Hellbound: Hellraiser II | |
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Theatrical release poster
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Directed by | Tony Randel |
Produced by | |
Screenplay by | Peter Atkins |
Story by | Clive Barker |
Starring | |
Music by | Christopher Young |
Cinematography | Robin Vidgeon |
Edited by |
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Production
company |
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Distributed by | New World Pictures |
Release date
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Running time
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93 minutes |
Country | United Kingdom United States |
Language | English |
Box office | $12.1 million |
Hellbound: Hellraiser II is a 1988 British-American body horror film directed by Tony Randel and starring Clare Higgins, Ashley Laurence, Kenneth Cranham and Doug Bradley. The film is the second entry in the Hellraiser saga and draws heavily upon (and was made by much of the same cast and crew as) its precursor, Hellraiser. Clive Barker, who wrote and directed the previous film, wrote the story and was the sequel's executive producer.
We see the origin of Pinhead as a British military officer, Elliott Spencer, who uses the Lament Configuration, the doorway to the world of the Cenobites, and becomes a Cenobite.
Kirsty Cotton has been admitted to a psychiatric hospital, still haunted by visions of the unspeakable horror that destroyed her family. Interviewed by Doctor Channard, and his assistant, Kyle MacRae, she tells her account of the events depicted in the first film, and pleads with them to destroy the bloody mattress her murderous stepmother, Julia Cotton, died upon. Despite her frantic urging, MacRae is the only one who seems to believe her.
However, it is revealed that the obsessive Dr. Channard has been searching for the Lament Configuration for years, and has several similar boxes. Dr. Channard also has several patients locked in the maintenance level of the hospital. After hearing Kirsty's story, he has the mattress brought to his home, and has one of his more deranged patients (from maintenance) lie on the mattress and cut himself with a straight razor. The resulting bloodflow frees Julia from the Cenobite dimension, as it did with Frank in the first film, though Julia's physical form is immediately whole, only lacking skin due to the amount of blood. MacRae is a witness, having snuck inside Dr. Channard's house to investigate Kirsty's claims, and found multiple puzzle boxes and diagrams depicting various body parts, as well as a chalkboard with mysterious writing on it.
Meanwhile, Kirsty meets a young patient named Tiffany. Tiffany, who hasn't spoken for years, demonstrates an amazing aptitude for puzzles. Later that night Kirsty is awakened in her room to a vision of her skinless father, who tells her in writing that he's in Hell and to help him. Come morning, MacRae arrives back at the hospital and informs Kirsty he believes everything is true. The two decide to return to Dr. Channard's house so Kirsty can attempt to save her father who she believes is still trapped in Hell.