Clive Barker Podcast’s Scene of the Week
Hello Everyone,
On this edition of Clive Barker Podcast’s Scene of the Week, I’ve chosen a controversial moment from Hellbound: Hellraiser II that has divided many fans over the years. The part in question is the scene between the Cenobites and the newly crowned ‘Prince of Hell’ Dr. Channard. To be frank, he takes them out way to fast and it’s understandable why many fans are still disappointed about it.
I’ve always had mixed feelings on the scene, but at the same time I believe there’s a lot more going on underneath the surface. I’m glad the scene turned out the way it did. A typical action scene would’ve been boring. It’s obvious that the Cenobites are mentally weakened by Kirsty’s revelation that they were all human, particularly their leader Pinhead. In those brief moments, he’s a shadow of his former self which causes his cohorts to let their guard down as well. This gives Channard the extra leverage he needs to defeat them.
For me the scene works because of Doug Bradley’s performance. He took something that could’ve come off as silly and made it work beautifully. He might be a monster, but we’re able to feel sympathy for him. That’s one of the main reasons I love Hellbound so much more than the first movie.
Enjoy!
I still root for the Cenobites to be Dr. Channard. I love this scene up until the moment when Channard cuts the chains.
This is one of my favorite scenes. I like how it adds more depth to Pinhead, I love the Elliott Spencer character, and I love how Doug Bradley plays both. What I enjoy most about sequels/series is that characters can be explored more. I know some people might feel that the more you know about a character, the less interesting they become, but I’ve always been the opposite. The more I see, the more I want to know.
I agree there’s a lot going on beneath the surface of this scene and I remember hearing that in the scene Pinhead lost because he was weakened by remembering his humanity, but neither the cenobite spirit nor Elliot’s soul are destroyed by Channard. In a way they’re manipulating Channard by buying time for Kirsty to escape and later in Hellseeker it’s revealed that they also manipulated Kirsty because Pinhead expects payback for his “sacrifice” that wasn’t much of a sacrifice at all because he survived.
I didn’t mind that it was a short fight, but I would have enjoyed a longer one as well (only because I like fight scenes). Ultimately, I don’t think the length of the fight was too important, but the reasons behind it.
Sorry to go on. Like you said, there’s a lot happening in this scene.
Hellraiser hell bound is a great film .
Better than the 1st one . Very well written and directed.
Hellraiser Deader was also very well done and scary.
Everyone wish Clive would make. Bride of Pinhead. Still.
Time for another. Night breed. Finally .
Waited long enough . How bout it Clive ?
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