Plot: What’s it about?
Joseph (Craig Sheffer) is an L.A. detective who is about discover a dark new place in his life, which some folks might even call Hell. After he solves a mysterious puzzle box, an evil is unleashed on the world and it follows Joseph, who has no idea just what is happening within his life. Soon strange things begin to happen to him, as well as those around him and Joseph knows he needs to figure out what this is all about before it is too late. His life has always been filled with darkness such as cheating on his wife, abusing drugs, and corruption, but now his life has been consumed by something much more sinister than all that. He sees demons and monsters when he sleeps and sometimes even when he is awake, as well as knowing that those around him are being murdered and brutalized. Can Joseph put his life back together and salvage what little he has left, or this simply part of his destined pathway straight into Hell?
As is often the case in the horror genre, once a character becomes popular you know a wave of sequels is coming your way. Some of these sequels have been pretty good, but Hellraiser: Inferno is not one of the good ones in the end. I liked the first film a lot and thought the second one was decent, but this is the fifth and worst film thus far in the series. The special effects are decent enough and the acting is no worse than most direct to video horror flicks, but here’s the main issue with this movie. In a Hellraiser movie, we expect to see Pinhead and in this film, he is a fleeting character at best. He isn’t on screen often and when he is, it is nothing to rave about and even seems different from in his previous appearances. This movie needed better writing, a decent cast, more blood, and most of all, more Pinhead. If you’re desperate for a horror fix this might make a decent rental, but other than that Hellraiser: Inferno is one to avoid.
This might be a direct to video title, but it still sports a decent enough list of names, who give performances at the level we expect from direct to video movies. But the bad news is, the acting in most direct to video movies is terrible and this upholds that proud tradition to be sure. Returning as Pinhead is Doug Bradley and even though he has scant screen time, he gives the most solid turn of this group in the end. If nothing else can be said for this movie, at least Pinhead is played by the same guy as always, right? I didn’t expect much from Nicholas Turturro (Jungle Fever, Malcolm X) and Craig Sheffer (The Program, Fire On The Amazon) and as it turns out, my expectations were right on the mark this time. Both seem to be in such a hurry to pick up a quick paycheck, they forget to act and that spells disaster in any language. The cast also includes James Remar (What Lies Beneath, Blink), Noelle Evans (Dangerous Proposition), and Sasha Barrese (American Pie).
Video: How does it look?
Hellraiser: Inferno is presented in a 1.78:1 anamorphic widescreen transfer. I am pleased to see this one got the 16X9 treatment, but in the end this one fails to be as impressive as it should have been. This disc uses a source print that shows more debris than I expected, along with a moderate amount of grain. These might seem like small issues, but in a darker movie like this one, grain can drag down the visual effect a lot. So the contrast is a little weak in my opinion, though detail still seems to be more than solid. The colors are sparse, but when they do emerge I found no serious problems. Aside from some minor slips here and there, no compression trouble is present here either. This is still an above average transfer, but it should have been much better in the end.
Audio: How does it sound?
This disc uses a Dolby Digital 5.1 track, but the main surround use is in the form of subtle eerie noises. This is a wise choice though, as this film needs as much help as it can get and the effective use of the surrounds does add some atmosphere to this one. The music and sound effects come through just fine and no serious issues surface with this mix. Just as solid is the dialogue, which sounds crisp and distinct within this track. Not too memorable, but it gets the job done. Also, this disc contains English subtitles if you need them.
Supplements: What are the extras?
Aside from the usual annoying Disney trademark forced trailers that plague the disc, this one also contains a couple real bonus features. Several secrets of the Hellraiser series are revealed (such as “What are Pinhead’s pins made of?”), which makes for a welcome touch. You can also watch a five minute interview with Doug Bradley, who of course plays Pinhead.
