HELLBOUND: HELLRAISER II

UK, 1988, 86 minutes, Colour.
Ashley Laurence, Clare Higgins, Kenneth Cranham.
Directed by Tony Randel.

Hellbound: Hellraiser II is more of the same. While the story is very reminiscent of the original and comes from Clive Barker, Barker did not direct this film as he did with the original. There is a new screenwriter, Peter Atkins, and a new director, Tony Randel. However, the film has some success with its visualisation of the asylum, the Hell, the leviathan and the Cenobites. Sets and decor and special effects are quite striking in a grim way.

Some of the same stars reappear, especially Ashley Laurence as Kirsty, Claire Higgins as Julia and Sean Chapman as Frank. Kenneth Crennan appears as an eccentric Dr Channard.

Critical comment was not as favourable towards this film as with the original - though it very much resembles the original.

1.Impact of this sequel, more of the same? The adaptation of the original story?

2.The cult status of these films? Capitalising on audience interest in horror, fantasy? Evil and cruelty? Heroics? Extraordinary imagination for horror? Defying death and Hell?

3.Kirsty as an ordinary person yet caught up in the extraordinary asylum, the going into Hell? The landscapes of Hell? The special effects?

4.The title and the focus on Hell, a nightmare adventure into Hell and out again?

5.The recapitulation of the original film, supplying of information and characterisation, especially Kirsty, Julia and Frank?

6.Kirsty, the effect of the original story, finding herself in the asylum? Dr Channard and his regime? The friendship with Tiffany? Kyle and her searching the laboratory with him? His death? The opening up of Hell, the confrontation with Frank, murderous experiences, Julia saving her? The plea with the Cenobites and the asking of them to draw on their humanity? Kirsty rescuing Tiffany disguised as Julia? The final escape? The popular heroine for this kind of terror?

7.Dr Channard and the asylum, his victims, his thirst for knowledge, his using Tiffany to solve the puzzles? The death of Kyle? The details of the asylum and its eccentricity and horror? The encounter with Julia and her advances? Going into Hell with Julia? The leviathan and his being transformed grotesquely into a Cenobite?

8.Tiffany, mute, Dr Channard's victim? Solving the puzzles? Sharing the experiences with Kirsty? The final rescue?

9.Kyle and Dr Channard, his work, the search, his death?

10.Julia and the overtones of the original film, a woman of evil, her return? Advances to Dr Channard? Going into Hell, the confrontation with Frank, her enmity? Her destroying him? Kirsty using her skin to rescue Tiffany?

11.The Cenobites, the visual grotesque? Pinhead, his role in the drama, his memories of the colonial army in the '20s?

12.The leviathan, the giant puzzle, the nature of Hell? Pandora's box opening to evil?

13.Themes of fear, going beyond good and evil, the nature of Hell? Good and evil, heroics? The irony of the ending with more demonic forces emerging?