The Hellraiser Films and Their Legacy

Erscheinungsjahr 2013
ISBN: 978-0-7864-7717-3
Verlag: McFarland

Buch, Englisch, 255 Seiten, Paperback, Format (B × H): 178 mm x 254 mm, Gewicht: 489 g

Best-selling horror novelist Clive Barker had a rocky start with the first attempts to convert his stories into a visual medium. Directors and screenwriters turned the film adaptations of Underworld and Rawhead Rex into something barely recognisable - and box office failures as well. Consequently, when he approached film companies about <em>Hellraiser</em>, Barker insisted that he be involved in every step, including the direction. The resulting 1987 film has become an undisputed horror classic, spawning a movie franchise that to date includes eight films. <br><br>This volume explores not only the cinematic interpretations of the <em>Hellraiser</em> mythos but also its intrusion into other artistic and cultural forms. Beginning with the unconventional sources of Clive Barker's inspiration, the book follows Barker from his pre-<em>Hellraiser</em> cinematic experience through the filming of the horror classic. It examines various themes (such as the undermining of the traditional family unit and the malleability of the flesh) found throughout the film series and the ways in which the representation of these themes changes from film to film. The religious aspects of the films are also discussed. Characters central to the franchise - and the mythos - are examined in detail. Included is a foreword by actor Doug Bradley, who portrayed the infamous Pinhead.

Autoren/Hrsg.

Kane, Paul

Inhaltsverzeichnis

Table of Contents<br><br>Acknowledgments vi<br>Foreword by Doug Bradley 1<br>Preface 5<br><br>1. The Road to Hell 9<br>2. Opening the Box 27<br>3. Demons to Some 40<br> 4. Such Sights to Show You 45<br>5. No Limits 51<br>6. To Hell and Back 53<br>7. Opening Doors 66<br>8. The Doctor Is In 77<br>9. The Devil You Know? 84<br>10. The Sweet Suffering 92<br>11. Earthbound 95<br>12. Completing the Pattern, Solving the Puzzle, Turning the Key 114<br>13. Pinhead Unbound 126<br>14. What Started in Hell 130<br>15. Production Hell 132<br>16. Open the Gates, Lay Low the Ramparts 144<br>17. A Distinct Sense of Déjà Vu 155<br>18. A Bloodline Cursed to the End of Time 157<br>19. Dante’s Footsteps 159<br>20. A World Full of Riddles 167<br>21. Welcome to Hell 173<br>22. Hide and Seek 175<br>23. All Problems Solved 181<br>24. Hellbound Hearts 187<br>25. Sought After? 189<br>26. Deader Certainty 191<br>27. Fear Is Where We Go to Learn 199<br>28. Deader, Like Me? 203 29. Hell of a World 204<br>30. Welcome to the Party 210<br>31. World in Action 215 32. No More Souls 217<br>33. Comics from Hell 219<br>34. Further Explorations 224<br><br>Chapter Notes 229<br>Bibliography 237<br>Index 243

Über Autor(innen)

<strong>Paul Kane</strong> teaches film studies, art and creative writing. A British Fantasy Award–nominated author, he writes both fiction and nonfiction books, and is a contributor to such magazines as SFX, Fangoria and Rue Morgue. He lives in Chesterfield, Derbyshire, England.