“The only revelation that “Hellraiser: Revelations” offers is that someone either needs to take this franchise seriously, or let it die. “

I was browsing though Netflix, as I often do, looking for a decent horror flick.  There’s are some classics, like William Friedkin’s “The Exorcist,” or Michael Winner’s “The Sentinel,” though for every classic, there’s seems more in the way of dreck.

Then I noticed that “Hellraiser: Revelations” was available, so I gave it a try, despite not expecting much.

And it fully met my expectations, which wasn’t a surprise since the series haven’t been much of the way in of entertaining since “Hellraiser: Bloodline.”

Though what bothered me most was less than what was on screen, than the missed opportunities that weren’t.  Doug Bradley, who played ‘Pinhead’ in all the other films, wisely bailed this time around and was replaced by Stephan Smith Collins (who, it’s worth noting looks nothing like Bradley).

Which would have worked if they had run with the concept, and replaced not only Bradley, but the entire Cenobite hierarchy.  There could have been a set-up with Bradley’s Pinhead being deposed in Leviathan‘s eye with the new guy (or gal).

This may have necessitated a cameo with Doug Bradley, but it would have brought the character to an end that is much more complete than what we have seen so far, freeing Bradley from the series, and the franchise from the tyranny of the past.

Then there’s the ‘found film’ format that the film works with, which happens to be the flavor of the month.

Though it doesn’t work for Hellraiser because the environment the better films in the series tended toward an almost operatic, fantastical feel, while the new format only serves to illustrate the (relatively) small budget of this entry in the series, with a lessening of it’s impact.

So, instead of taking advantage of an opportunity to remake the whole Hellraiser mythos for current audiences, instead they chose to play it safe.  And boring.