Hellraiser (1987): My Wife Watches For The First Time

Hellraiser movie discussion begins at 49:03 Episode 190 (April 17, 2026) Listen to this episode: Spotify - https://bit.ly/4dP7Lp6 Apple - https://bit.ly/4sKPDk7 Get more 1-Week Rental on Patreon —   / 1weekrental  ! Matt and Laci dive deep into Hellraiser (1987). Matt, a long-time fan of the movie, and Laci, a first-time viewer, discuss the film's production history and the life and philosophy of its creator, Clive Barker. They explore Barker's background, including his early work in theater, his time as a male escort, and his unique perspective on integrating explicit sexuality and body horror into his work. Two prior adaptations of his work led Barker to want to take tight control of a third adaptation, which meant he would need to direct it himself. And what an incredible feat the film is for a first-time filmmaker. 1WR tells that story, including how Barker recruited his longtime friend Doug Bradley to play the iconic role of Pinhead. Then, a long breakdown of the movie itself. How does it play for a first-time viewer? How well do its practical effects hold up? Do its themes make sense? Has any movie character ever hated their spouse as much as Julia hates Larry? And is Hellraiser as scary as we assumed it would be when we saw the VHS box in the video store as children? Is anything? Time stamps: 0:00 Episode opening 2:12 General thoughts on Hellraiser 8:04 Clive Barker’s career 17:17 Clive Barker's ideas about the body 28:49 Production of the first Hellraiser movie 32:18 The cast 36:00 Doug Bradley 43:28 Hellraiser becomes a franchise 49:03 Describe Hellraiser 52:16 Frank buys a box 56:01 Frank opens the box 1:04:17 Larry and Julia arrive 1:09:54 Frank and Julia’s encounter 1:13:35 Larry’s blood resurrects Frank 1:15:46 Dinner party 1:19:58 Julia sees Frank in monster form 1:25:28 Kirsty and Steve go home 1:27:40 Kirsty’s dream, explained 1:31:58 Kirsty calls her dad 1:34:20 Julia collects her first 1:40:45 Kirsty at the pet store 1:42:36 Julia brings more men home 1:44:10 Julia watches her husband watch television 1:46:54 Kirsty discovers Julia’s secret 1:50:10 Kirsty in the hospital 1:52:30 The Cenobites arrive 1:57:45 Frank takes over Larry 2:00:00 Kirsty hides from her uncle 2:02:51 Kirsty hands Frank to the Cenobites 2:04:25 This movie ends with a dragon 2:06:00 Star ratings + final review of Hellraiser Hellraiser was written and directed by Clive Barker. Starring Andrew Robinson, Clare Higgins, Ashley Laurence, Oliver Smith, Sean Chapman, and Doug Bradley as the "Lead Cenobite" (Pinhead). Sources: The Hellraiser Films and Their Legacy by Paul Kane (2015) - https://amzn.to/480DZdp "How we made Hellraiser" by Phil Hoad | The Guardian (2017) - https://bit.ly/3Q3g86L "Queer Sexuality in Clive Barker’s ‘Hellraiser’ (1987)" by Bash Ortega | Horror Press (2024) - https://bit.ly/3QEyIlE “Eroticising The World” | Cut, Vol 2, No 10 (1987) - (republished on Clive Barker’s website) https://bit.ly/4vmDN1Y “All The Gory Details” by M. Kent Black (1989) - (republished on Clive Barker’s website) https://bit.ly/4vmDN1Y "‘Hellraiser’ Author Clive Barker on Almost Dying, Hustling, and Killing Pinhead" by Sean T. Collins | Grantland (2015) - https://bit.ly/4eug2Po Clive Barker on Loveline (1996) - (republished on Barker’s website) https://bit.ly/4vmDN1Y