Hellraiser: Revelations (2011) and Hellraiser: Judgment (2018)

For those who prefer their sequels numbered and have lost count then consider these:

Hellraiser 9

and

Hellraiser 10

Both of which are getting a Blu-ray, DVD and digital release courtesy of Lionsgate. Before we get to the films, however, it's time for another edition of Summarise That Franchise! Regular readers will be familiar with this part of the reviewing process, which I've done previously with TREMORS and before that THE GRUDGE. So, for those who may have lost track of the HELLRAISER films along the way (and possibly after the first one back in 1987), here's a quick House of Mortal Cinema summary:

HELLRAISER (1987) Clive Barker's original and the reason you are reading this.

HELLRAISER II (1988) Tony Randel's sequel that some love but I don't because it feels like a midlantic Italian-style ripoff of the UK-made first film.

HELLRAISER III (1992) Anthony Hickox's surprisingly good part III that some hate but I love because it isn't part II and because it opens up the mythology while remaining true to its origins.

HELLRAISER IV BLOODLINE (1996). Anthology film that director Kevin Yagjer took his name off with the final segment set in space.

HELLRAISER V: INFERNO (2000). Directed by the SINISTER man himself Scott Derrickson

HELLRAISER VI: HELLSEEKER (2002). The one where Kirsty Cotton comes back.

HELLRAISER VII: DEADER (2005). Kari Wuhrer in Bucharest. Me neither.

HELLRAISER VIII: HELLWORLD (2005). Aka The Last One With Doug Bradley (and well done for lasting that long that man). This one stars TV's VIKINGS Katheryn Winnick so might be worth a look. But then again maybe not.

Right! Back to HELLRAISER IX: REVELATIONS. Who knows if the events of the previous films are relevant (I haven't seen it but I suspect not) but anyway a familiar-looking cube is now in Mexico and gets given to two young men who waste no time in getting it open. One disappears into Cenobite-ness while the other gets transported to the family home where most of the action takes place owing to the tiny budget. 

To be fair if all you want from a HELLRAISER movie is the box, the Cenobites, some hooks in flesh and a bit of prattling about how pain and pleasure are, in the words of a once popular song like love and marriage (you can't have one without the other) then you'll be happy enough with this one, and with a running time of 75 minutes you'll still have time to watch something else of an evening, especially as this disc contains no extras. 

HELLRAISER X: JUDGMENT was made in 2018 but is only now getting a UK release. Screenwriter Gary J Tunnicliffe also directs this one and plays one of the cenobites as well, resembling a cross between Claude Raines in James Whale's THE INVISIBLE MAN (1933) and Peter Lorre in Karl Freund's MAD LOVE (1935). 

This one starts off with some unsettling imagery but quickly settles into the 'write anything with Pinhead so we can keep the rights to the franchise' furrow of the last few movies. The police, consisting of cut-price Brad Pitt and cut-price Jason Statham (or possibly Michael Fassbender) are on the trail of serial killer The Preceptor who has been perpetrating a series of low-budget SEVEN-like killings based around the Ten Commandments. 

There's too much emphasis on the bureaucracy of Hell to the extent that suspense and horror are diffused by too much explanation. It's not a terrible film (we've had much worse in the screening room here) but there are much better part tens out there (JASON X being the standard any will be compared to).

Extras on Lionsgate's disc are four minutes of gag reel (mainly silly dancing like on the Marvel discs) and deleted and extended scenes.

HELLRAISER IX: REVELATIONS and HELLRAISER X: JUDGMENT are out on digital from Lionsgate on 22nd February 2021 and Blu-ray and DVD on 1st March 2021