Hellraiser: Bloodline

Hellraiser IV: Bloodline
Promotional movie poster
Directed by	Kevin Yagher (credited as Alan Smithee) Joe Chappelle (uncredited)
Produced by	Clive Barker Anna C. Miller Paul Rich
Written by	Peter Atkins
Starring	Bruce Ramsay Valentina Vargas Kim Myers Charlotte Chatton Paul Perri Mickey Cottrell Pat Skipper Tom Dugan Doug Bradley
Music by	Daniel Licht
Cinematography	Gerry Lively
Editing by	Randy Bricker Rod Dean Jim Prior
Distributed by	Dimension Films Miramax Films
Release date(s)	March 8, 1996 (1996-03-08)
Running time	86 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English
Box office	$9,336,886

Hellraiser IV: Bloodline is a 1996 horror film and the fourth installment in the Hellraiser series, which serves as both a prequel and a sequel. Directed by Joe Chappelle and Kevin Yagher, the film stars Bruce Ramsay, Valentina Vargas and Doug Bradley as Pinhead.

This was the last Hellraiser film to be released in theaters and the last to have any sort of involvement with series creator Clive Barker. It is also the last installment in chronology as ninth film in series.

Summary

The film begins at Space Station Minos in the year 2127. Paul Merchant, the man who built the station, has a robot solve the Lament Configuration (the robot is subsequently destroyed). However, several guards led by Rimmer capture Paul. Paul tells Rimmer the story of his bloodline.

A flashback is shown to around 400 years ago. Philip L'Merchant, a French toymaker, makes the Lament Configuration for a wealthy aristrocrat named Duc de L'Isle, who is obsessed with dark magic. He and his apprentice, Jacques, kill a woman and use her to summon the Cenobite slave Angelique. However, Angelique and Jacques betray and kill de L'Isle. L'Merchant, in the process of inventing a design (the Elysium Configuration) to destroy the demons, attempts to steal back the box but is discovered. Jacques callously informs the toymaker that he and his bloodline are cursed until the end of time because of the box he created, before ordering Angelique to kill him. However, his wife survives.

Around 200 years later, John Merchant has built the building witnessed at the end of Hellraiser III. Upon realizing that the Merchant bloodline has survived, Angelique informs Jacques that she wishes to go to America. However, Jacques denies her permission, upon which Angelique kills him for "trying to stand in Hell's way". Angelique then attempts to seduce John. She finds the Lament Configuration in a cement pillar in the basement and makes a man solve it, and he is killed by Pinhead.

Pinhead wants to make John use the Elysium Configuration to keep the gateway to Hell open so he can come and go as he pleases. Pinhead tells Angelique that the best way to make John go along with their plans is to threaten his child, Jack. He gets John to use the Elysium Configuration, but it does not work, so Pinhead kills John. John's wife, Bobbi, sends Pinhead, Angelique, and a beastly demon called Chatter Beast back to Hell.

Returning to the present, in 2127, Rimmer has Paul locked up, and the guards are quickly picked off by the freed Cenobites. Rimmer releases Paul, who has a plan to destroy the Cenobites (and built Minos for that specific reason).

Paul distracts Pinhead with a hologram while he gets on the shuttle with Rimmer, and activates the Elysium Configuration. A series of powerful lasers and mirrors create a field of perpetual light, while the station transforms and folds around the light to create a massive box. The light is trapped within the box, which then self destructs, destroying the Cenobites.

Cast

• Bruce Ramsay as Phillip "Toymaker" L'Merchant / John Merchant / Doctor Paul Merchant
• Valentina Vargas as Peasant Girl / Angelique
• Doug Bradley as Captain Elliot Spencer / Pinhead
• Christine Harnos as Rimmer
• Paul Perri as Edwards
• Tom Dugan as Chamberlain
• Pat Skipper as Carducci
• Jody St. Michael as Chatterer Beast
• Charlotte Chatton as Genevieve L'Merchand
• Adam Scott as Jacques
• Kim Myers as Bobbi Merchant
• Mickey Cottrell as Duc de L'Isle
• Louis Turenne as Auguste de L'Moure
• Courtland Mead as Jack Merchant
• Wren T. Brown as Parker
• Sally Willis as MINOS Space Station Computer Voice
• Louis Mustillo as Sharpe

Production

Kevin Yagher disowned the version with cuts made behind his back due to conflicting artistry ideas. Yagher's version contained much more graphic imagery, plot, and explained everything that happened in the film. The producers disagreed and demanded Pinhead should appear sooner despite every version of the script up until then having him appear around the 40-minute mark. Yagher eventually walked away and never finished filming some final scenes, and Joe Chappelle was brought on to finish the film, filming new scenes from re-writes including the narrative framing device. Some scenes of the original script were thus never shot. Yagher substituted the generic Director's Guild pseudonym "Alan Smithee".

The script, a fourth draft written by Peter Atkins, may be found at the internet site The Hellbound Web. Kevin Yagher cut four different director's cuts, ranging from 82 to 110 minutes.

Reception

Bloodline was heavily marketed and initially received some positive reviews in amongst a field of negative criticism. Some praised its expanded scope while others derided its cheaper horror aspects.^{[citation needed]} In the United States and Canada, it grossed $9,336,886. It currently ranks 27% Rotten on Rotten Tomatoes, slightly higher in rank than its predecessor. Nevertheless it became the last Hellraiser movie to have a theatrical release.

External links

• Hellraiser: Bloodline at the Internet Movie Database
• Hellraiser IV: Bloodline at AllRovi
• Hellraiser: Bloodline at Rotten Tomatoes