Pinhead Pinhead He's Our Man!

First off, I just wanted to say ACK for being so scarce. The summer months are pretty busy for me being a huge nerd and all.
And just for some added pimpage, I will be peddling my art work at Anime Expo at the LA convention center CA the weekend of the fourth (I'll be at table B14 with some friends) and at The Gathering of the Gargoyles at the Hilton Universal in Universal City CA (I'll be working the art room). So if anyone is interested in shootin' the shit with me in person, I'm totally up for it! But I talk....a LOT. Consider that your warning.
...please do not bring body parts. I assure you I have no room for them anymore.

Also, Voting is still open for Monsters Vs Madmen. And the "What the FUCK IS THAT!?" contest happening as well.
Enough pimping. On to the blog.



So in my house we apparently have a cook books for Horror DVD exchange happening between me and the husband. Max is a foodie, and I am a blood thirsty bitch. This works out well between us. The shop at where I work has an occasional employee appreciation sale so I peek in on my breaks and pick up some wacky cook books for the Mister. He in turn will buy me a horror DVD of my choice. This week I was torn between the two El Cheap-o Nightmare on Elm Street compilation DVDs for $10 a pop (one disk had 1 through 4, the other had 5 through Freddy vs Jason) or the BlueRay Anchor Bay edition of Hellraiser. But as much as I love the Freddy, Pinhead won out for me.

The Anchor Bay Edition of Hellraiser really isn't that bad at all. While it doesn't have all the bells and whistles that the collectors edition does, it does have some great featurettes including interviews with actors Andrew Robinson (Larry) and Ashley Laurence (Kirsty), the later being insanely hilarious, especially when she ends her interview with "...I think my rash is coming back". Long story. Just watch the interview to understand it. It also has some great interviews on the featurette Hellraiser: Resurrection with Clive "You're my awesomesauce" Barker, the composer Christopher Young, and costume designer Joanna Johnston to name a few. Plus a featurette all about Doug Bradley, Sir Pinhead himself, and his thoughts and feelings on making the film. Its quite sweet to see how happy he is to have played the role as well as how appreciative he is towards the horror genre in general. After watching this movie again It lead to a bunch of random unfocused thoughts...which I am about to barf all over the blog right now.

The film itself is still magnificent especially in BlueRay. And after this last viewing I came to the realization that Hellraiser is my favorite horror film of all time. I have never seen a movie that equally repulses and allures me at once. The elegance of the visuals, the beauty of the language, and the over the top grotesque characters made Hellraiser the best Gothic horror movie to date. I can watch the movie over and over and it still gives me chills. How bad? I won't buy a replica of of Hellraiser puzzle box no matter how much I'd like to have one because I have the irrational fear that it WILL call up the Cenobites and suddenly is hamburger central in my living room. Many people have tried to replicate Hellraiser but it always pales in comparison. For me, no movie is quite like Hellraiser. And there is no horror film icon quite like Pinhead.

Scariest memoralbila EVER.

Pinhead. Wow. What a guy. I think the only other horror film icon who scares me as much as him is possibly Freddy Kruger. But its hard to top Pinhead for me. Granted, in the original Hellraiser the main villain is Frank but you cannot deny that Pinhead steals the show. First off, his appearance is extremely grotesque yet never turns the viewer off like many other horror icons. The cross sections of his head, the nails in his face, the exposed flesh on his torso that is pierced and bleeding, the black eyes, the fact that he is the only male horror icon that can look menacing in a skirt... despite all this he still keeps a very human and almost handsome visage which attracts you to him. Maybe it doesn't attract you sexually (unless you're Stac) but he has an allure to him because despite his deformities he still appears human and almost relateable especially the more you find out about him in the sequels.
Pinhead is also a very "less is more" style of icon. While Freddy is over the top with his one liners and Jason and Micheal Myers are silent yet horrifically violent, Pinhead views the world as an indifferent observer. He is cold. And while he can still perform acts of terror upon people with his chains and his back up Cenobites, he conducts it all with the coolness of a British general and a flick of his wrist. Ever notice that Pinhead really doesn't move much? Even when thwarted by the hero he never is prone to chewing the scenery other than a really chilling scream. The very dead and determined delivery of the line "We Will Tear Your Soul Apart!" gives me a large case of the heebies. He's not being threatening He is not trying to scare you. He is merely stating a fact. Pinhead will indeed tear your soul apart because that is what he does. Nothing more nothing less. Pinhead's tortures walk that fine fine line between pain and pleasure which makes one fear what he can do yet keeps you curious as to exactly where the pleasure part fits in. That curiosity I get in the back of my head while watching the film is what really makes my stomach drop out from under me. Why and I wondering?! Why is this man making me wonder this in the first place!? Get out of my head, Pinhead!!
Also, he makes a name like "Pinhead" scary. Pinhead. AHHH!

Pinhead is watching you Masterbate

I would also like to point out that the special effects in the first Hellraiser are still amazing by today's standards. This is why I'm extremely skeptical of how the remake of Hellraiser will be. The reverse filming, the amazing goo, and the makeup/puppet effects were so very real and disarming (especially the resurrection of Frank scene when those two arms come shooting up through the floor) that I really think it will completely cheapen the entire movie when they move to CGI. Of course I'm not %100 it will be all CGI but I seriously doubt they will go many other routes. The only hope for this remake is Clive Barker overseeing the project. I'm a person who usually is pretty open minded about most remakes but with Hellraiser being my favorite and all...well...lets say I'm not really holding my breath for it to be brilliant. But if it is, I promise I will eat my words....But I'm still not holding my breath.

Come on...Doing this in CGI won't be half as creepy.

I'm sure most of you have seen Hellraiser. But if any of you have not please do yourself a favor and rent this movie asap. Its a beautiful, tragic, unique, and bizarre horror film that gives you both the chills of a horror movie like Friday the 13th and Nightmare on Elm Street but has the depth and elegance of a Shakespearean play.

...And you gotta love the Pinhead. WOO PINHEAD!