Scare: The fans appreciate you agreeing to this.

1. First of all, can you tell us a bit about how you came to do the kind of make-up 
and effects you're now known for?

Gary: Like most effects guys I was a pretty strange kid who loved horror films and 
anything weird and strange...and when I happened to come across Fangoria magazine 
when I was about 14 (something that is pretty hard to do in the North of England) 
I discovered that make-up effects might be something that I could get into...and 
that was it really...lots of late nights sculpting and making model kits in my 
garage and applying make-ups out of latex and oatmeal on my sister.
Regarding the 'the kind of make-up and effects I'm known for' part of the 
question...I don't really know how to answer that, as I don't know what the kind 
of effects I am 'known for'...if any. I tend to do whatever is in the script of the 
movie I am lucky enough to be getting a paycheque on...if its Sleepy Hollow it's 
decaps, Hellraiser...it's Cenobites, Dracula its fangs and lenses and if its a 
Polish Brothers movie then its something totally weird and bizarre.

2. What was it like working on Hellraiser for the first time and can you remember 
much about your first impression of working on the films?

Gary: I was a huge fan and so getting to work on a Hellraiser movie was a blast!...
when I first started in the Industry my three goals were 1) to work on a Hellraiser 
movie 2) to work in LA and 3) to work with Clive Barker...
Those three things happened almost all at the same time. We had finished 
Hellraiser 3 and had to go to LA to do re-shoots and Clive got pretty involved 
and actually ended up directing some stuff including me as the Cenobite 
creature...I could tell you some of the stories from that shoot...but they might 
do damage to peoples hard drives...Clive is a hilarious and seriously twisted 
individual (in a great way) who can give the most forthright and intense direction 
I have ever been subjected to.
It was a very cool time...I remember getting on the plane to head back to the UK 
and being convinced that the plane would crash as all my goals had been hit all 
at once.
Hellraiser: Bloodline was a strange one...I could write a book about that 
experience and only two people actually worked on the WHOLE film....from the 
first shoot with Kevin Yagher through the numerous re-shoots and additional 
photography...and that was me and Doug...so a very mixed bag of memories from 
that....some good...some bad...if you see me at a convention and you want to 
know the whole story buy me a beer and I'll shed some light.

3. You've created a lot of Cenobites in your time and I believe you've said your 
favourite is Angelique. Do you have one that you really wish you could do again or 
who didn't turn out nearly as well as you would of hoped?

Gary: I love all my Cenobite Children equally......but if were being picky.
Angelique came out very cool, but I would love to go back and clean up the shoulder 
pulls and the stomach piece.
The Bloodline Twins...is such a tricky idea (this was a Peter Atkins concept) and you 
always have the problem of two people together looking very bulky...would be cool to 
do this with some kind of CGI fix to make them look slimmer.
The Inferno Twins...compromised by money...I would love to go back and re-work the 
jaw that holds the wire pulls...as during the day it got stretched and their jaws 
got kinda long and wacky.
Inferno Torso Chatterer...very happy with this...came up with the idea of 
incorporating CGI removal...Jamison Goei (VFX) did a great job and it worked so 
well in the film.
Stitch and Bound were sculpted to be worn by feminine petite (my favourite) women 
and Rick Bota (Director) wanted and cast very large, heavy women....that stretched 
the masks...also we had very little money and had to fabricate the costumes from 
bits....would love to try these on sexy, slender ladies with a few $$ to do some cool 
costumes.
The Surgeon pretty happy with him...kind of a 'big' idea but it worked out well.
Ask me about the new ones after you see the films!
I would like to say that I think the NECA Hellraiser figures are awesome and really 
kind of show the characters how I would have liked to have seen them...they are able 
to make the costumes so much more flamboyant than money would allow us to. 

4. Does the director or script writer have any input in the designs of the Cenobites 
or is it left up to you for the most part?

Gary: Sometimes...but most of the time I am given pretty much free reign.

5. The original Cenobite gang from the first two films is very popular amongst the 
fans. Do you think the series will ever see a recurring group again?

Gary: I think they are the most popular because the first film is just SO awesome...I 
like to think that if some of the newer Cenobites were in that bunch that they would be 
given the same adulation.
Also the budget for the make-up effects on those films was pretty substantial...I 
remember doing the budgets on Hellraiser 3 with Bob Keen and Bob saying that we had 
something like a third of the money he had on the first film and this was 5 years 
later!
There are also some Cenobites I just don't like...and most of them are in 
Hellraiser 3...I thought the designs were a bit clunky...and in defence of two of 
them 'CD' and 'Bound' [I think he means Barbie - Scare] these were actually 
designed to be 'Boiler Room' victims and Tony Hickox just decided he wanted more 
Cenobites... so Bob and the gang had to build these things on location... raiding 
Pet Smart and wal mart for dog collars and bits of vinyl and leather to fabricate 
Cenobite costumes

6. Is it true that you make very little money off the Hellraiser films and, if so, 
what is it about them what make you continue to be involved?

Gary: That is true... I do get a wage and I am sure by some standards its a good wage...
but we certainly do the hours as well...the budgets have gotten smaller and smaller but 
we try to do the best we can...part of it is pride and part of it is a love of the 
films and the genre. Also on the last four movies a production company called Neo 
Art and Logic has been involved and to be honest there probably isn't anything I 
wouldn't do for Joel Soisson and his gang...they treat me so well and do the very best 
they can for the directors and crew involved.

7. Make-up work aside, what has been your favourite creation of your career?

Gary: I have no idea?...so often its about the experience on the project...I thought the 
work I was involved with on Sleepy Hollow was some of the best ever...but working on the 
film was a misery.
I was very happy with the work in Dracula 2000 and I think the project was one of the 
most original ideas I had read...I also had a fantastic time working with Patrick 
Lussier, Gerry Butler and the rest of the cast.
I am always proud to work on Doug and Pinhead...and see people's reaction to Clive's 
design.
I have done make-ups that have been personally satisfying because of technical 
reasons...or because people didn't even realise they were a make-up.
and I have been happy with the way certain gags worked out which is as much a tribute 
to the director...such as the stuff I did for Blade.
So difficult one for me to answer there...If you want a quickly answer I liked the leech 
Dracula body from Drac 2000....and the Omar Epps decap head....and the stages of Drac in 
Ascension.

8. Can you tell us anything about the new Cenobites in the upcoming Deader and Hellworld?

Nope....you'll just have to watch

9. How do you feel about the direction the films have taken and do you think the series 
can continue to go on?

Gary: I am just happy that they haven't recycled the same movie over and over...I wish the 
budgets were higher so that the stories could stretch a bit more and have more scope.
I think like anything the series will continue as long as they make money...I would love 
to see someone take a risk and try to revitalise the series with a 'bigger' movie...like 
the way they did with Halloween and H20.

10. Finally, in the world when money isn't an issue, what would your dream Cenobite 
design be?

Gary: We did a design for something for the Hellworld that would have been nice to realise...
four legged on mechanical stilts grafted into the flesh at the elbows and knees...
standing about 9 feet tall...intravenous bags of piss and blood and shit carried on the 
legs feeding from the body. Then the face and body was peppered with four large spikes 
(one through the head, three through the body)
We did kind of a walking version for Hellworld...but it got cut out...the director 
thought it was too big.
Here's a little picture [image in Library HR8 Deleted Scenes - Scare].

Scare: Thank you for finding the time to answer these questions, and all the best for 
the future!

Gary: Your very welcome....keep watching the movies. 

Best Blood 

Gary J. Tunnicliffe


(c)2003 The Hellbound Web (c)2003 Mark Adams