Reinventing Hellraiser?
Today, The Hollywood Reporter says there will be a remake of the Clive Barker novella turned 80s movie, "Hellraiser." Actually, it's being spun as a "reinvention." Says the trade pub, "Following the recent success of the Halloween remake, Dimension is
moving ahead on reinventing Hellraiser, setting Julien Maury and
Alexandre Bustillo to write and direct the remake of one of
horrormeister's Clive Barker's best-known creations."
"The filmmakers said they had the blessing of Barker to re-appropriate his story and also had a playful message to any horror fans that were ready to trash the idea of a remake, "No tears, please; it's a waste of good remaking!" Right: let me see the script and I'll be the judge of that.
Maury and Bustillo had recent success with "Inside, about a pregnant woman who loses her boyfriend in a car crash and subsequently is violently haunted by a mysterious woman. The Weinstein Co./Dimension picked up the distribution rights to their film debut this year." This deal just proves there are too many remakes in the horror movie genre. Still, Inside was given a good review at CInematical. Maybe - just maybe - the new Hellraiser will be OK.
They better not screw this up. Next to werewolf films the Hellraiser films are like religion to me. All of them, even the sucky sequels hold a dear place in my heart. Hopefully they won't screw this up and they can bring some new life into the franchise. But like you said Goldberg, I really want to see a script before I jump both feet into this boat.
i hope they dont screw it up either. they've already re-made halloween, and everybody who never saw the original loved it. if people really want to see hellraiser the just pop in the dvds for pt 1&2 (or you could watch it on monsterfest).
I think how people feel about remakes depends on whether the original movie was part of their "formative years." Hellraiser was for me; I saw it opening night when I was 16 in 1987 and a rabid Clive Barker fan. I dragged my friends to see it and they were like, "WTF?!" while I was ecstatic, exclaiming, "None of that Freddy Krueger jokey crap here!"
So, what I mean is, this reinvention had be pretty damn spectacular, along the lines of Carpenter's The Thing or Cronenberg's The Fly and *not* Schrader's Cat People.
I think how people feel about remakes depends on whether the original movie was part of their "formative years." Hellraiser was for me; I saw it opening night when I was 16 in 1987 and a rabid Clive Barker fan. I dragged my friends to see it and they were like, "WTF?!" while I was ecstatic, exclaiming, "None of that Freddy Krueger jokey crap here!"
So, what I mean is, this reinvention had be pretty damn spectacular, along the lines of Carpenter's The Thing or Cronenberg's The Fly and *not* Schrader's Cat People.
To me, Hellraiser (the original) is one of if not THE best horror film that i have ever seen. The second thru fourth ones were alright as well, after that not so good, but watchable...(is that a word??) SO, a remake would be more likely than not, a let down to me and any other fans of the original, unless they can pull it off and do it justice. I guess we will have to see.
I love Hellraiser!!! I, till this day, think it was a very original movie for its time. You rewatch all those scary movies that scared you as a child and now they just seem foolish. Hellraiser still sends a shivers down my spine, and that puzzle box?!?!?!? sells for hundreds on ebay! I think a remake will be gr8 especially because of the new movie effects used today. As long as they keep pinhead, cenobites, gold puzzle box, GO FOR IT!!! (p.s i liked the remake to halloween, but i didnt like the remake to the omen... don't kno what that may mean to u... but maybe its helpful)
Hellraiser is the best horror film of all time. It mixes so many elements of horror into one perfect film. I am extremely critical of anything that is done to remake/reinvent a horror film that I have come to adore. I have yet to watch a remake that is worth it and a sequel that matches up except Hellraiser II (only) and some of the Halloween sequels.
Now if the “new” Hellraiser follows the book (which is nasty awesome)more closely than the original movie did then it may be incredible but we’ll see about that!
I think that Hellraiser deserves to remain untouched...These days when classic horror movies are "remade" theyre usually awful and ruined. Directors these days always have to make it into a group of sexually charged teens who venture off into the forest and never return...which has been done TO DEATH, and no longer holds interest for alot of people. I'd have to say the only good remake I've ever seen was the psycho remake...and that was mainly because it was the original word for word, just in a more recent look. I hope they don't ruin the work of art that Hellraiser is.
i think it depends on who makes it. i think Zombie did a good job with Halloween. just dont throw in a bunch of super sexy 20-somethings for appeal. god i hate that (not that i hate hot girls). the best horror movies are filled with average to ugly looking people.....
While Hellraiser is not one of my favorite series', I believe this is one film that should be left alone. I personally enjoyed I and II but once i got into the later ones I found myself just waiting for the scenes with Pinhead and ignoring the rest. If Clive Barker were involved, I would be optimistic. However, I am sure this will turn into another Hostel or Hills Have Eyes movie in terms of the amount of violence. FYI movie producers, blood and gore doesn't always make scary!!
Also, I wouldn't really deem the Halloween remake a "success". Perhaps I am in the minority when I say I was insulted by the remake being the huge Halloween fan I am. Remaking and destorying a movie are two different things!