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Review: ‘Hellraiser: Judgement’ Verdict, a Step Up in the Franchise

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Hellraiser as a franchise seems to be as immortal as the Cenobites themselves, especially the iconic Pinhead. We’ve gone to Hell and back, to outer space and the world wide web, and needless to say, there have been dips in quality. After all these years, we find ourselves at entry number ten with Hellraiser: Judgement, and surprisingly, a return to form of sorts.

Image via Youtube

The story follows police detectives and brothers, the religious but quick-tempered Sean Carter (Damon Carney) and the more grounded and analytical David Carter (Randy Wayne) as they investigate a series of brutal serial murders perpetrated by a figure known only as The Preceptor, who kills based on violations of the Ten Commandments IE cutting off the hands of young thieves and leaving them on display. They are joined by the level-headed Christine Edgerton (Alexandra Harris) as they seek out the Preceptor, ending up snared by a concurrent plot by Pinhead and his new Cenobite crew to entrap and capture sinful souls.

The project was written and directed by FX veteran Gary J. Tunnicliffe, who also stars as one of the lead Cenobites. The German accented Auditor that calculates a captive’s sins. Tunnicliffe shows his love and appreciation for the roots of the franchise while also attempting to expand on the lore. Even setting the Cenobite’s base of operations at the familiar location of 55 Ludovico Place. As well, there’s The Assessor (John Gulager), who devours and regurgitates the written sins to a Jury of naked women, who then send the accused to the Butcher (Joel Decker) and Surgeon (Jillyan Blundell), a grotesque giant hunchback with a baby-mask and a gas masked gimp with twin blades. These Cenobites stand on their own, though their aesthetic is a little different from the usual types with leather and disfigurement. Standing out from returning Cenobites like Pinhead and even Chatterer.

Image via Youtube

After so many DTV entries, Hellraiser: Judgment is a breath of fresh air as it truly feels effort was put into the writing and production. And major kudos for doing so on a rather limited budget. The detective storyline is rather hit-or-miss, but the Cenobite scenes are on point. Now, for the pale white, nail encrusted elephant in the room: Pinhead. Sadly, Doug Bradley left the franchise with Hellraiser: Revelations but the Pinhead of this film, Paul T. Taylor makes a solid effort. Capturing the Cenobite leader’s presence an sense of forboding, acting as more of a calculating figure from behind the shadows.

This isn’t just Pinhead going around killing people as some of the sequels sadly reduced the character to. He has a philosophy and commands his Cenobites to do his bidding. The addition of an angelic seeming character, Jophiel (Helena Grace Donald) attempting to sway Pinhead did feel a bit out of place, bring the mythos to more Biblical terms rather than cosmic sado-masochistic horror.

Overall, Hellraiser: Judgment is a step in the right direction. It’s been compared to being a fan-film, but if anything, that’s a badge of honor at this point. Who knows the roots of the franchise better than fans? If you’re a fan of the more subdued original Hellraiser films, this is definitely worth checking out, and making judgement for yourself.

Hellraiser: Judgment is now out on Blu-ray and DVD.

Image via Movieweb

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Spirit Halloween Unleashes Life-Size ‘Ghostbusters’ Terror Dog

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Halfway to Halloween and the licensed merch is already being released for the holiday. For instance, the seasonal retailer giant Spirit Halloween unveiled their giant Ghostbusters Terror Dog for the first time this year.

The one-of-a-kind demonic dog has eyes that light up in a glowing, terrifying red. It’s going to set you back a whopping $599.99.

Since this year we saw the release of Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire, it’s probably going to be a popular theme come October. Spirit Halloween is embracing their inner Venkman with other releases tied to the franchise such as the LED Ghostbuster Ghost Trap, Ghostbusters Walkie Talkie, Life-Size Replica Proton Pack.

We saw the release of other horror props today. Home Depot unveiled a few pieces from their line which includes the signature giant skeleton and separate dog companion.

For the latest Halloween merch and updates get on over to Spirit Halloween and see what else they have to offer to make your neighbors jealous this season. But for now, enjoy a small video that features scenes from this classic cinematic canine.

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‘The Strangers’ Invaded Coachella in Instagramable PR Stunt

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Renny Harlin’s reboot of The Strangers isn’t coming out until May 17, but those murderous home invaders are making a pit stop at Coachella first.

In the latest Instagramable PR stunt, the studio behind the film decided to have the trio of masked intruders crash Coachella, a music festival that takes place for two weekends in Southern California.

The Strangers

This type of publicity began when Paramount did the same thing with their horror movie Smile in 2022. Their version had seemingly ordinary people in populated places look directly into a camera with an evil grin.

The Strangers

Harlin’s reboot is actually a trilogy with a more expansive world than that of the original.

“When setting out to remake The Strangers, we felt there was a bigger story to be told, which could be as powerful, chilling, and terrifying as the original and could really expand that world,” said producer Courtney Solomon. “Shooting this story as a trilogy allows us to create a hyperreal and terrifying character study. We’re fortunate to be joining forces with Madelaine Petsch, an amazing talent whose character is the driving force of this story.”

The Strangers

The movie follows a young couple (Madelaine Petsch and Froy Gutierrez) who “after their car breaks down in an eerie small town, are forced to spend the night in a remote cabin. Panic ensues as they are terrorized by three masked strangers who strike with no mercy and seemingly no motive in The Strangers: Chapter 1 the chilling first entry of this upcoming horror feature film series.”

The Strangers

The Strangers: Chapter 1 opens in theaters on May 17.

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‘Alien’ Returning to Theaters For a Limited Time

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It’s been 45 years since Ridley Scott’s Alien hit theaters and in celebration of that milestone, it is headed back to the big screen for a limited time. And what better day to do that than Alien Day on April 26?

It also works as a primer for the upcoming Fede Alvarez sequel Alien: Romulus opening on August 16. A special feature in which both Alvarez and Scott discuss the original sci-fi classic will be shown as a part of your theater admission. Take a look at the preview of that conversation below.

Fede Alvarez and Ridley Scott

Back in 1979, the original trailer for Alien was kind of terrifying. Imagine sitting in front of a CRT TV (Cathode Ray Tube) at night and suddenly Jerry Goldsmith’s haunting score begins to play as a giant chicken egg starts to crack with beams of light bursting through the shell and the word “Alien” slowly forms in slanted all caps across the screen. To a twelve-year-old, it was a scary pre-bedtime experience, especially Goldsmith’s screaming electronic musical flourishes playing over scenes of the actual movie. Let the “Is it horror or sci-fi?” debate begin.

Alien became a pop culture phenomenon, complete with kid’s toys, a graphic novel, and an Academy Award for Best Visual Effects. It also inspired dioramas in wax museums and even a frightening setpiece at Walt Disney World in the now-defunct Great Movie Ride attraction.

Great Movie Ride

The film stars Sigourney Weaver, Tom Skerritt, and John Hurt. It tells the tale of a futuristic crew of blue-collar workers suddenly awakened out of stasis to investigate an undecipherable distress signal coming from a nearby moon. They investigate the source of the signal and discover it’s a warning and not a cry for help. Unbeknownst to the crew, they have brought a giant space creature back on board which they find out in one of the most iconic scenes in cinema history.

It is said that Alvarez’s sequel will pay homage to the original film’s storytelling and set design.

Alien Romulus
Alien (1979)

The Alien theatrical re-release will take place on April 26. Pre-order your tickets and find out where Alien will screen at a theater near you.

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