Hellraiser: Bloodline

1996
18
1h 25m

IMDb RATING

5.1/10

25K

YOUR RATING

Doug Bradley in Hellraiser: Bloodline (1996)

Play trailer1:26

2 Videos

84 Photos

Horror Sci-Fi

In the 22nd century, a scientist attempts to right the wrong his ancestor created: the puzzle box that opens the gates of Hell and unleashes Pinhead and his Cenobite legions.In the 22nd century, a scientist attempts to right the wrong his ancestor created: the puzzle box that opens the gates of Hell and unleashes Pinhead and his Cenobite legions.In the 22nd century, a scientist attempts to right the wrong his ancestor created: the puzzle box that opens the gates of Hell and unleashes Pinhead and his Cenobite legions.

See production info at IMDbPro

IMDb RATING

5.1/10

25K

YOUR RATING

See production info at IMDbPro

Awards
- 1 win & 2 nominations

Trivia
Kevin Yagher disowned the version with cuts made behind his back due to conflicting artistry ideas. Yagher's version contained much more graphic imagery, plot, and explained everything that happened in the film. The producers disagreed and demanded Pinhead should appear sooner despite every version of the script up until then having him appear around the 40-minute mark. When Yagher was unable to satisfy, he disowned it and never finished filming some final scenes. Joe Chappelle was brought on to finish the film, filming new scenes from re-writes, including the narrative framing device. Some scenes of the original script were thus never shot.

Goofs
(at around 36 mins) As Angelique says to Pinhead "Things seem to have changed" she is standing in front of him. Then as Pinhead responds "Hell is more ordered..." she is now standing closer and to his side. This is because the original filmed line was "Things seem to have changed, I was expecting my clowns" in reference to Demon Clowns that were cut from the past segment of the film. Cutting "I was expecting my clowns" means her position 'jumps' closer to Pinhead and creates this continuity error.

Quotes
John Merchant: For God's sake!
Pinhead: Do I look like someone who cares what God thinks?

Crazy credits
The end credits have the "Filmed in Panavision" moniker, suggesting the film was shot in cinema-scope (2.35:1), however the film was shot in flat (1.85:1) ratio. The end credit was more than likely meant to read "Filmed with Panavision cameras and lenses".

Alternate versions
The original cut, still titled "Hellraiser: Bloodline"
begins in 1784. Lemarchand builds the Lament Configuration, gives it to De L'Isle, and watches as he and Angelique challenge his card player guests to open it. When they do Angelique transforms to a demon and seemingly kills them. Lemerchand goes to Auguste, to suggests building the Elysian Configuration. Angelique visits and seduces Lemarchand. inviting him to a masked ball. Auguste tries to warn him away but is killed by Angelique's demonic clowns. Lemarchand, against his wife's wishes, goes to Angelique's party where she seduces and kisses him. When left alone, De L'Isle attempts to kill Lemarchand so he won't be replaced. An angered Angelique apparently kills De L'Isle and offers Lemarchand riches to help her. He refuses. Genvieve arrives and finds her husband almost dead. Angelique goes to kill her and her unborn child when the near-death De L'Isle appears and uses his magic to banish them all back to Hell. Genvieve flees to America as De L'Isle's servant Jacque summons Angelique back to be his sex slave.
The central part of the film is mostly the same as the theatrical version, except with a clearer plot where Angelique tries to use the prototype Elysian Configuration to kill Pinhead. Angered, Pinhead summons chains to drag Angelique into the light but it cuts out before she dies. Bobbi then banishes them all back to Hell. Despite some bizarre rumours, there is no "neighbour" character in any version of the film.
The last part is set in the future. It's very much he same but Paul does not tell his story to Rimmer. Also, the final confrontation features all the Cenobites and Angelique wanting Paul to join her again. He refuses and stays on board the Elysian, dying alongside Pinhead and the Cenobites and ending the bloodline forever.

Connections
Featured in Crystal Lake Memories: The Complete History of Friday the 13th (2013)

User reviews192

Review

Featured review

5/10

The original plot, before the butchery, actually made sense.

If you search around, you'll find in the Internet the original script for Bloodline as well as the 'Workprint' videos saved by the film's original director. To be honest, the original script needs a couple more drafts in order to properly explain the story to the audience. Too much of it was left vague and poorly explained. But the plot did make sense when both the script and initial footage are considered together. It's hard to know exactly what happened to drive away the film's director. But what happened afterward is a classic Hollywood mess. Core points of the plot were ignored, others ripped away, others turned inside out to the point of blatantly contradicting basic Hellraiser plot and character concepts. Despite the idiotic mess made of the plot, much of it is beautifully done. It was the very last of the Hellraiser films with any level of inventiveness and class. As such, it's worth watching. But raspberries to the dolts who bolted together the elegant remnants of this film into a lumbering ignoramus.