FanFilms

The second Hellraiser Chronicles fan film, following "A Question of Faith", "Lifebringer" is a half hour horror fanfilm made by fans, and for fans. A no budget film, made by communal efforts and voluneer work, the film is now released on DVD, with extras. Written and directed by Mark R. Adams, with a brilliant Cenobite outfit by Ian Frost and cover art by Daniel Holland with Terrible-Doll.

More to come soon.

Be it the stellar makeup, the superb editing, the solid writing, the strong performances or just the return to England, LIFEBRINGER is a narrative fan film that cannot help but to harken back to the spirit of the original Hellraiser.

Thomas Abberton is a sociopath, plain and simple. His obsession with the intricacies of human anatomy consume his daily thoughts, leading to his unfulfilled compulsion to become a surgeon, neglecting his sister Helen and the practicalities of providing for his family. A mysterious man approaches him to offer a mystical solution: the Lament Configuration.

Thomas is deftly portrayed by actor Steve Michael Martin, who plays up the character’s sociopathy and indifference to others with chilling aplomb, while Kate Copley, in the role of Helen, is an underplayed gem of the film, whose brief appearances (when her character’s not asleep) inadvertently steal the spotlight. David Curtis plays the role of the puzzle guardian with a vigor not seen in a guardian in previous films, taking the role and making it truly his own.

The cinematography overall is excellent, each shot doing far more than simply conveying narrative. The coverage and multitude of angles provide a level of insight and atmosphere rarely seen in a Hellraiser fan film. The editing is very impressive, particularly the skillfully assembled teaser, rife with imagery and style that offers a strong glimpse into Thomas’ psyche. It is, quite frankly, a sequence which, as written, could have been trite and mundane, but was instead realized in a manner that cannot help but to grab the audience’s interest right at the start. Of additional note is the editing in the, ahem, surgical scene with actress Amy Cummins. Here, also, the editing turns an otherwise clichéd event into something far more interesting, with an almost witty use of various effects techniques and well-assembled shots.

The lighting is generally very strong, bringing out good use of color, and at times contrast, though it is at times uneven between scenes, likely due to the practicalities of making a fan film and because this is a workprint in progress. The Lament Configuration looks brilliant in every scene it’s it. One particular shot towards the conclusion of the film, with the box in the immediate foreground, and an actor in the deep background, out of focus, was particularly well set up, as were all of the tight close-ups of Thomas, deep in concentration and/or introspection.

The makeup and costumes are also very well done, especially for a self-funded, non-profit fan film of limited means. It was a fan treat to see Surgeon cenobite, last seen in Rick Bota’s HELLRAISER: HELLSEEKER return as a lead cenobite, now with a speaking role. The makeup and costume for Surgeon are so well crafted, that one is left wondering exactly how it was done. One hopes that a Making-of featurette or a director’s commentary track on a forthcoming DVD will address this issue.

While casual fans of the series may want for the days of HELLRAISER III: HELL ON EARTH’s days of chainings run amok and lament the lack of Pinhead as a lead cenobite, diehard fans will no doubt appreciate the nod to HELLSEEKER, while also appreciating that this film comes closer to the spirit of the original HELLRAISER than any Hellraiser work in recent memory. This is likely a testament to writer/director Mark Adams' impressive command of the material at hand. No doubt Adams’ impressive entry into the Hellraiser mythos will be appreciated by those yearning for a return to “the good old days,” which are indeed here again.

-Jonathan S. Kui, 16Apr08