Hellbound: Hellraiser II (1988)

Kirsty is brought to an institution after the death of her family, where the occult-obsessive head resurrects Julia and unleashes the Cenobites once again.

Director:

Tony Randel

Writers:

Clive Barker (story), Peter Atkins (screenplay)

Stars:

Ashley Laurence, Imogen Boorman, Kenneth Cranham

1 win & 4 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Ashley Laurence	...	Kirsty Cotton
Imogen Boorman	...	Tiffany
Kenneth Cranham	...	Dr. Philip Channard / Channard Cenobite
William Hope	...	Kyle MacRae
Doug Bradley	...	Pinhead / Captain Elliot Spencer
Clare Higgins	...	Julia Cotton
Deborah Joel	...	Skinless Julia
Angus MacInnes	...	Homicide Detective Ronson (as Angus McInnes)
Oliver Smith	...	Mr. Browning / Skinless Frank
Sean Chapman	...	Uncle Frank Cotton
Barbie Wilde	...	Female Cenobite
Simon Bamford	...	Butterball Cenobite
Nicholas Vince	...	Chatterer Cenobite / Chatter II Cenobite
Bradley Lavelle	...	Officer Kucich
James Tillitt	...	Officer Cortez

Storyline

Doctor Channard is sent a new patient, a girl warning of the terrible creatures that have destroyed her family, Cenobites who offer the most intense sensations of pleasure and pain. But Channard has been searching for the doorway to Hell for years, and Kirsty must follow him to save her father and witness the power struggles among the newly damned.

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Plot Keywords:

puzzle | demon | hell | psychiatric hospital | doctor | 

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Taglines:

It will tear your soul apart... again.

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Genres:

Horror | Thriller

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Certificate:

R

Details

Country:

UK USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

23 December 1988 (USA)

Also Known As:

Hellraiser II

Filming Locations:

Pinewood Studios, Iver Heath, Buckinghamshire, England, UK

Box Office

Gross:

$11,090,735 (USA)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Film Futures, New World Pictures, Troopstar

Technical Specs

Runtime:

97 min 99 min (uncut) 78 min (heavily cut) (TV) 88 min (theatrical)

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Dr. Channard's name in the script was Dr. Malahide. "Channard" is derived from Christiaan Bernard, who performed the world's first successful heart transplant.

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Goofs

When Julia bends the photo of Pinhead as a human, it's unbent in the photo album...but we'd already seen close ups of that same picture bent in the exact spot earlier in the film.

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Quotes

Channard Cenobite: The doctor is in.
Tiffany: [speaking for the first time] Shit!

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Connections

Referenced in Lightning Bug (2004)

User Reviews

Great follow-up to a classic

"Hellbound: Hellraiser II" is just as good as the first one.

**SPOILERS**

After having survived the Cenobites from the first film, Kirsty Cotton (Ashley Laurence) finds herself in a psychiatric hospital, as no one believes her story. Dr. Channard, (Kenneth Cranham) the head of the institute, arrives to treat her, but like the others, doesn't believe her story. As certain elements become more believable, he decides to investigate more fully, eventually finding the mystical Lamont Configuration. In so doing, Julia Cotton, (Claire Higgins) is brought back into the world. When Kirsty discovers this, she finds the Cenobites, lead by Pinhead, (Doug Bradley) are behind the whole affair. Dr. Channard and Julia are also along, trapped in Hell with Pinhead and the others in an intense fight for survival.

The Good News: With this one, it ups the ante on violence over th first one so much more. Granted the first one was, this one ups it with ever more. We bypass the traditional hook pulling apart a body, but we do get a particular scene where Pinhead is shown how he gets his name-sake. It's pretty gruesome, and it fits in the rest of the film. The film features an on-screen transformation for a Cenobite, the appearance of skinless people, several mutilated dead bodies scattered throughout the film, and several particularly graphic kills that splatter all over the place. There is tons more blood scattered throughout, including a retread of the skinless person idea from part one. Also, the increased time overall with the Cenobites was greatly appreciated. With them being almost relegated to cameos in that one, here they become so relevant to the plot that it's a great joy to watch them all get plenty of screen time. The convoluted storyline, however, does have a ton of brilliant ideas. The descent into Hell is handled well, the Cenobites are integrated into the story pretty believably, and the whole scheme of events plays out excitingly to watch. It never becomes boring, and the visuals are a big reason for that. It's a great-looking film, with all the special effects and scenery which makes it a great film to get lost in.

The Bad News: The film does have some moments where the plot doesn't know where its going. It jumps around between several different themes and motives quite often different one moment to the next. It's kinda confusing, so it's required to spend a couple times with it to figure it out.

The Final Verdict: Every bit as good as the original, and then a little more in certain areas. Absolutely, fans of the original will love this one, and while it might not be the most comprehensive movie ever made, horror fans should really take a look at this one. It's got something for everyone.

Rated UR/R: Extreme Graphic Violence, some Language, Brief Nudity, and a shadowy, blurry sex scene