13 CHILLS 2011

Thirteen Memorable Moments In Horror Film Music

12. ..HELLRAISER (1987) by Christopher Young

By JASON COMERFORD

A slick mash-up of H.P. Lovecraft and the Marquis de Sade, with some gnarly splatter thrown in for seasoning, Clive Barker’s Hellraiser began its life as a novella called The Hellbound Heart, published in 1986. Barker, an English writer with a background in theatre and visual art and a handful of published short stories to his credit, expanded his story into a full-length feature, and his low-budget directorial debut became an international success. Hellraiser spawned a series of sequels, most of which went direct to video and ably demonstrate the law of diminishing returns; in keeping with current trends, a 3D remake is in the planning stages.

Dubious legacy aside, Hellraiser still has teeth. Nearly 25 years after its release, the film packs more than its share of ferocious shocks. Barker’s lurid mixture of S&M melodrama and grindhouse horror kicks off with an unforgettably intense opening sequence, as the nihilistic criminal Frank (Sean Chapman) finds himself ensnared and ripped to shreds by a mysterious puzzle box purchased from a Moroccan street vendor. Trapped within the parallel reality of the horrific Cenobite creatures, led by the soon-to-be-ubiquitous Pinhead (Doug Bradley), Frank awaits the fresh infusion of blood that will bring him to life, and enlists the aid of his former flame (Claire Higgins), who’s now married to his brother Larry (Andrew Robinson).

Composer Christopher Young was no stranger to the genre; in fact, by the time Hellraiser rolled around, Young had made horror his specialty. Beginning with The Dorm That Dripped Blood in 1982 and continuing through the decade with films like Def-Con 4, A Nightmare on Elm Street 2, and Invaders from Mars, Young’s gleeful enthusiasm and relentless productivity had made him a fan favorite. But it was Hellraiser that put him on the map for good, and began his slow but steady climb into the upper echelons of Hollywood film composers.

An early highlight of the score is Young’s majestic cue for Frank’s slow transformation from gelatinous blob back into human form (more or less), having absorbed the blood of an unlucky patsy. “Resurrection” begins with a stately motif carried first by piano, then taken up by full orchestra. Bells and organ are heard as well, giving the gruesome visuals a twisted religious context, accelerating to a definitive, yet unresolved crescendo. Throughout the film, the lush dynamism of Young’s score charges the melodrama with high romanticism, giving the relatively small-scaled film an expansive grandeur its visuals can’t always provide.

Hellraiser was briefly available on CD from Cinedisc in the US, and from Silva Screen in the UK; both releases are long out of print and sought-after on the secondary market. Along with Young’s even more progressive and challenging score for the sequel Hellbound: Hellraiser Part II, it’s one of horror film music’s real treasures, and a reissue and expansion is long overdue.







READER COMMENTS:

 



The Moment in Question:

Click below to listen to a sample of
"Resurrection," composed by
Christopher Young. [clip]
..

Christopher Young portrait
...Christopher Young


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Relevant Links

Christopher Young composer website

HELLRAISER score CD (Cinedisc)

HELLRAISER score CD (Silva Screen UK)

HELLRAISER: CHRONICLES CD (Ltd 3000)




Next Installment:

Spencer Moore is coming to get you,
Barbara.
NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD (1968)

Jason Comerford Bio


Howlin' Wolf  
The contest period for this installment will run until noon on Sunday, October 30. Prize information for the Week 4 installments is coming soon!
     
Jeremy
 
Now this is one I can relate to being one of those films that steps off the screen and grabs you. Taking you to a world you should never want to go or even be curious about. Now add the music to and need to see what is inside the box and you have a true musical masterpiece. I remember finding the import of this score at a local book/music store and almost skipping right past it cause I had never seen it before. My brain caught up to my fingers and now has had a home ever since. It's epic, yet quiet and makes every note remind you what is only one turn away from opening this box. Nice job on this entry!
     
Jedizim
 
Finally one I can comment on that I am familiar with! I remember when this movie was originally released, the COMMERCIALS would scare the crud out of me...Pinhead is such an iconic horror villain that he sticks with you. I enjoyed the movie quite a bit, but the score by Mr. Young...now THERE was something I could sink my teeth into. To this day, Hellraiser is the score I think of when anyone mentions Christopher Young. The dark epic power that he infused the movie with was perfect...it fit in every way. For years I searched for the score to this movie, scouring local shops and where ever I went I searched the shops there as well. It wasn't until this past year that I finally found BOTH the Cinedisc and Silva versions of the score, and they have become prized members of my collection.

Thanks for the fun again this year Howlin' Wolf! I have enjoyed reading the 13 chills this year even if I wasn't able to comment on most of them.



Howlin' Wolf
 
Awesome that you have been with us Jedizim! Hey given you found both the Cinedisc and the Silva versions in one year, you mind picking some lottery numbers for me (haha ;-) You're one lucky dude!
     
Jeremy
  Did you ever hear the band Coil "Unreleased Themes For "Hellraiser" 6 track EP... I forgot I had it... it's a great piece too.
     
Jonathan  
One of the great Christopher Young scores. I love it. I have the Hellraiser Chronicles CD-Set and I love it. Expansion is always good, but I am very happy with that presentation. Maybe our beloved Howlin' Wolf crew can look into it...
     
Howlin' Wolf  
Jeremy - I could not get to google fast enough after reading your post! I have already listened to a couple of the cues on youtube - awesome! THANKS FOR SHARING - I will have to rob a bank it seems to buy a copy haha - this cost almost as much as Christopher Young's OOP discs for Hellraiser. I have honestly never heard of this and I really dig "inspired by" compositions. I really love the work of Dan J. Schulte who has done amazing "inspired by" works for Halloween - "Halloween Returns To Haddonfield" score, as well as "inspired by" tracks for films such as Phantasm and other theme-based film scores. You can check his webpage out here - he is totally awesome!

Jonathan - Another score CD I need to win the lottery to get! I totally agree with you than any expansion/remastering that can be given to us for Hellraiser is a dream project. With an amazing score like Hellraiser and how it propelled Christopher Young, one of the all-time great composers of our time, onto center stage - I want to hear EVERYTHING - demo tracks, tracks that did not make the final film, cues that were composed when developing the score but ultimately did not have the right feel - EVERYTHING! Certainly as some anniversary of the film rolls around we will get a remastered special edition bluray and hopefully a remastered expanded score. "HELL" yeah we will do it if we can get our foot in the door ;-)
     
Howlin' Wolf   The contest period for Week 4 has now ended. All comment made from this point forward will be counted toward the final Grand Prize drawing, which will be held after noon (EST) on Tuesday, November 1. The prize information for Week 4 will be announced soon and the drawings for Weeks 3 and 4 Installments will also be held soon. Stay tuned