Hellraiser

Synopsis:

When Kirsty’s father, Larry, and stepmother, Julia, move into Larry’s childhood home, Kirsty and her boyfriend take a room nearby. Unfortunately for all involved, Larry’s house is already occupied: before the family’s arrival, Larry’s disreputable brother, Frank, used a supernatural puzzle box to summon a gang of other-dimensional demon sadists. Now, Frank requires a series of blood sacrifices to escape the clutches of Pinhead and the cenobites

Quick Thoughts:

At first glance, “Hellraiser” may not seem to be a queer film – but its queerness lies in the subtext. And the fact that the writer and director, Clive Barker, is a queer man. As a horror film, it does a great job and while it may have been overshadowed by other horror icons of the time, this first film spawned an entire saga of films where the underlying queerness was further exposed. However it doesn’t take much to see the queerness in this film. At heart is a repression of sinful pleasures: sexual and painful. The Cenobites are the essence of that repression, which is taken to an entirely deeper queer level with the strong BDSM and kink influences of their looks. If you haven’t had the pleasure to watch this queer horror film – then you must add it to your watch list!