FanFilms

Hellraiser films have recently fallen into two categories: the "mind-fuck" films of late, where the protagonist is often unaware that they have been mucking about in their own personal hell, or the more conventional story, where a person finds the box, that person solves the box, and then antics ensue.

A common complaint of the hard-core fan base was that the stories had deviated so far from the original mythos that the concept of Leviathan and its background as given in HELLBOUND: HELLRAISER II (1988) were all but forgotten.

I therefore set out to write a story that incorporated elements of the Leviathan mythos.

In the late 1990s, there were rumors that the fifth Hellraiser film would be an epic struggle between angels and cenobites. That vision was never realized, and the result was the modest HELLRAISER: INFERNO (2000). Generally, fans were relieved that the Hellraiser mythos remained unpolluted by Christian lore, but in truth, I found the evocative concept appealing, and it was one that I was eager to revisit.

Then came the PROPHECY films, starting in the mid-1990s. Certainly the darkly intense interpretation of angels offered by the film captivated my imagination, and it was upon these "angels" that I fell back as I started sketching out my story. I was determined to create a story that could preserve the identities and rules of both franchises while still having them intersect.

In the early hours of February 24th, 2005, with an emptied bottle of red wine, a laptop, a television and several HELLRAISER and PROPHECY DVDs in hand, the first draft of the script was completed.

I have to admit my initial reaction to this idea was one of suspicion, I have always been opposed to crossovers with Hellraiser and this was directly linking ideas of Heaven and Christianity to my beloved series. My concerns were somewhat petty however and the precision in which Jonny Kui brings the who worlds together is so expertly done and the results so fantastic that I found myself wondering why I had been so against the idea to start with.

The story isn't too complicated but certainly has a nice level of depth that brings the mythology of the two franchises together without betraying either. The imagery of a blooded mattress was done fantastically and made for a strong opening and the film continued to deliver the right quota of gore whilst not using it just for the shock value. There were a couple of twists that long time fans may have seen coming and some nice nods to the past but, for many, it will be the final confrontation between Lucifer and Anglique that will stick with them after. A wonderfully played scene that changes pace a number of times and really oozes tension.

Part of what makes scenes like that work so well is the actors involved. I've heard the acting criticised by others and whilst I admit there is a lot of poor moments the whole is greater than the sum of these parts. There's some much energy and enthusiasm on screen that the least convincing dialogue doesn't serve to pull the viewer out. Lucifer was played very well with the right amount of menace and charm though the false beard didn't always help him. Angelique worked very well though at times I really struggled to hear what she was saying and could only work it out on the third viewing. That aside, the performances were strong and helped the climax build to its peek.

The effects work was very interesting, the chain sequence in particular having a lot of energy that was straight out of the feature films. At one point there is a stabbing which is straight out of Psycho, we don't really see anything but we believe we have. It's a brilliantly directed moment that demonstrates how Jonny Kui doesn't see their lack of an effects bucket as a hindrance but as something that incubates creativity. The Cenobite costumes were also fantastic, the best being Spike who really comes across well, Bound looked good but a little loose leather-wise and Butterball was slightly plastic looking. But these are expected problems and aren't that distracting.

Perhaps the best thing about the whole film is the direction. There's so much energy and creativity in the shots, the way the camera moves and what the characters do on screen. The other Cenobites might not do much but they all do something, whether it's running hands down chains or taking the Box from another character. These small interactions make them part of the proceedings rather than just the window dressing of the later Hellraiser films. The above mentioned stabbing and chaining sequences again prove Jonny has an eye for what works and can work budgetary constraints to his advantage.

All in all Hellraiser: Prophecy is a fantastically constructed piece that shows a lot of promise and creativity from a first time film maker. There may be some problems with acting and little real budget but that's to be expected from this form of fanfilm and it's a credit to Jonny that he does everything so well that these seem nothing more than slight niggles. Top marks for this brilliant short film and I hope to see more form Jonny Kui soon.