OCCUPIED

Occupied Movie Review

Sarah (Liza Binkley) comes to her uncle's secluded, woods-surrounded home to babysit her little cousin Charlotte (Lucy Bock). While there she begins to hear voices and go a little mad. We've all heard the following: "I sat through that entire movie and nothing happened". This statement has never been more aptly applied to a film than it is to Occupied.

Here's a highlight

The entire movie revolves around Sarah and Charlotte--in fact, only one other character even appears in the film, and most unfortunately, neither Binkley nor Bock are even remotely close to being talented enough to carry an entire film. The movie looks almost like a home video and it clearly has no budget--I suspect that nobody will be surprised when the names Binkley and Bock appear time and again in the credits. I can only assume the two families have been friends for years, had a little extra money to spend, and decided to make a film. So early in the film Charlotte tells Sarah a series of stories about what has happened outside the house, and this actually does build a good bit of suspense, but it is never really touched upon again. As we see Sarah start to go crazy we get a flashback sequence...and then the same sequence again...and again...and again...I honestly lost count how many times I saw the exact same flashback sequence. The director (Mollie Binkley, also the writer...surprise!!) goes with distorted visuals to portray Sarah losing her mind--unfortunately, we are shown Sarah and her surroundings being distorted, giving the impression it is the viewer, not, in fact, Sarah going crazy--of course sitting through this movie for 90 minutes could do that to a person. Even when we are not presented the overused distortion, the focus is way off in many shots. Fortunately, not everything about this movie is bad. Other than a good premise that was never given the light of day, the characters are quite likable and seem like real people (even if the actresses appear to be struggling with their lines and give an obviously scripted delivery). The music, as songs, are decent, but they distract far too much from what we are seeing unfold before us--of course since you're reading this review, if you've never seen this film and decide to watch it in spite of what I have said to this point, you are very aware that nothing is happening anyway, so just enjoy the songs when they come up and don't worry about what is (or isn't, as the case may be) happening on the screen. Occupied really isn't a terrible movie--the story could have gone in many interesting directions (but didn't), leading me to believe this would have been much better as a book. As a feature length film, it feels like a waste of time.

On A Scale Of One To Ten: 4

Occupied Movie Trailer

HANGAR 10

Hangar 10 Movie Review

Three people with metal detectors and cameras go to a wooded area in search of gold. The location? Rendlesham Forest, which UFO enthusiasts recognize as a place where, in 1980, several unidentifiable lights were spotted and reports of extraterrestrial aircraft landings surfaced. What ensues is two blokes and a lass walking about the woods recording each other as they get lost, confused, and angry--the Blair Witch comparison is obvious, and a large part of the film feels like a remake of that film, with the unseen antagonist being aliens instead of a witch. Eventually the group begins to see lights and objects in the sky and attempt to leave the woods.

But not before trying to determine if there's metal in the sky

Unfortunately, not a lot actually happens in the film outside of the group attempting to leave the woods and get to safety. Lights are seen. Noises are heard. Weird things are all around (still sounds like Blair Witch, doesn't it?). For most of the film, when something does finally happen the cameras are shaky and the lights strobe, so it's virtually impossible to see what's going on. Not all is bad here, however. The actors aren't great, but tolerable, and the characters somewhat likeable. The CGI is decent for the budget the film had, and some of the visuals are actually pretty cool. The final scene is one that is visually pleasing, albeit a letdown when it comes to the ending. I've seen a ton of alien movies in my life--many are better than Hangar 10, but there are also a lot that are much worse.

On A Scale Of One To Ten: 5

Hangar 10 Movie Trailer

HELLRAISER: REVELATIONS (aka Hellraiser 9)

Hellraiser: Revelations Movie Review

Two terribly irritating teenagers travel to Mexico, where they are given the box that unleashes the Cenobites. After being missing for quite some time, one returns home to tell their families the events of their trip. This 2011 is, to date, the final installment of a series that initially hooked audiences, but eventually left them feeling soulless. The first thing you need to know about this movie is that, for the first time, Doug Bradley does not play Pinhead. Instead, veteran voice actor Fred Tatasciore gets the nod. Allegedly Bradley read the script and said there's no chance of him returning, so instead of creating a new character (which they should have done) they cast Tatasciore as the new Pinhead. I get all of that--what I don't get is casting a guy who makes Pinhead look less demon and more...cuddly bear.

See?

The second thing you will likely notice, as it's obvious from the opening seconds, is that the acting is worse than you can likely imagine. I am not exaggerating when I state I have seen far better acting in high school productions. There are many, many films that have horrible acting, but almost all have at least one person who has at least a small bit of acting ability--not here. Then there's the storyline. For the first time a bit of found footage is incorporated into the series, but it does little to add anything--the guy is already telling to entire story. Why mix in found footage? All that said, there is a little to like about the movie. For the first time in over fifteen years a Hellraiser movie was written as a Hellraiser film, and actually feels (at least a bit) like a Hellraiser film. Not that the story is without flaws, but it was somewhat refreshing to see them rehash something we have not seen in the series in a long, long time. 

Look familiar?

The special effects are pretty awful, but that's expected in a film with a budget hovering around three hundred grand, and the gore makes up for that. The final fifteen or twenty minutes are actually decent as well. The ending promises a tenth film, but over five years later that has not happened. Given more time, a higher budget, and better actors this could have been a decent movie--a return to the Hellraiser movies we know and love. However, this was a last second throw together film from Dimension simply to avoid losing the rights to the series. This is far from a good film, but I truly don't think it is as bad as most make it out to be...or maybe it just looks okay compared to the last few Hellraiser films.

On A Scale Of One To Ten: 4



Hellraiser: Revelations Movie Trailer

HELLRAISER: HELLWORLD (aka Hellraiser 8)

Hellraiser: Hellworld Movie Review

Two years after losing their friend to the game "Hellworld", a group of teens accept an invitation to a "Hellworld" party, where nothing is quite as it seems. So we are into the 21st Century, and "Hellworld" is an online game based on Hellraiser--though the film never quite makes it clear if the cult following is based on the Hellraiser films or based on real life events, and Pinhead and company have become urban legends--not that any of this really matters. The group gets to the creepy house that holds the party, and we meet the host with the most--a mysterious man played by horror legend Lance Henriksen.

"Were you invited here, officer?"

As has become tradition at this point, this was based on a project that was not originally a Hellraiser film, but it feels much more like one that certain other movies in the series--unfortunately, that's not nearly enough to save it. The acting, aside from Henriksen, is abysmal, and yes, that includes pre-Superman Henry Cavill. The plot is highly questionable, and the utterly ridiculous actions and behaviors of the lead characters pretty much leave you wishing they would all just die already. The dialogue? Don't even ask. All is not lost in this film, however. There is a fair amount of gore and some interesting death scenes. The ending, while not completely unpredictable, was enough to satisfy--I know that not all the questions were answered, but with such a convoluted attempt at a plot, that was bound to be the case. More than anything, however, this film is known as the final time Doug Bradley took on the pinhead role before bowing out of the series.

Can you blame him?

Honestly, there's not a lot to like about this film. It's worth seeing if you care to take in the entire series, and is mildly interesting here and there, but is certainly not something you should go out of your way to catch otherwise.

On A Scale Of One To Ten: 4



Hellraiser: Hellworld Movie Trailer

HELLRAISER: DEADER (aka Hellraiser 7)

Hellraiser: Deader Movie Review

After viewing a video that appears to show a woman being brought back from the dead after shooting herself in the head, a journalist (Kari Wuhrer) travels to Romania to uncover the secrets of the underground group responsible for the video. As was the case with installments five and six of the Hellraiser series, the script of this film originally was not a Hellraiser script, and just like with those films, it shows. They throw in the box and a couple appearances by Pinhead, and even tie the leader of the underground group (they call themselves "Deaders") to the toymakers of past Hellraiser films, but the glue is pretty thin.

It's a Hellraiser film now--see, there's the box!

The film itself is...well...Kari Wuhrer plays the lead character, so you get what you expect. For the most part it comes across as a SyFy Original, with some profanity and nudity thrown in (yes, it IS a Kari Wuhrer film). Nothing of particular interest happens in this film, and much of it is a balancing act between fact and fiction. I think this film actually would have had some potential had they stuck with the original premise, not made it a Hellraiser film, had better acting, and better makeup and special effects--a lot to ask, I know, but the story itself was there. Unfortunately, what we got from it was a muddled mess of mediocrity.

On A Scale Of One To Ten: 4

Hellraiser: Deader Movie Trailer

HELLRAISER: HELLSEEKER (aka Hellraiser 6)

Hellraiser: Hellseeker Movie Review

Following a car accident, Trevor (Dean Winters) attempts to figure out what happened to his wife Kirsty (Ashley Laurence) while also trying to differentiate his dreams from reality. The sixth installment of the Hellraiser series, like the one before it, was originally not a Hellraiser film at all, rewritten last minute to incorporate things familiar with fans of the horror series. Thankfully, this one pulls off this little trick better than Inferno, but we're still left with a film that feels out of place. My main issue with this movie is Winter's performance.

Mayhem

Don't get me wrong here--I do not dislike Winter. In fact, I have typically been a fan of his work, but he was terribly miscast here. Multiple scenes were ruined by his apparent attempt at holding back a laugh or smirk. The story itself is rather bland and relies on dream sequences far too often. Practically every scene turns out to not be reality, resulting in my interest in each individual scene diminishing as the movie progressed. The film is somewhat saved by the end, however, and the connection of Kirsty to Pinhead and the first two films is well done. Unfortunately, this movie feels far too disconnected from the series to seriously be considered a Hellraiser film, and it seems a waste of Kirsty's return to the series.

On A Scale Of One To Ten: 5

Hellraiser: Hellseeker Movie Trailer

HELLRAISER: INFERNO (aka Hellraiser 5)

Hellraiser: Inferno Movie Review

Detective Joseph Thorne, a crooked cop with few, if any, redeeming qualities, is assigned the case of the mysterious "Engineer" killer. While investigating he comes across some strange, disturbing incidents, and all fingers point to him being behind it all. The fifth installment of the Hellraiser series feels like anything but a Hellraiser film--and for good reason. But more on that in a moment. This film, other than not feeling like a Hellraiser movie, is filled with things to dislike, and it starts with our lead character.

This guy--no, it's not Angel

Off the top of my head, I cannot think of a lead character in any film I have cared so little about. There is literally nothing to like about this character, thus no reason to be concerned for his well being. When he meets his inevitable fate, you likely will find yourself cheering. The story is somewhat interesting, but not as a part of this film franchise. Now for the story of this film--the reason it doesn't feel like a Hellraiser film is because it wasn't supposed to be one. This was a stand alone thriller that Dimension turned into a Hellraiser film last minute. Thus, the box is vaguely brought into the story, Cenobite-esque creatures are seen throughout, but ultimately have little to do with the story, and Pinhead doesn't show up until about an hour and twenty minutes into the film. This plays out as more a crime mystery, and a below average one at that, though it is shot wonderfully. The false finishes near the end assume that by this point you even still care about the ending--I didn't.

On A Scale Of One To Ten: 4

Hellraiser: Inferno Movie Trailer

HELLRAISER: BLOODLINE (aka Hellraiser 4)

Hellraiser: Bloodline Hellraiser IV Movie Review

We start off in the year 2127, on a spaceship, with some guy who looks like Rob Van Dam (actually Bruce Ramsey from Alive) telling a woman who looks like Hilary Swank the history of his family--the family that created the box that brings the Cenobites from Hell into our world. We flashback to the late 18th Century, get the story of the box being created, flash forward to 1996 to see his family battle Pinhead, and then back to 2127 to see another battle with Pinhead and his...pet dog?

Sit!

This movie somehow manages to spend about equal amounts of time on each individual setting, with, honestly, none being any better or worse than the other. Ramsey plays all three members of his bloodline, to equally poor results. Some of the things we are used to in the series are still here--Doug Bradley returns as Pinhead (albeit a somewhat toned down Pinhead from the third installment), the box is back, and the general idea is here, but much of what we know from the previous installments is gone. No other Cenobite returns, and, other than the box being buried amongst a building, nothing really connects the story to the storyline from before. Also gone, for the most part, are the fantastic makeup, special effects, and brutality. Overall this isn't quite a jumping of the proverbial shark--it's more Hellraiser Lite.

On A Scale Of One To Ten: 5

Hellraiser: Bloodline Movie Trailer

HELLRAISER III: HELL ON EARTH

Hellraiser III: Hell On Earth Movie Review

Club owner J.P. Monroe (Kevin Bernhardt) unleashes Pinhead from his captivity in a statue. Now reporter Joey Summerskill (Terry Farrell), with the help of Elliot Spencer (Pinhead in his human form, both played by Doug Bradley), must attempt to send Pinhead back to Hell. The third installment of the Hellraiser series takes a turn in a few different ways--Julia is gone, Kirsty is almost gone (she's used to connect the first two films to this one), and, most importantly, Pinhead is given much more personality (and one liners), and is finally brought front and center.

At last!!

Also of note is that all the Cenobites besides Pinhead are gone, and are not replaced until toward the end of the film. This, to me, is a fantastic film. For the most part the special effects and makeup jobs we are accustomed to in the first two films are gone, but the brutality is not. The acting also is a step up here--Farrell turns in a decent performance, Bradley, of course, is good, and Bernhardt is a scene stealer as the cocky club owner. This movie includes one of my all time favorite horror movie scenes as well--the fury Pinhead unleashes on the club. That scene--and the aftermath scene with Joey walking through the club--is a wonderful combination of brutality and "so bad they're good" special effects. To me the big drawback of this film are the dream sequences Joey has of her father. I understand this all sets up the finish, but the scenes are poorly directed, poorly written, and take away the mood set by the rest of the film--however, this is not enough to take away from this film. I have seen Hellraiser III more than any other film in the series, and I continue to enjoy it to this day...

...even if I now find her more annoying that hot

On A Scale Of One To Ten: 8

Hellraiser III: Hell On Earth Movie Trailer

HELLBOUND: HELLRAISER II

Hellbound: Hellraiser II Movie Review

Following the events of the first film from the Hellraiser series, we find Kirsty (Ashley Laurence) in a psychiatric institution. There, Dr. Phillip Channard (Kenneth Cranham) discovers the secrets of the Cenobites, and feeds inmates to a returning Julia (Clare Higgins). Now Kirsty, with the help of puzzle solving savant inmate Tiffany (Imogen Boorman), enters the realm of the Cenobites to attempt to destroy Julia and the rest of the evil demons. This is a pretty solid follow up to the original film. The visuals are fantastic throughout the movie, particularly when they enter Leviathan.

Or Hell...whichever

As in the original, the makeup is also very impressive, and the special effects and acting less so. Laurence somehow goes from a good performance in the first film to being borderline awful here. This film brings Pinhead more to the forefront, and for the first time he is credited as "Pinhead", but he still somewhat plays second fiddle, this time to Julia. We do, however, get a small look into his past, and in fact get to see all the Cenobites in human form. This film had a much larger budget than the first film, but that does not translate into a better movie. The story is not quite as good, the acting is much worse, and the ending doesn't do much to help. Hellraiser II is a step down from the first film, but it is a small step as this is still a very enjoyable movie. As an added bonus, if you're a Queensryche fan your ears will likely perk up a couple times while watching this.

On A Scale Of One To Ten: 7

Hellbound: Hellraiser II Movie Trailer

HELLRAISER

Hellraiser Movie Review

A mysterious box unlocks demons who take the possessor, Frank, to Hell--Frank escapes, and now calls upon his former lover Julia (Clare Higgins), his brother Larry's wife, to bring him the flesh and blood of others to bring him back to complete human form, all the while fearing the demons, known as Cenobites, will return to take him away again. This 1987 horror film from Clive Barker is an absolutely horrific film--in all the right ways. The story is interesting, original, and frightening, but the real highlight of the film comes from the makeup department--the progression of Frank alone is something to behold.

Frank coming back

Frank coming along

Frank almost there

The acting is pretty shaky throughout, with the exception of Ashley Laurence, who does a really good job as Larry's daughter/our hero Kirsty. While the makeup is fantastic, the special effects are a bit dated, especially the final scene, which is so bad it is hilarious--it reminds me of something you'd see from a 1950s creature feature. And interestingly, though Pinhead is the iconic character of this series (and rightfully so), he is not in the film much--in fact, there is not a lot that differentiates Pinhead from the rest of the Cenobites, and he's not even known as Pinhead yet--he's credited as "The Lead Cenobite".

The Cenobites

This movie kicked off a very successful horror franchise, and as a stand alone movie it is really good. It may not be a perfect film but it is innovative, brutal, intense, and a must see for all horror fans.

On A Scale Of One To Ten: 8

Hellraiser Movie Trailer