Fantastic analysis, Buck, and I'm definitely bookmarking these articles to read later! My husband and I talked at length about the franchise whilst preparing to watch the 2022 remake, and one of the things we remember most is how incidental the Cenobites really were to the original, just as you mentioned here. I'm always fascinated by Lawful Evil characters, and they are perfect examples of that in the first two films. (While I enjoy Hellraiser III for nostalgic value, it doesn't do as much for me as the first two, mostly because of the random killing, which became a hallmark of the rest of the franchise). But, then, I also enjoy the second movie more than the first, which I think makes me an outlier in the fandom—it’s just so wild and bonkers and intensely visual.
One of the things that struck me about the reboot was the fact that the MC was a young female recovering drug addict with a protective/innocent older brother trying to save her—much like the remake/reboot of Evil Dead a few years back. I’d dearly love to do more analysis of this and what it means in terms of the modern outcast (previously, mental illness was shorthand for that in a lot of Gothic fiction). However, I don’t read enough new Gothic fiction to be a good judge of whether or not Evil Dead (old or new) fits into that genre. What do you think?
I love the plot of Hellraiser II, but I just can't get past the bad special effects to make it number one. I had not thought much of your discussion of female gothic heroines/horror leads. It's something I will have to look at more as I read through modern gothic. I would agree that a strong argument could be made for the gothic influence on the Evil Dead remake.
Do you think the success of the Hellraiser franchise signals a longing to return to more gothic storytelling or is it simply that people want to see more monsters?
That is something to ponder. I do believe we are in a bit of a gothic revival at the moment. This is starting in Literature more than film. Film wise, Watcher had some great new Gothic vibes. I also really want to see Dawn Breaks Behind the Eyes. Tor has a great article on the Gothic novels that are out this year - https://www.tor.com/2022/04/12/13-gothic-horror-books-that-will-unsettle-you-in-2022/
I just finished two great new Gothics - House of Hunger by Alexis Henderson and Angelika Frankenstein Makes Her Match by Sally Thorne. Both are really great.
Fantastic analysis, Buck, and I'm definitely bookmarking these articles to read later! My husband and I talked at length about the franchise whilst preparing to watch the 2022 remake, and one of the things we remember most is how incidental the Cenobites really were to the original, just as you mentioned here. I'm always fascinated by Lawful Evil characters, and they are perfect examples of that in the first two films. (While I enjoy Hellraiser III for nostalgic value, it doesn't do as much for me as the first two, mostly because of the random killing, which became a hallmark of the rest of the franchise). But, then, I also enjoy the second movie more than the first, which I think makes me an outlier in the fandom—it’s just so wild and bonkers and intensely visual.
One of the things that struck me about the reboot was the fact that the MC was a young female recovering drug addict with a protective/innocent older brother trying to save her—much like the remake/reboot of Evil Dead a few years back. I’d dearly love to do more analysis of this and what it means in terms of the modern outcast (previously, mental illness was shorthand for that in a lot of Gothic fiction). However, I don’t read enough new Gothic fiction to be a good judge of whether or not Evil Dead (old or new) fits into that genre. What do you think?
I love the plot of Hellraiser II, but I just can't get past the bad special effects to make it number one. I had not thought much of your discussion of female gothic heroines/horror leads. It's something I will have to look at more as I read through modern gothic. I would agree that a strong argument could be made for the gothic influence on the Evil Dead remake.
Do you think the success of the Hellraiser franchise signals a longing to return to more gothic storytelling or is it simply that people want to see more monsters?
That is something to ponder. I do believe we are in a bit of a gothic revival at the moment. This is starting in Literature more than film. Film wise, Watcher had some great new Gothic vibes. I also really want to see Dawn Breaks Behind the Eyes. Tor has a great article on the Gothic novels that are out this year - https://www.tor.com/2022/04/12/13-gothic-horror-books-that-will-unsettle-you-in-2022/
I just finished two great new Gothics - House of Hunger by Alexis Henderson and Angelika Frankenstein Makes Her Match by Sally Thorne. Both are really great.