Rating summary

Movie		2.5
Video		3.0
Audio		3.0
Extras		0.0
Overall		2.5

Hellraiser: Bloodline Blu-ray Movie Review

Alan Smithee's best film?

Reviewed by Martin Liebman May 13, 2011

This is a holocaust waiting to wake itself.

Space may be the final frontier, but it's becoming just another leg in the long, drawn-out, and sometimes even arduous journeys of Horror icons as scriptwriters try to squeeze out some semi-novel plot line to drive another picture in some already overlong Horror franchise that's seen its day, come close to empty, but that still isn't quite running on fumes. In an effort to breathe new life into the series, the powers-that-be behind the successful but dwindling Hellraiser franchise chose in 1996 to set the then-latest installment in...outer space? From the depths of hell to the furthest reaches of the heavens, Pinhead has come full circle in both place and time in Hellraiser: Bloodline, a picture that spans centuries and brings the series to a logical conclusion* while setting something of a trend in plopping Horror icons into the vacuum of space. Both the Leprechaun and Friday the 13th series's would follow suit in the years to come, but Bloodline at least makes sense of the setting and smartly works it into the plot rather than haphazardly building some ten-cent story around the idea of "Horror figure in space." It's never as goofy as it sounds, but as the fourth picture in the series, it's not surprising that it's not exactly a genre masterpiece, either. No matter, Bloodline is good enough to satisfy fans while bringing to light some of the history that's heretofore gone unseen and unknown in the diabolical world of Pinhead and the grossly disfigured Cenobites.

Smile! You're on candid camera!

It is the year 2127, and master designer and engineer Paul Merchant (Bruce Ramsay) has taken control of a space station of his own design. He's set a trap for Pinhead (Doug Bradley); he calls the master of evil forward by opening the puzzle box remotely, but before he can fulfill his plan, he's captured by station security and held for interrogation. There, he divulges his family's noble history as toymakers and, ultimately, warriors in the battle to destroy Pinhead once and for all. The film flashes back to old France where master toy manufacturer Phillip L'Merchant (also Ramsay) has created his masterpiece toy -- the puzzle box -- to the exact specifications as laid forth by a most important client. Unfortunately, L'Merchant learns that his client has commissioned the piece to be used for the purpose of summoning demons, which it proves most effective in accomplishing. Distraught over the hell his puzzle box has unleashed, L'Merchant seeks advice on how to counter the box's powers and is inspired to create another box, this one capable of closing demonic portals rather than opening them. It's a task that will take centuries to complete, and by the late 20th century, toy maker John Merchant (again Ramsay) has created what may very well be the key to stopping Pinhead, or the very device the evil master needs to create an always-open portal to Earth. Unfortunately for Merchant, time may not be on his side, and it might take yet another family descendent to finally lay a trap from which even the deviously clever Pinhead cannot escape.

Hellraiser: Bloodline isn't much more than a concentrated glance into the structural backdrop behind the greater story as it has played out in the first three installments. It examines the creation of the puzzle box and the lineage of craftsman who have built it and, witness to its power, subsequently vowed to destroy it one way or another, their efforts spanning centuries but time and again coming up fruitless against the hellacious powers of Pinhead and his bloodthirsty minions of evil. This is an honest direction for the series to take, and the film isn't wasted on simple gratuitous violence, instead playing as a structurally sound and sometimes even smart followup that tidies up some loose ends and serves as what many fans might very well consider the logical starting and stopping points for the series. Hellraiser: Bloodline is, certainly, nowhere near as powerful as Clive Barker's frighteningly gruesome original that holds up even today as one of the definitive hardcore Horror pictures of the 1980s, but as the fourth member of the series, Bloodline isn't exactly a lightweight, either, which is a testament to the series's staying power, possibilities for stories within its fictional universe, and passion of the scriptwriters to do right by this fan-favorite franchise.

Doug Bradley once again reprises his role as the iconic Pinhead in Hellraiser: Bloodline, but the performance is disappointingly stiff and by-the-book, lacking the sense of absolute terror that defined the character in previous entries. Then again, Pinhead doesn't really do all that much in this movie, and worse, his dialogue seems unnaturally forced as the script simply tries too hard to make him sound sinister yet at the same time deviously poetic. It's a combination that's suited the character well in the past, but in Bloodline the lack of polish definitely lessens Bradley's ability to play the part with a more menacing tone. The picture on the whole definitely has a "cheap" vibe to it; the sets are minimalist, perhaps deliberately so to emphasize story, but the rawness of the film, particularly in the 1990s New York setting and in the bookend outer space environments, simply lessens the overall impact, the picture from a visual perspective teetering on the look expected of a low-end direct-to-video production, not a low-budget theatrical release. Still, the plot is strong enough to overcome, and while Bloodline is no match for superior Horror pictures from this or other top-ten series, it's a welcome addition to the Hellraiser universe that solves many of the puzzles left incomplete by previous entries.

Hellraiser: Bloodline Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Hellraiser: Bloodline materializes on Blu-ray with a halfway decent 1080p, 1.78:1-framed transfer. A fairly heavy grain/noise combination dusts up the background, but fortunately, the transfer doesn't appear to be the victim of noise reduction. Detail ranges from fair to good, with close-up shots often revealing fine skin textures, the intricacies of the puzzle box, or the general cheapness of the space station set. Clarity is quite good, depth is average, and colors are adequate, if not a bit dull. Black crush is evident, but not to any debilitating excess. The image doesn't hold up too well in the darkest scenes, though, but blocking and banding are generally kept to tolerable levels. This is by no means a killer transfer, but it's certainly satisfactory given all the peripherals.

Hellraiser: Bloodline Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Likewise, Hellraiser: Bloodline's DTS-HD MA 2.0 lossless soundtrack suffices, but it won't rock out even modest sound systems. The track would clearly benefit from a wider and fuller 5.1 presentation. Music sounds far too cramped and lacking superior clarity, but there's no denying it plays with a passion and that the track squeezes out about all the energy and stability it can muster. Various sound effects, such as sliding doors on the space station, are nicely implemented and take full advantage of the entire front half of the soundstage, but most of the track seems content to linger about the middle. Atmospherics are disappointingly weak and light, as evidenced by a smattering of applause as heard in chapter seven. Fortunately, dialogue is consistently clear and remains grounded in the center channel. This film could definitely benefit from a superior audio presentation, but as it is, Echo Bridge's soundtrack is satisfactory.

Hellraiser: Bloodline Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Hellraiser: Bloodline's Blu-ray release contains no special features.

Hellraiser: Bloodline Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Hellraiser: Bloodline sees the franchise come full circle, exploring both its roots and its future in one long lineage of time and people and terror that's tidily condensed into a sub-90 minute little treat of a Horror movie. That it focuses more on story rather than simply drench the screen in more tiresome gore is a real bonus, but fret not, gore aficionados, there's certainly an honest amount of gruesome bloodletting to be seen in Bloodline. As Pinhead states in the movie, he is "forever," and so too, it seems, is this franchise, continuing to turn out, now, one direct-to-video release after another despite the notion that Hellraiser: Bloodline would certainly work as an honest conclusion to the series. No matter, so long as Pinhead and a few Cenobite minions can scare up a few more plot lines, more power to 'em. Echo Bridge's Blu-ray release of Hellraiser: Bloodline manages a decent technical presentation but contains no extras. This isn't a dynamic, must-own release, but chances are most fans will be satisfied with this nuts-and-bolts package. Recommended.

*Direct to video sequels not withstanding.