Overview

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 Hellraiser, 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. This volume explores not only the cinematic interpretations of the Hellraiser 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-Hellraiser 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.

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Kane is an excellent writer and researcher, with an in-depth appreciation for his subject matter and a novelist's skill for writing about it...a fabulous piece of work...essential --Destructive Music; to say Kane delivers the ultimate guide to Hellraiser is an understatement. He absolutely nails it --Total Film; a must-buy --Labyrinth; an in-depth collection...exciting...the perfect compendium...open this one up and see what pleasures await --www.sfsite.com.

Kane is an excellent writer and researcher, with an in-depth appreciation for his subject matter and a novelist's skill for writing about it...a fabulous piece of work...essential --<i>Destructive Music</i>; to say Kane delivers the ultimate guide to Hellraiser is an understatement. He absolutely nails it --<i>Total Film</i>; a must-buy --<i>Labyrinth</i>; an in-depth collection...exciting...the perfect compendium...open this one up and see what pleasures await --<i>www.sfsite.com.</i>

Author Information

Paul Kane 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.

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