In ASKING FOR A FRIEND Episode 04, Kyle and Raf discuss the 1986 cult film, Hellraiser – a horror written and directed by Clive Barker. Want to know how a low-budget and questionably located film spawned 8 multi-million dollar sequels and a rabid fandom? So did we! To find out, listen to our exploration of spooky special effects, 80’s business suits, and the paper-thin boundary separating pleasure from pain.

We also delve into the movie’s plot, characterisation, and the metaphysics of horror. Join us for a funny-smart movie review of this cult classic.

Spoiler Warnings

Meta-spoilers for the acclaimed series, Breaking Bad. Seriously though, if you haven’t watched Breaking Bad, what are you doing now? Just get on it. Like, dude.

Also, mild spoilers for Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

And while we’re at it, lots of spoilers for Hellraiser also – basically the entire plot.

Hellraiser Vitals

Rotten Tomatoes: 72% Tomatometer; 72% Audience Score

IMDB: 7.0/10

Metacritic: 57 Metascore; 9.3 Audience Score

Shownotes and Further Links

Hellraiser IMDB – dive into the glorious wormhole that is the Hellraiser IMDB page. Braver souls might use it a launching pad to discover its many, many sequels.

Clive Barker IMDB

Pinhead character image and description

An article on the black leather costume design of the Matrix, linking to our discussion on the Cenobites’ dress sense.

Music credits:

Intro – Bensound

Trip-hoppy stinger – Broke For Free

Outro song – The artist Julia Sullivan