Hellraiser: The Legend Begins 1987 Poem by Paula Glynn

Clive Barker Writes A Story

Clive Barker a short story writer
An acclaimed novel writer
Having won awards for his work
First book 'The Hellbound Heart'
The novella published in 1986
A book so popular
It had to be made in a film:
A film never forgotten
By film audiences the world over
Computer graphics advanced
For that decade and that century
The 1980's with effective special effects
Graphics so good you'll feel the fear:
But will you watch it anyway?


Ashley Laurence Arrives

Ashley Laurence to knock on Clive Barkers door
An actress with supermodel looks
An actress never starred in any film before
16 year old Ashley to follow Clive's guidance
And direction during filming
Ashley a competent actress
Making her character Kirsty Cotton
Realistic and true to life
In a shocking horror film
With bloody scene after bloody scene
Hellraiser the devil's dream
With a complex Chinese box
Its workings a mystery
But best kept a mystery
Even when those want explanations
And answers to the inner workings
Of this forever spinning world.


Pinhead and Other Cenobites

Doug Bradley to play
The black hearted devil's slave
Pinhead: a character from hell
Perhaps the son of the anti Christ
To be protected by pins in the head
No one in hell safe
From such dark cenobites
Cenobites with a thirst for blood
To steal God's precious love
From those that decide to kill
Cenobites dressed up for their expertise
In black leather and latex
Providing hell's never ending torture
Fear, violence, blood and pain
For those that somehow karmically deserve it.


The Audience 1987

The cinema audience in the year 1987
A film far away from heaven
For Hellraiser is the bomb
With expert and charismatic actors:

Ashley Laurence playing Kirsty Cotton
Robert Hines playing Steve O'Donnell
Andrew Robinson playing Larry Cotton
Clare Higgins playing Julia Cotton
Sean Chapman playing Frank Cotton
And Doug Bradley playing Pinhead
Later known in human form
To have been a soldier in India
The early 20th century hard on the world
Elliott Spencer turning into Pinhead
The devil taking over Elliott's soul

Because such a graphic horror film
To inspire other horror writers
To inspire other film makers
1987 a year the hit horror film
To bomb the packed cinema
The audience watching with shock and horror
Yet fascination for Clive Barker's world
Of familiarity versus unexpected horror
A juxtaposition in its truest form

With emotions of fear, excitement,
Anticipation, inspiration
Panic, yet also desire and passion
A horrific love story
At the heart of this classic
And a film never left ignored on the shelf
Never substituted for another film
No matter the time that does pass
A film etched deep in the audience's heart
Knowing a message too deep to ignore.