In fact, it’s not even close to being that. But, here’s the thing Hellraiser, at least its 1987 iteration, isn’t just another in a long line of gimmicky slashers. To a certain extent, I get this as far as monsters go Pinhead is undoubtedly one of the most visually striking, and the lore and mystique surrounding him is fascinating and frightening in equal measure. Oftentimes, Pinhead as a character will appear alongside the likes of Scream’s Ghostface, Friday the 13th’s Jason Voorhees, and Halloween’s Michael Myers as one of the key figures in horror cinema. What always struck me as odd about this particular criticism, though, is that it seems to come from a place of confusion over what Hellraiser actually is. He appears early and then returns for the movie’s final act, but is almost entirely absent from the core story, and serves little purpose to it beyond acting as a sort of last-minute threat and potential solution to the various plot threads Barker weaves throughout his nightmarish vision of sex, death, family, and Hell. Brought to terrifying and mysterious life by actor Doug Bradley, it is true that the character - known only as ‘Lead Cenobite’ in the original film - leaves an undeniable lasting impression on the audience. One of the most peculiar criticisms I often see bandied about over horror novelist Clive Barker’s excellent and groundbreaking 1987 horror masterpiece, Hellraiser, is that there is a frustrating lack of horror icon Pinhead.
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