Product Description

A spine-tingling thriller, HELLRAISER: INFERNO is the next inescapably terrifying chapter in the heart-stopping HELLRAISER series! It's the powerful story of a shady L.A. detective (Craig Sheffer -- THE PROGRAM, A RIVER RUNS THROUGH IT) who finds himself lost in a darkly nightmarish world of evil when he solves the mysterious puzzle box that releases the diabolical demon, Pinhead! As those around him begin to meet tragic fates, he sets out to conquer the horrifying Pinhead and escape eternal hell! Also starring popular Nicholas Turturro (TV's NYPD BLUE, EXCESS BAGGAGE), HELLRAISER: INFERNO combines great special effects and relentless thrills to deliver exciting, edge-of-your-seat entertainment!

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #22074 in DVD
• Brand: Disney
• Released on: 2000-10-10
• Rating: R (Restricted)
• Aspect ratio: 1.77:1
• Formats: Anamorphic, Color, Dolby, DVD, Widescreen, NTSC
• Original language: English
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 99 minutes

Amazon.com
This is the first Hellraiser sequel that doesn't bear the imprimatur of creator Clive Barker, and that makes it a sequel that many Hellraiser fans will want to disown, but they shouldn't dismiss it altogether. Now under the control of Miramax producers Bob and Harvey Weinstein, the franchise takes an entirely new direction, and Inferno is primarily a detective thriller in which a corrupt cop (Craig Sheffer) takes on a case that will judge his soul and, ultimately, damn him forever. His judge and jury will be Pinhead (Doug Bradley) and his legion of twisted Cenobites, but before he can be tried and condemned, Sheffer's cop will watch as those around him are killed off one by one, leaving a trail of blood (and telltale severed fingers) that leads back to the torment of his own youth.

So, what you really have here is a variation on It's a Wonderful Life and A Christmas Carol, with all the themes reversed to hellish extremes. The plot doesn't hold together all that well, but you can't fault the film for establishing and maintaining a heavily somber tone. This is pretty dark stuff, after all, and although Hellraiser fans will lament that Pinhead's appearance is relatively brief, he's presented here in an intriguing new light--not merely an icon of pain and suffering, but a giver of counsel and justice to those (like Sheffer's cop) who arguably deserve the eternal anguish they will receive. Does that make Pinhead a good guy? If this otherwise lugubrious sequel achieves anything, it's that it raises that question and lets the viewer decide. --Jeff Shannon

Additional features
The bonus features on the DVD of Hellraiser: Inferno are minimal but will be welcomed by fans of the series. Included is a brief but insightful interview with actor Doug Bradley, who discusses the evolution of his role as Pinhead, the effect of his Pinhead makeup on performance, and the new direction his role takes in this film. Also included are "Secrets of Hellraiser Revealed"--a series of four brief video clips revealing behind-the-scenes details about the "Lament Configuration" puzzle box and the creation of the Pinhead makeup. For instance, did you know that Pinhead has exactly 138 pins in his head? Surely some fans will sleep better having learned this, and God have mercy on their souls. --Jeff Shannon

Customer Reviews

It's a Wonderful Death.
Jaw-droppingly good in comparison to every film to come since the original HELLRAISER, it was with great trepidation that I dropped this one into the DVD player. Just having suffered through Part 4: BLOODLINE a few weeks back, my expectations for INFERNO were about as low as they could be.

An inspired, twisted take on films like IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE, HELLRAISER: INFERNO brings quality back to the franchise. It also brings decent acting, impressive direction, great effects, and, believe it or not, genuine chills and scares. Consistently maintaining the sense of dread created in films like JACOB'S LADDER or LOST HIGHWAY, INFERNO abandons previous sequels' use of Pinhead as little more than a soundbite-spouting slasher and focuses on the sins of man, in particular a dirty detective impressively played by Craig Sheffer. Fear not, fans - there are cenobites a'plenty, and they're far scarier than any of the sad, sad jokes found in Parts 3 or 4. Director Scott Derrickson wisely follows the "less is more" school of scares and the nightmarish glimpses of hell as it seeps into our world are far more frightening than anything dished up since Clive Barker was at the reins.

A straight-to-video film with a $2 million budget, INFERNO looks and plays better than any other big horror franchise sequel in years. Newcomers to the series may be the most delighted as it doesn't require a deep understanding of the mythology of the Cenobites or Lament Configuration to enjoy this film - nor does it lean on Pinhead popping up, shouting "I am emptiness," and creating new Cenobites in place of plot.

All in all, a great, great movie. Refreshing not only for longtime fans of the series but also for anyone looking for a stylish, effective, thoroughly well-made chiller.

Not the best, but still excellent...
The first four Hellraiser movies were made by the original creator of hellraiser, Clive Barker. This one was not, as the next one isn't either. When I watched Hellraiser: Inferno, I have to admit I was impressed. This movie is much better than it is credited for, maybe even better than the first installment. It may not compare to 2,3,and 4 in the series, but this movie is worth buying. Do This movie takes an interesting twist on the series, making it different from the first four.not skip Hellraiser Inferno when buying the Hellraiser Series, because you will be missing a good movie.

Good horror thriller
After having watched all four Hellraiser movies, I think Hellraiser Inferno is completely different. Well, I have got the feeling that a lot of true Hellraiser fans won't like this chapter. The protagonist of this movie isn't very sympathic and friendly: he takes drugs, sleeps with hookers(even though he has got a beautiful wife) and denounces his partner at the police station. A lot of people will despise this character and turn off the tv. However I stayed with this broken character and it is quite interesting to see how he unleashes the horrors of the box. His evil character traits are essential for the end of movie. Another flaw is that Pinhead only appears for two or three minutes on the screen. Nonetheless the movie deals with the desperate search of the protagonist for a mysterious person called the Engineer, who is connected with the box. If you accept the fact that this Hellraiser movie is completely different from the other parts, you'll enjoy a great and dark horror thriller.