. My rating: 8.5/10