Read Part 1 for Films 10-6.
As I mentioned in Part 1, I am by no means suggesting that the following cinematic works are the most flawless representations of the genre and deserve to trump all other horror films. These films merely resonated with me on a personal level and are still greatly influential on my path as a young writer and enthusiast of the art form. These are films to which I look for inspiration. My hope is that you will read the list, check out some of the films, and develop and share your own opinions.
As I mentioned in Part 1, I am by no means suggesting that the following cinematic works are the most flawless representations of the genre and deserve to trump all other horror films. These films merely resonated with me on a personal level and are still greatly influential on my path as a young writer and enthusiast of the art form. These are films to which I look for inspiration. My hope is that you will read the list, check out some of the films, and develop and share your own opinions.
And here's my final 5!
Written
& Directed by Clive Barker - Starring
Andrew Robinson, Clare Higgins, Ashley Laurence
When
Clive Barker crash landed on the literary landscape in the early 1980’s with
the release of his collection of original short stories entitled The Books of Blood, horror icon Stephen
King predicted Barker to be “the future of horror.” While of course Barker’s
stardom unfortunately never matched the level of King’s, his work is
incomparable and in many ways outshines much of King’s work with a poetry in
his prose and an astoundingly unique ingenuity in the presentation of his terrifying
material. Prior to releasing The Books of
Blood, Barker had been directing low-budget independent films and touring
England with his fringe theatrical troupe, The Dog Company. In fact, many of
the plays they presented that Barker had penned predicted many of the themes
Barker would later explore in his successful commercial feature films. For
instance, Barker’s homage to the Grand Guignol theatre, Frankenstein in Love, predicts Hellraiser
with grisly depictions of torture, most importantly with a scene in which a central character is flayed
alive in front of the audience. Regardless, it was Barker’s directorial debut with Hellraiser that solidified his name as a bona fide Master of Horror.
Hellraiser was adapted by
Barker from his novella, “The Hellbound Heart.” The plot follows a seeker of infinite pleasure who solves a mysterious puzzle box that opens up a sadomasochist world
of Hell administrated entirely by an infantry of demonic sadists, known as the
Cenobites. After his corpse is reanimated from the Cenobites' dimension devoted to pain by receiving a single drop of blood,
he forces his married ex-lover to bring him human sacrifices in order to fully
regenerate his strength.
While
the plot of Hellraiser is
refreshingly unique in its own merit, it is Barker's competent direction and
brilliant cinematography that turn the piece from a run-of-the-mill demon horror
picture (a tired subgenre sodomized by uninspired horror directors by the 1980's) to a matchless work of art. The images with which Barker assaults his
audience are both profoundly beautiful and yet unquestionably unique with their
ingenuity and horror. Much like his literary work, Barker contradicts
astounding beauty with astonishing disgust. Not only are the visuals a treat
for the eyes with their artistry, but the characters are fascinating and
operate realistically in an otherwise fantastical world. His characters are
wealthy with real human needs and wants that effectively propel the development
of the story.
 |
| "We'll tear your soul apart." |
Hellraiser is truly
unmatchable in its creativity and flawless delivery of fantastical monstrosities. While Barker’s later films excelled too in their individuality and inventiveness, Hellraiser
is by far Barker’s crowning achievement and a venerated yard stick by which all
other directorial debuts in the horror genre should be measured.
