Review of "Hellraiser: Inferno" (2000) DVD

Doug Bradley returns as the villainous "satan-like" terror known as Pinhead in "Hellraiser: Inferno", the 5th film in the series which has now dwindled down to direct to DVD/Video land.

For those of you going into this movie expecting the same old same old slasher type film, please refrain. "Hellraiser Inferno" is not a run of the mill slasher film. In fact it's not quite like any of the other "Hellraiser" films actually. I feel this one matches more of the mood of the first film. Pinhead is hardly present in this film until the last few scenes. Once you are drawn into the film you will hardly care. He could have been left out with a title change and this would have probably even been a better movie. It's a mood piece more in the vein of a "supernatural Seven" movie or "Jacobs ladder" or something like that.

"Hellraiser: Inferno" stars Craig Sheffer (The Program and Night Breed) as a crooked LA Detective. He is married and has a daughter but pulls the wool over their eyes and doubles as a prostitute screwing, cocaine snorting, backstabbing, two faces manipulative kind of guy. This movie is interesting because the main character is actually a villain himself. Anyway, during one night of screwing a prostitute while his wife thinks he is "doing police work" the detective comes across the good ole' Puzzle Box.

After toying with it he unleashes his own personal hell. No, not Pinhead - like I said...Pinhead doesn't even show up until the final frames of the film. He literally unleashes his own personal hell. He must find a way to stop this hell he has created before it is too late. Will his family be safe? Does he really care deep down or is he trying to save his own tail?