Masters Class: Hellraiser

 In 1986, Clive Barker released a novella called “The Hellbound Heart.” It was a story of the thin, at times unperceived, line between good and evil, and the connection of sexuality to those two concepts. Barker had drawn on his own real life experiences as a hustler in the 70s to tell the story of the connection between pain and pleasure. The story’s antagonist, a sadomasochist named Frank that felt he has experienced all the pleasures a person could in this world, came upon a device called the Lemarchand Box or Lament Configuration. It was promised the solving of this puzzle box would open him to experiences only dreamt about. In actuality, it would open a schism between our world and Hell, and the demons which presided over that portion of Hell, the Cenobitical Order of the Gash, would unleash their powers of pain and pleasure upon the house on Lodovico Street. 

While the novella only mild success, it served as a starting point for the Hellraiser movies that also began in the late 80s. Barker wrote and directed the first, “Hellraiser”, which spawned not only nine plus sequels, also delivered to the audience a new horror icon, Pinhead. 

While the character in the book had never been named or differentiated one cenobite from the other, Pinhead became the star of the film franchise. His portrayal by Doug Bradley spurred a huge following and fan base for the subsequent books and movies. For years now, The Cold Man or The Hell Priest has delivered horror to the genre with his signature look of concentric grooves carved into his head, nails driven in at each intersection. 

Being as #uc_hecktober is all about the horror genre, (as well as the fact that today marks the release of a new adaptation of Hellraiser on Hulu) it seemed only fitting to feature Hellraiser as the first Horror Masters Class to focus on. Joining us today to talk all about horror figure photography, and all things Pinhead, are two talented artists from IG. Please welcome @hierophanthorror and @tonytoyboxopentoday! 

Grab your Lament Boxes and fisherman hooks, because Class is now in session.

When it comes to setting up a horror shot of action figure photography, more often than not the final product heavily focuses on the character. Pinhead has a vast history, between comics and movies. What were some things that you used to draw upon to come up with your shot? 

TT- “I primarily drew upon the Hellraiser movies. This photo had to be dark and cold. I wanted the scene to be an introduction; Pinhead is being summoned by Constantine. Constantine is aware of who and how powerful Pinhead is. Pinhead’s enters the scene and looks toward the man sitting in the chair. Does Pinhead know this Hellblazer. What sights await Constantin...pleasure or pain? It’s up to you the viewer to decide.”

HH- “We see the chains often that rip the victims apart, so I took inspiration from that to make it look like Pinhead is dragging the Demogorgon away to who knows where! The Demogorgon is already a powerful creature, but I believe Pinhead is even stronger. Maybe he’ll get torn apart or even become Pinhead’s new pet as a Cenobite! Can you imagine what that would be like? I’ll leave it up to the people viewing the picture!”

Pinhead has an iconic look with a very specific lore and power set, what was something about him in particular that you wanted to focus on to highlight him for the Masters Class? 

TT- “I definitely had to incorporate the puzzle box as the puzzle box is synonymous with Pinhead. The puzzle box was hung above Constantine's hand using fishing wire held with tape on the underside of the cardboard roof. The inclusion of the chains was essential for me for the transition between dimensions as Pinhead is summon onto earth. Using mini misters with back lightening to portray Pinhead’s entrance into the scene as he has been summoned intentionally by Constantine.”

HH- “I wanted to focus on his abilities, mainly

his chains since he can manifest them from out of thin air to rip his victims apart! In this case, he’ll be dragging away the Demogorgon and the rest will be up to the viewer! Will he suffer a painful death or be turned into a Cenobite?”

As we’ve seen on previous Masters Class collaborations, lighting plays a pivotal part in delivering an epic shot. What was your setup like for lighting a shot featuring Pinhead?

TT- “I used rim lighting by placing a light cube behind Pinhead. Using back lighting with the mini misters was used to create that atmospheric effect behind Pinhead. I also wanted to highlight the puzzle box as well as Constantine, who has summoned Pinhead. I wanted the viewer to see Constantine as nonchalant and brazen as he sits in the chair with a cigarette in one hand and tossing the puzzle box up in the air like a baseball. In order to photograph the mist, I used continuous shot and a fast shutter speed.”

HH- “I wanted the shot to have like a bluish lighting to it to somewhat resemble the movies, but lighting seems to be my weakness honestly. I’m still somewhat new but I’m learning! I used my Vivitar that I got recently for the lighting.”

Aside from the figure itself, what were some other items that you wanted to incorporate into your shot to develop it into a Hellraiser theme? (Props, effects, background etc) 

TT- “I wanted to environment to have the feel of a cold dark basement/ dungeon.

So off the back, I knew this was going to be an outdoor photo. Using my water hose and 14 x 14 concrete pavers, I made the “dungeon” and used the hose to wet the pavers for that cold damp look. I also used linked chains cut no to size and hung them on two rods spread apart equidistant one rod behind the Pinhead and the second in front.”

HH- “I used a cardboard box with black paper on the inside as a black background and then I wrapped some old chains around the Demogorgon’s neck, adjusted his arms a bit to make it look like he’s struggling to get the chains off and then I made Pinhead hold the chains. After that, I setup my Vivitar and started taking some shots from different angles! I really wanted to capture the feeling of Pinhead dragging away the Demogorgon!”

With the new movie coming out on HULU, there will now be 11 movies in total of the Hellraiser franchise. Which movie is your favorite?

TT- “Hellraiser is my favorite movie in the franchise. This movie was my introduction to writer/director Clive Barker and actor, Doug Bradley (Pinhead). I first watched this movie in the early 90s in my youth and recently watched it this past Saturday. It is still intense and chilling and tops my favorite Horror Movies of all time.”

HH- “I enjoyed all the movies in the series, but I’ll have to go with the first one! It’s what started it all for the films and has gotten a remake! It has a special place in my heart because of its visuals, characters, character designs and memorable quotes!