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think "Hellraiser 6: Hellseeker" might have
been a better movie had I not seen the previous sequel, but I doubt it. The fact
is, "Hellseeker" is a duplicate of "Inferno",
employing the same Head Trip scenario that made the previous installment such a
drastic departure from the rest of the franchise. But alas, having seen "Inferno"
there was absolutely nothing exciting, thrilling, or even interesting about
"Hellseeker". This reaction, mind you, despite the return of Ashley
Laurence, reprising her role as Kirsty, the "Hellraiser" version of
Heather from "A
Nightmare on Elm Street".
Dean Winters, sporting an odd scar below his mouth that
makes his face look like it's locked in an eternal smirk, stars as Trevor, a
sleazy businessman who, as the movie progresses, gets more and more sleazy.
Also, Trevor is trying to regain his memory, having lost it a while back. (The
movie's timeline chronology is a bit hazy, but I guess that's the point). You
see, Trevor is married to Kirsty (Ashley Laurence), but she's gone missing after
a car accident, and Trevor is left with selective amnesia. Now suspected by the
police of killing his wife, Trevor spends his days and nights trying to remember
what happened to Kirsty, as strange things start happening -- and people start
acting strangely -- around him. What the hell is going on?
Of course, having seen "Inferno",
there's not a lot of mystery to what the hell is going on with Trevor's
life. And as the screenplay and director Rick Bota starts to increase the level
of strange occurrences, I'm afraid subtlety goes out the window in favor of
slick cinematography. And that is really the only thing about
"Hellseeker" that is worthwhile. It's a great looking movie, and
director Rick Bota, in his feature film debut, shows that he's got the right
talent for this kind of work. Bota's obvious talents with the camera may also
explain why he was given the director's chair for parts 7 and 8 as well --
subtitled "Deader" and "Hellworld", respectively.
Unfortunately the return of Ashley Laurence is a big waste,
proving once again that writers with no respect for a franchise's history
shouldn't be allowed to write its sequels. Laurence's Kirsty isn't in the movie
for more than 10 minutes and the vast majority of that is in flashbacks. To add
further insult to fans foaming at the mouth for the lovely Ms. Laurence's
much-anticipated return, most of her flashback scenes are re-occurring
flashbacks!
The film's ending is also disappointing. As a cursory fan
of the franchise, I was not especially perturbed by the motivations behind the
Kirsty character. The movie's big "surprise" is sure to be
controversial because it contradicts a lot of the established character traits
of the Kirsty character. This is a woman who has literally gone to hell and
back, and knows exactly what the Cenobites are capable off. Needless to say, the
character does the one thing she would never do again. And all for what?
Let's just say, "Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned" takes a whole
new meaning. "What is 'contrived', Alex?"
Devoted "Hellraiser" fans might find even more
things to get upset about with "Hellseeker". Even as a not-so
dedicated fan I thought the installment was a big waste of time and had very
little reason to exist. Doug Bradley returns as chief Cenobite Pinhead, but like
Kirsty, he mind as well not have come back at all; the screentime he's afforded
is criminally limited. Dean Winters, our hero, fills up exactly every single
frame of the movie. And yes, the guy really does look like he's smirking
throughout.
It remains to be seen if I'll bother with Bota's next two
"Hellraiser" sequels. I suppose I'll have to take a look at the
logline for those movies first, just to make sure they're not more of the same.
Still, it goes without saying that the
"Hellraiser" franchise has really gone to hell in a hand
basket. (Oh boy, I'm so clever.)
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