DVD Review - Hellraiser - Hellworld

Clive Barker's Gothic ghoul Pinhead is pitted against online gamers out for kicks in Hellraiser: Hellworld, the eighth entry in the popular horror franchise. A group of young computer-game enthusiasts crack the secret of Hellworld, a virtual-reality game based on the Hellraiser mythos, and earn themselves an invite to an exclusive party at a secluded and spooky mansion. There, the host (Lance Henriksen, always a welcome sight) reveals his elaborate collection of Hellraiser-related artifacts, as well as a hidden agenda regarding one of the gamers' friends, who died under sinister circumstances. Naturally, this fresh assortment of attractive young souls with an insatiable curiosity for the forbidden summons up Pinhead (Doug Bradley, natch) and his Cenobite friends to unleash their own brand of hell on Earth. Hellraiser devotees won't find any fresh ideas in the script, but veteran cinematographer Rick Bota (who helmed the two previous films in the franchise) provides attractive visuals, and the gore is plentiful and unpleasant. --Paul Gaita