Hellraiser: Hellworld (Part 8)
Picture: C
Sound: B- Extras: D Feature: D
Does it ever end?
When Horror films become franchises, home video keeps them coming back
from the dead in ways unthinkable by the true talents who made these films in the
1970s. The ability for home video to
work like an artificial preservative of bad productions gives us the scientific
possibility that maybe the dead can come back to life as zombies. As a matter of fact, that is the feel Hellraiser:
Hellworld (2005, though not listed on any part of the packaging or DVD
itself, nor that it is a part eight).
Good old Pinhead is back, as he has been in all the sequels, which
happen to be straight to video for good reasons.
The title refers to a club young kids go to to have fun
with sex and drugs, but if they are having fun, they therefore must die. Too bad this seventh (!!!) sequel is dead on
arrival, as if any of the previous ones were necessary. It also wastes poor Lance Henriksen, who was
just here to get another paycheck as Hollywood continues to ignore his
talents. You should protest by ignoring
this DVD. As for what happens for the
kids, the only real reason they should die is for being stupid enough to show
up in this mess, which is as damaging as crack.
The anamorphically enhanced 1.85 X 1 image is surprisingly
soft, with weak video black. The color
is lame beyond the Horror look. The
Dolby Digital 5.1 sound is pumped up so you will not notice how bad Joel
Soisson’s script is. In the extras, he
joins three others to try to explain this disaster, but a think tank will not
convince you it is any good. The
making-of featurette is one of the worst we have seen in months, if not
years. This disc is its own hellworld,
living up to its titles in the worst way. Avoid it at all costs.
- Nicholas Sheffo
