Hellraiser: Judgment

Hellraiser: Judgment

A teaser designed by the art department of Hellraiser: Judgment
Directed by Gary J. Tunnicliffe[1]
Written by Gary J. Tunnicliffe
Based on Characters
by Clive Barker
Starring Paul T. Taylor
Heather Langenkamp
Cinematography Samuel Calvin[2]
Edited by Mike Leahy[2]
Distributed by Dimension Films
Release date
  • 2017 (2017)

[1]

Country United States
Language English

Hellraiser: Judgment is an upcoming American horror film written and directed by Gary J. Tunnicliffe, and starring Paul T. Taylor, Heather Langenkamp, Damon Carney, Randy Wayne, Alexandra Harris, Rheagan Wallace,[3] John Gulagher, Mike Jay Regan, Diane Goldner, Andi Powers, Jeff Fenter, Helena Grace Donald, and Grace Montie.[4] It is the tenth film in the Hellraiser film series.

Plot

Three detectives — Sean Carter, David Carter, and Christine Egerton — investigate a serial killer, only to discover a much deeper threat of other worldly proportions.[4]

Cast and characters

Pinhead is the leader of the Cenobites, a faction of Hell composed of mutilated humans that serve the Order of the Gash, offering those who solve the Lament Configuration certain sadomasochistic pleasures. This marks Taylor's debut as the hell priest, who was played by Doug Bradley in the first eight films and by Stephen Smith Collins in Hellraiser: Revelations.[5]
The Auditor serves as a clerk in Hell who takes note of a person's sin before passing that person to The Assessor. He is not a Cenobite, as he is part of a faction separate from the Order of the Gash, only one of many orders in Hell. He shares the faction with The Assessor, The Jury, the Butcher and The Surgeon. Other members, named The Bone Collectors, The Seamstress and The Sentinel, were set for introduction but were removed for budgetary reasons. The character's inception was influenced by Sam Lowry from Brazil and Itzhak Stern from Schindler's List.[2][6]
Heather Langenkamp is an actress known for her role as Nancy Thompson in A Nightmare on Elm Street.[8][9] In Judgment, she portrays an obscene, cigarette-smoking landlady.[6] Casting Director Chris Freihofer, who was acquainted with Langenkamp, introduced her to screenplay before suggesting her to Tunnicliffe.[2] Tunnicliffe was pleased that Langenkamp agreed to take part in the film, given that she is regularly offered horror film roles.[10]
The character Sean Carter is a police detective that investigates a string of murders, leading to the discovery of an other-worldly threat.[7] Weary of some of the fantastical elements from the script, Carney approached the role from a grounded standpoint.[2]
The character David Carter is a police detective and partner to Sean Carter during the investigation of a string of murders.[7] When Wayne came prepared to the set, he was willing to question certain directorial decisions while collaborating with Tunnicliffe. As the director explained, "It's not a problem for me, I've never had a problem defending the actions of a character I'm directing and I'm also not unwilling to hear suggestions. I think Randy wants to trust the Director and you have to earn that by showing respect for the process. Once that trust was established, Randy relaxed and found David."[2]
During the events of Judgment, Detective Christine Egerton helps Sean and David Carter in their murder investigation.[7] Egerton did not appear in the original story pitch, but the studio suggested the character's inclusion to serve as a foil to Sean and David Carter.[2]
Alison Carter is the wife of Detective Sean Carter. As the two grow more distant in their marriage, Alison attempts to help Sean while keeping a secret from him.[6]
The Assessor is a worker in Hell that takes part in the judgment of sinners.[7] Tunnicliffe had never previously seen Gulagher act, yet was well aware that Gulagher is a thespian and wrote The Assessor with him specifically in mind.[2]
In the Hellraiser films, the Chatterer is a Cenobite and follower of the Order of the Gash that dons facial deformities and continuously clicking teeth. Actor Mike Regan previously played the Chatterer Torso in Hellraiser: Inferno and the Chatterer in Hellraiser: Hellseeker, Hellraiser: Deader, and Hellraiser: Hellworld.[11]:164, 207
Judgment includes the Cleaners as a group of aging naked women that force their tongues onto victims as penance.[6]
The Jury appear in Judgment as three nude women in their twenties with skinless faces that pass verdicts onto victims in Hell.[6]
The character of Crystal Lanning is a dog-loving socialite that is murdered, setting the plot of the film into motion.[6]

Production

Development

Although most of the direct-to-video Hellraiser sequels were conceived as original screenplays that were later converted into Hellraiser films, Judgment was intended to be a part of the series from the beginning.[12] After not being able to direct Hellraiser: Revelations, which he wrote, Gary J. Tunnicliffe was given the opportunity to write and direct a new Hellraiser film by Dimension Films. Dimension were required to make another entry in the franchise in order to maintain the rights of the intellectual property. Tunnicliffe pitched Hellraiser: Judgment to them three consecutive times, only for it to be rejected. As a result, Tunnicliffe wrote a script treatment for a more traditional Hellraiser film titled Hellraiser: Into Darkness to show that he could come up with other ideas. The studio embraced Into Darkness, but Tunnicliffe insisted on making Judgment. After they demanded that Tunnicliffe make excessive changes to the Judgment script,[13] Tunnicliffe removed the Hellraiser elements from it and attempted to make Judgment as an independent film. Following Tunnicliffe's failure to find financial backers, he tried to obtain funding via Kickstarter for a brief period of time, but later removed the funding campaign from the site. Dimension Films eventually agreed to allow Tunnicliffe to write and direct the film as part of the franchise.[12]

Despite the film originating as a Hellraiser project, it was still Tunnicliffe's intention to differentiate Judgment from its predecessors, with his mantra being to "innovate, not replicate".[12] Tunnicliffe promised that Judgment "will have moments unlike any other [film] you have ever seen", taking inspiration from the works of Hieronymus Bosch, Francis Bacon, David Cronenberg, David Lynch, David Fincher, and Hellraiser creator Clive Barker.[2] Tunnicliffe later elaborated, "I knew what I wanted to make, and I felt like 'you know what, I wrote a traditional Hellraiser story with Revelations and I got raped by the fans. I'm not going to try and appease the fans anymore.' I'm going to make a film for me and I have a very strong idea visually on where I want to go with the story and its going to be very different. I'm going to make a food for me and offer everybody a bite."[13] In regard to the poor reception of the most recent entries in the series, Tunnicliffe responded "I think there has been a huge gap since Dimension are actually trying to do their best by the franchise. I think [The Weinstein Company is] well aware that Hellworld was rushed into production and suffered for it, and Revelations suffered a similar set of problems (when the rights issue came up fast and furious without anyone knowing). Judgment is a rights issue movie, but has been made with the sensibilities and input given to a regular budgeted Dimension feature."[12] Acknowledging the negative reactions to Hellraiser: Revelations, Tunnicliffe stated that he was devastated that he was unable to direct the film, and that he was unhappy with the final cut and divergences made from the script. According to Tunnicliffe, "To the fans, I would say this… I know you’ve been let down, and trust me, I have too, but simply give me a chance. I know we can never make a film as great as the first two Hellraiser's, but I think we have a fun script here [and] an opportunity to give you all something that feels a little familiar, a little different, completely terrifying and is a worthy part of the Hellraiser Canon."[10]

Casting

The actors in the film were chosen by a team of crewmen headed by the casting director Chris Feihofer.[2] Gary Tunnicliffe wanted Doug Bradley to reprise his role as the lead cenobite known as Pinhead[10] but Bradley refused, criticising Dimension Films for the perceived quality of the Hellraiser sequels. After Tunnicliffe pleaded with him, Bradley again declined to accept the role after he learned that he would have to sign a non-disclosure agreement to obtain the screenplay.[13] In an interview with Bloody-Disgusting, Bradley addressed the topic, saying "I’m not really in a position to comment on Judgment, having been prevented from reading the script. For the moment I only have Gary [Tunnicliffe]’s comments to go by. He certainly talks a good game: let's wait for the proof of the pudding. It's depressing that, as with Revelations, this again seems to be happening to save Dimension from losing the franchise rights."[14] Paul T. Taylor was later cast in the role of Pinhead, with an uncredited actor playing The Auditor. Tunnicliffe described Taylor as "a classically trained stage and film actor who brings a great physical presence and more than a hint of Peter Cushing and Ralph Fiennes." In addition, it was announced that Mike Jay Regan would reprise his role as the Chatterer from the previous films, with Heather Langenkamp also portraying a character in the film.[7]

Taylor first became involved when he received an email requesting him to screen test as The Auditor.[15] Following said test, the actor was solicited via a second email, asking him to audition as Pinhead.[16] The audition took place in Los Angeles, California, where Taylor believed to have "nailed" his performance. Tunnicliffe allowed Taylor to develop his own interpretation of the character, and he was given months to prepare before filming commenced. Taylor pronounced, "I have a vulnerability in my acting no matter what I do. It’s just there ... It's about the stillness. He’s already so terrifying that when he makes a move, it means something. He's very economical and when he speaks, he's so eloquent." Believing that "Pinhead has to be British", the American actor used a British accent when performing in-character. For further research, he visited a comic book store to read Hellraiser comic books in which Pinhead appeared.[17] Tunnicliffe detailed his reasoning for selecting Taylor, "He was well prepared and willing to listen but also keen to make the character his own, this was not to be an 'impersonation', I wanted a slightly different Pinhead for this new tale, there's a stillness, a dry resolve to this new version, coldness, sarcasm. I wanted a Pinhead with a regal sense of arrogance and boredom and Paul delivered."[2]

Filming

Filming for Hellraiser: Judgment took place in Oklahoma, United States, on a relatively small budget. Gary Tunnicliffe and Director of Photography (D.P.) Samuel Calvin prepared substantially before shooting in order to maximize shooting time, and put complex camera and lighting set-ups into place, with an average of 30-35 set-ups per day. According to Tunnicliffe, all departments were enthusiastic about their work and a single work day never went over thirteen hours. Filming locations included a derelict building, a bar, a high end apartment building and penthouse suite, a church interior, a children's playground, alleyways, and on stages and sets built by the art department.[2] At one point, one of the lead actresses nearly passed out during the filming of a particularly graphic scene. During the filming of another scene, three people had to leave the set in order to vomit.[12] Some of the actors had to be persuaded to arrive at certain shoots, partially because of the budget. Speaking of the filming process, Tunnicliffe stated "I'm a great believer in really using the time on set. You only get up to twelve to thirteen hours a day, maximum, and I don't like going over time and over budget. I like to have a strong plan going in and the way I do that is that I act out the entire script with my D.P., we act out everybody's roles in every scene. We pick our angles based on that." Many of the local Oklahoma civilians contributed to the shoot by suggesting specific locations and, in a specific instance, a car dealership loaned a van for the film.[13] Paul T. Taylor shot his scenes in a studio located in Oklahoma City, where the set for the fictional location of "the offices of hell" was built.[17]

Special effects

Pinhead and The Auditor, created by the make-up effects team headed by Mike Regan and Mike Measimer.

The make-up effects team was led by Mike Regan and Mike Measimer, who helped bring to life a number of characters in the film including Pinhead, Chatterer, the Stitch Twins, The Butcher, The Surgeon, and The Auditor.[2] Paul T. Taylor's portrayal of Pinhead is intended to be leaner, meaner and more "no-nonsense" than previous incarnations of the character, lacking the glib one-liners from the earlier films. This was incorporated into the make-up and costume design, with longer pins, deeper cuts, solid black eyes, and a more visceral and sleeker wardrobe.[12] The flesh exposed on Pinhead's chest was made into a rhombus, in honour of the fictional character Leviathan.[2]

Tunnicliffe had to balance directing the film and overseeing the FX work. When discussing the quality of the blood effects, Tunnicliffe said "I don’t think it’s so much the quantity of blood but more the nature of the effects, the content and the context. I think some of our blood gags are actually quite beautiful; when you see blood raining down on a naked girl with a skinned face at 300 frames per second you can’t help but be mesmerized by the fluid dynamics."[12] Taylor likened the simulated gore to that of the Saw series, "I think people are going to be fascinated with it and the things that are, what I would say, on the border of horror porn, there's some elements of that in it and that will please many Hellraiser fans and fans of just what contemporary horror can be these days where it's just a gross-out."[18] Later clarifying, "I think [the gore in the film] is done because of the style and aesthetics in a beautiful way. This is not masturbation, and let’s just throw blood at the screen."[16]

For the wardrobe, Tunnicliffe would send pictures to the wardrobe department of what he wanted the characters to wear; the department went on to size the actors. The costumes that had to be designed and built for the Cenobites and other characters were handled by Tunnicliffe's department.[13] The costume department used a cast of Paul Taylor's head to design a pin mask for him to wear as Pinhead. Taylor found the costume and make-up to be extremely uncomfortable, which he integrated into his performance as the sadomasochist.[17] When he saw his reflection in the mirror while in the Pinhead make-up, he instantly fell into the character's mindset. He found the make-up menacing enough that he took a minimalist approach in his performance; he felt that attempting to act conventionally frightening would lead to overacting.[18]

Potential sequel

Judgment is a film that expands on the lore introduced in the franchise's earliest films, with it being described by Paul Taylor as a "jumping off point" for a sequel that " ... could continue the story that it tells because it's a true Hellraiser script with a beginning, a middle, and a sort of ambiguous end. And these new characters they introduced could be in future Hellraiser films." The actor elucidated that, should a sequel go into production, he would want to return as Pinhead.[18]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 "Check out two new Cenobites from Hellraiser: Judgment". Flickeringmyth.com. 2016-07-20. Retrieved 2016-11-02.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 "Hellraiser:Judgment". Twohoursinthedark.net. Retrieved 2016-11-02.
  3. 1 2 "Hellraiser: Judgment". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved 2017-03-28.
  4. 1 2 3 4 "Look, It’s Pinhead and The Auditor From ‘Hellraiser: Judgment’! (Exclusive)". Bloody-disgusting.com. Retrieved 2016-11-02.
  5. ↑ "Victor Garcia Spills The Beans On 'Hellraiser: Revelations'". Bloody Disgusting. October 20, 2010. Retrieved 2017-04-11.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Hellraiser: Judgment Casting Breakdown; New Eye Candy". Dread Central. 2016-02-22. Retrieved 2017-03-19.
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 "Here’s the New Pinhead In ‘Hellraiser: Judgment’!". Bloody-disgusting.com. Retrieved 2016-11-02.
  8. ↑ "Heather Langenkamp Is Nancy Again in Elm St. Fan Film". MovieWeb. Retrieved 2017-03-19.
  9. ↑ "A new Hellraiser movie is filming with Heather Langenkamp". The A.V. Club. Retrieved 2017-03-19.
  10. 1 2 3 "Exclusive Comments, BTS Image: Director Gary Tunnicliffe talks "HELLRAISER" Sequel! | FANGORIA®". Fangoria.com. 2016-02-18. Retrieved 2016-11-02.
  11. ↑ Kane, Paul (2013). The Hellraiser Films and Their Legacy. McFarland & Company. ISBN 9781476600697.
  12. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "‘Hellraiser: Judgment’ Interview: Gary Tunnicliffe Talks Genesis, New Pinhead, and Sequels Being Rushed Into Development!". Bloody-disgusting.com. Retrieved 2016-11-02.
  13. 1 2 3 4 5 "Interview with Gary J Tunnicliffe". 60 Minutes With. Retrieved 2017-02-07.
  14. ↑ "[Interview] Chasing Hell With Doug Bradley!". Bloody-disgusting.com. Retrieved 2016-11-02.
  15. ↑ Ryan, Danhauser. "147 : Hellraiser Judgement’s Paul T. Taylor". Clive Barker Podcast. CliveBarkerCast. Retrieved 9 July 2017.
  16. 1 2 "[Interview] Paul T. Taylor on 'Hellraiser: Judgment'". Bloody-disgusting.com. Retrieved 2017-04-18.
  17. 1 2 3 "Dallas Actor Paul T. Taylor Sinks His Hooks Into the Role of Horror Film Villain Pinhead". Dallas Observer. Retrieved 2017-03-10.
  18. 1 2 3 "Chilling Out - Paul T. Taylor". Open The Trunk. Retrieved 2017-03-25.
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