Stephen Romano’s RETRO 13 – Hellraiser
Stephen Romano
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Hi, kids! So let me ask you a loaded question: What can be said about Clive Barker’s Hellraiser that has not already been uttered a million times? For that matter, how many portraits of Pinhead have been done in comic books, posters, and on the internet by a zillion professionals, semi-professionals, and demented fans? I imagine the number is astronomical.
And therein lies the challenge of this week’s RETRO 13. Pictured below you will find the results. Treating the subject as if it existed in another time and place, I have brought forth a very unique poster tribute to Barker’s original Hellraiser film. Clive’s movie was, of course, released in 1986. But, if you will permit, let me take you back to the early 1970s and show you the image that might have existed had the film been released at the height of motion picture madness in the golden grindhouse age of such companies as American International and Hammer Films . . .
The type style and layout are key in this design, of course, but you’ll notice right away a certain character’s conspicuous absence. That is because this poster champions what I believe to be the true and lasting heart of the original film—a heart which is often forgotten in the face of its over-celebrated needle-faced poster boy and the many sequels that feature style over substance. Clive Barker’s Hellraiser is really the story of Julia Cotton and a terrible, doomed love for her husband’s brother, Frank—a love that survives death and demands human sacrifice. The film is ultimately also the story of brother Larry, who unwittingly becomes the face of that resurrected love. And poor daughter Kirsty, who is swept along in the shocking undertow. Because of the film’s obsession with these haunted characters, it remains Clive’s most satisfying film, filled with dark alchemy and amazing performances.
I talked about music last week and would like to mention it briefly again here, since we are celebrating the remarkable “hidden” heart of Hellraiser. That heart is brought solidly out of the abyss by the legendary Christopher Young, whose accomplished Hellraiser score combines the best of almost every approach to horror film—from bleak, miasmic tonalities suggesting a landscape of hell to a memorable symphonic theme to truly empathic musical moments. It actually moved me to tears when I first saw the film. That happened during an early scene, when Julia remembers her transgressions with Frank—and Young’s passionate score takes us right to that tortured place in her heart. It’s truly a moment for the ages. “For the first time, I understood exactly what was going on in that woman’s mind,” Young told Cinefantastique in 1988. “And that’s what film music is all about. Giving the opportunity to give complete mental and emotional contact with that person on the screen in that situation. I was so overwhelmed by her pain when I heard the music added.”
You and me both, Chris. You and me both.
This art is dedicated to one of my very best friends, the amazing Miss Ashley Laurence.
Click here for the full-size image.
AUTHOR’S NOTE: This poster is intended as FAN ART only and is designed to be shared, for free, for anyone who wants to own it for themselves. Download it, share it, spread the horror! And come see me at my website for more fun.
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