Hellraiser - Bloodline [VHS]

Finally, the long wait for the fourth and final Hellraiser episode is here! I have to say, I am not at all disappointed with it; it's possibly my favourite out of the four. Like Hellraiser III, Bloodline is very much Pinhead's film, having a large part in it. This is fantastic, being a big fan of Pinhead, and this is the main reson why I love this film. Doug Bradley does a perfect job as the Lead Cenobite, though Bruce Ramsey is convincing as all three Merchants in the past, present (1996) and the future.
The setting of Hellraiser IV in space goes down brilliantly, and this relocation suits Pinhead and his minions (Twin Cenobite and Angelique) down to the ground! With its wonderfully tastefull scenes of gore and violence, and Pinhead has such wonderful lines like "I am pain" and "Still hungry? Ready for something that screams?". Angelique's character is not as good as could be, and her over acting is clear when standing along side Pinhead.
Brilliant, and you will be sure to feel sympathetic for Pinhead at the end of the film, without giving things away. Lets just say, he is so exquistely empty, and he has to end with a bang, doesn't he?
Excellent film!!!

When I first watched this movie, I felt the director was quite justified in choosing the Alan Smithee moniker for himself. After a second viewing, I find myself much more favorably inclined toward this fourth film in the Hellraiser series. It's still somewhat disappointing, but it is not unwatchable; if nothing else, Pinhead gets more great lines than ever before. Long before Jason journeyed into space, Pinhead was there. Bloodlines opens in the year 2127; Dr. Merchant, descendant of the man who created the diabolical puzzle box, has hijacked the space station he designed and has just summoned Pinhead and his diabolical minions into his trap when the station is boarded by the military and the doctor taken prisoner. With demons roaming free on the station and time running out for Merchant to complete his plans, he tells the story of his family to a young female soldier named Rimmer in an effort to convince her to let him finish his work.

We are transported back to what I assume to be 18th century France, where a toy maker named L'Merchant has been commissioned to design a puzzle box for famed magician/occultist M. de L'isle. The toy maker watches from outside as de L'isle and an assistant kill and skin a young woman and use her, in conjunction with the powerful box, to summon a demon. Realizing that he is responsible for creating a means of opening the gates of hell, L'Merchant sets about designing a machine to destroy demons such as the beguilingly beautiful enchantress Angelique. He does not live long enough to succeed, but the curse and the memories of what he has done are imbedded in his bloodline. The story then jumps to 1996, where architect John Merchant has designed a huge room intriguingly similar to the puzzle box. Angelique soon arrives and summons Pinhead. The Merchant bloodline is doubly important to the Cenobites-while it holds the danger of building a machine to defeat the demons, it also holds the secret for opening a permanent doorway to hell. Now things start to get interesting, as Pinhead soon tires of Angelique's reliance on temptation; to him human acquiescence is much more easily obtained by terror. The culmination of this part of the history is quite satisfying; declaring that "I am pain," Pinhead goes about proving the deep truth of his assertion. Finally, we return back to the future space station and watch the ultimate culmination of events set in motion hundreds of years earlier, the final showdown between the L'Merchant bloodline and the demons the family unwittingly invoked.

Although the story has multiple weak spots, some delectable gore somewhat offsets it. One of the two decapitations here is particularly impressive, as is the blood that flows freely in the home of the mad M. de L'isle. The demon princess Angelique is a captivating counterpart to the familiar Pinhead, although I agree with Pinhead that terror is much more effective (not to mention entertaining) than temptation. Bruce Ramsey plays three members of the Merchant family, but I think the roles would have been better played by three actors. Doug Bradley is, of course, wonderful as Pinhead, and I was quite glad to see him get so many lines this time around. His musings on suffering and pain are music to my horror-attuned ears, none more so than his impassioned reaction to the pitiful pleas for divine mercy of ridiculously cast and incredibly annoying identical twin security guards: "Do I look like someone who cares what God thinks?" One almost feels compelled to applaud when Pinhead states the obvious fact that "I am so exquisitely empty."

This movie is much less carnally gripping than the first two Hellraiser films, but do not dismiss it out of hand. I actually find it more enjoyable than Hellraiser 3. What initially seemed to me to be quite awful has now become a film I appreciate and take delight in. Just don't take this movie too seriously; after all, it is just a game, and it is most definitely time to play.

right, any othe review uv read sayign this film is bad is right, its a bad film. its a horror film. its a hellraiser film for christs sake. theyve all had low budgets and teh special effects have never been that good, and two and three had pretty crap excuses for death (new cenobites in 3), but thats what u expect in horror films. no horror film should ever win an oscar, as they should not be well made. the other rewievers who say the effects are 'atrocious' and 'have u seen the first 3 films', i really dont see where hes comign from, none of the others even attempted cgi, and the scenes in this film that do dont look that bad.
anyway, the story is the best in the series, theres no crap with the one woman army kirsty (not that the films with her in r bad, its just good for a change and more realistic0, its all about the lament configuration and hell, just what we want after three with its poor attempt at a new herione. it follows the family of philip lemerchand through three different ages, the 1700s, 1996 and 2179 or something, and the fight between pinhead to open hell forever and merchant trying to close the path forever.
now, what is the one big plus factor about the hellraiser series? pinhead. and this film is full of him. every lin he delivers is just as spine tingling as his classic ones, its like heaven having him as the main character. the second huge plus factor of this movie is the new cenobite angelique, who we learn was the first demon summoned from hell and who is almost as anazing as a character as pinhead. the scene where she cuts up jaques face is painful to watch, because of the realness and the way she has so much fun. also the bits where her voice changes when she says certain lines is soooooo amazing. she also has the best make up of any film ever. people say this film has crap special effects, look at angelique, what more could u ask for, gore and eroticism!!
the chatter beast is also amazing, the few close up shots are amazing, just like the close up shots of the aliens in the alien series, a great model, and the cgi shots arent that bad.
then theres the gore. although there isnt loads, the scene at the end of 1996 has the best chain death ever!!
overall, this film is pretty good, but its crap when u compare it to proper action films.
however, this is a horror film, and more importantly a hellraiser film. i cant stress how entertaining this film is just as a horror fan, and how amazingly well storyied it is as a hellraiser fan.
the acting is brilliant, doug bradley will never fail, and valentina vargas as angelique is stunning, the magician who bought the lament configuration is pretty good too, and the merchant men are all acted pretty well and differently by bruce ramsay.
i watched 2 and 3 and laughed at the tacciness, but still loved them for the bloodfests they are, when i heard about 4,5, and 6 i wept with joy for more tacciness, and on first viewing of this one, i was actually disappointed at how untaccy it was. i was expecting a gore-tac romp, but watching it again i realised how amazingly entertaining and good it is.
definetly watch with mates.
pure brilliance