HELLRAISER III: HELL ON EARTH

The film picks up some time after the conclusion of the second chapter… Due to the psychotemporal interference exerted by the protagonist, the demonic dimension collapses on itself and re-emerges in our reality in the form of a grotesque sculpture of flesh, metal, and bloodthirsty demons. A young journalist, during a report in a hospital, accidentally witnesses the death of a boy torn apart by dozens of hooked chains. Here, she catches a glimpse of a strange girl, a friend of the deceased, who might be able to help her find the scoop of her life. The ex-boyfriend, in fact, is the owner of a nightclub and has purchased a rather… bizarre sculpture from which the unfortunate man from the hospital had extracted a piece: the cubic box, i.e., the key to accessing the dimension of the Cenobites. Meanwhile, the nightclub owner turns out to be evil and, by chance, discovers the true nature of the sculpture: it feeds on human flesh and then absorbs the soul. PinHead himself, imprisoned in the sculpture, begs the boy to provide him with another soul and in return will make him immortal. Ironically, it will be the same boy who feeds it… The film has the merit of introducing into the history of horror cinema the most powerful boogeyman ever seen before… PinHead’s (Pinhead) powers are no longer limited to the demonic dimension alone but now spill directly into our reality, transforming mundane objects into deadly weapons and his victims directly into new bloodthirsty Cenobites. To give you an idea of his ferocity, imagine that in this film, PinHead, to celebrate his rebirth, kills more people than those killed in all the films combined by Freddy Krueger, Jason Voorhees, and Michael Myers… (over 200 people!). With a higher budget than the previous ones and directed by Hickox, famous for the apocalyptic clashes of “Waxwork,” it is rich in action and pyrotechnic finds. Splatter lovers will not be disappointed as some of the murders are truly original… Forget the dark and surreal settings of the past… The ending would conclude the trilogy fittingly, but unfortunately, as usual, unscrupulous producers have decided to make more. The flaws are not lacking: the absence of the true protagonist is felt, and perhaps a few more chills would have helped make it more enjoyable for traditional horror lovers. PinHead’s original personality has lost its charm as he has gone from a refined torturer to a “mass” serial killer. Moreover, in more than one scene, the dark atmospheres already seen in “The Crow” are felt. Some poor taste religious references at the end, but after all, PinHead is the right-hand man of Satan (remember the vagrant from the first film, here as a sculptor?)… In short, a fun movie (as much as a horror movie can be), with some truly brilliant ideas.