#TweetWithBGH Takes On Hellraiser: Hellseeker

After taking a week off of our Hellraiser recaps so Sophie and Evan could join our BGH friends and fans at Horror Hound, we were back this week to live-tweet our viewing of Hellraiser VI: Hellseeker. Known to some fans as “the decent one” of the late years, the movie brings back franchise regular Ashley Laurence to co-star with Dean Winters (Oz, 30 Rock, and “Mayhem” from Allstate commercials) in a story about a man whose wife (Laurence / “Kirsty”) goes missing after he survives a car accident that should have killed them both. It’s an unusual premise for a Hellraiser film…here were some of our thoughts.

We noticed the exciting casting choices right away:

MAYHEM IS OUR PROTAGONIST! This shit is going to get cray #TweetWithBGH

— Sophie Day (@philliesfemme) September 21, 2015

That is Kristy right? Or is it just Ashley Laurence playing someone else? #TweetWithBGH #HellraiserVI

— Evan Slead (@EvanSlead) September 21, 2015

Then we got our first taste of unspeakable gore.

Thank goodness I finished my burrito before starting this movie! #TweetWithBGH

— Sophie Day (@philliesfemme) September 21, 2015

Turns out, like Hellraiser V: Inferno, “Hellseeker” was a spec script that was rewritten and shoved into a franchise ready for some DTV sequels. This--and the low budget-- probably explained some of the bizarre extraneous touches.

This scene is way more fun when you imagine that the old granny knitting is the one blasting the music #BusSounds #TweetWithBGH

— Sophie Day (@philliesfemme) September 21, 2015

Legitimately LOL'd at that dog with no teeth. It was so sassy. #TweetWithBGH #HellraiserVI

— Evan Slead (@EvanSlead) September 21, 2015

I like how the IMDB page for this describes the lead as a "shady businessman." This movie is about to get edgy. #TweetWithBGH

— Sophie Day (@philliesfemme) September 21, 2015

I was wondering when "Office Space" would be the inspiration for where to take a Hellraiser sequel. #TweetWithBGH

— Evan Slead (@EvanSlead) September 21, 2015

I have a nasty head cold & drank half a bottle of NyQuil, but can someone confirm that there really are tons of flashbacks? #TweetWithBGH

— Evan Slead (@EvanSlead) September 21, 2015

Did anyone else notice that the "scary" sound effects in that alley scene were just seagull calls looped over each other? #TweetWithBGH

— Sophie Day (@philliesfemme) September 21, 2015

Then Sophie, the Giles of BloodyGoodHorror, took a look through the archives and unearthed a piece of news that changed everything:

Now THIS is interesting http://t.co/6Hpaiz8gsB #TweetwithBGH

— Sophie Day (@philliesfemme) September 21, 2015

Yes, apparently the great Ashley Laurence was paid for her participation in Hellraiser VI: Hellseeker with …. a refrigerator. This derailed us for a while. The plot of the movie just couldn’t compete.

@philliesfemme Stars: they're just like us

— S. G. Cherryhomes (@GreenSpe) September 21, 2015

@GreenSpe @philliesfemme I wish I made enough money from probably 3 days work to make a fridge payment #tweetwithbgh

— Ben Ecker (@BenEcker) September 21, 2015

@BenEcker @philliesfemme yeah but "towards a payment" is pretty ambiguous

— S. G. Cherryhomes (@GreenSpe) September 21, 2015

@GreenSpe @philliesfemme true. Also, what kind of fridge are we talking? Ice dispenser? #tweetwithbgh

— Ben Ecker (@BenEcker) September 21, 2015

ASHLEY LAURENCE, WE WERE ALL VERY CONCERNED ABOUT YOUR REFRIGERATOR.

@benecker Better be the kind with water on the door!

— Sophie Day (@philliesfemme) September 21, 2015

@philliesfemme what if it was like... A walk in? I'd feel less bad for her. I need details imdb! #tweetwithbgh

— Ben Ecker (@BenEcker) September 21, 2015

@BenEcker @philliesfemme true, what if it was an ice cream truck

— S. G. Cherryhomes (@GreenSpe) September 21, 2015

@GreenSpe @philliesfemme @BenEcker Let's all chip in and buy her a mini fridge

— Evan Slead (@EvanSlead) September 21, 2015

But eventually the strangeness onscreen reclaimed our attention. It wouldn’t be a Hellraiser movie without weird sex!

Ew I get the vibe that big white t-shirt guy and the girl are about to go back inside and have sex on top of a pizza. #TweetWithBGH

— Evan Slead (@EvanSlead) September 21, 2015

Even vending machine sex:

Sir, don't use that vending machine. You don't know where it's been! #TweetWithBGH

— Sophie Day (@philliesfemme) September 21, 2015

And sex during acupuncture:

Is she laying on top of the needles right now?! #TweetWithBGH

— Sophie Day (@philliesfemme) September 21, 2015

Also typical to the Hellraiser franchise: complete and utter plot collapse

Nothing makes sense anymore #TweetWithBGH

— Sophie Day (@philliesfemme) September 21, 2015

Oh so the twist of this movie is that we're still watching it! How cute! #TweetWithBGH

— Evan Slead (@EvanSlead) September 21, 2015

If you look at it like you're insane, that was really sweet how his friend killed himself so they could be together in hell. #TweetWithBGH

— Evan Slead (@EvanSlead) September 21, 2015

What just happened in that PD??? I missed it. I may need to go back later. There are 20 minutes left. #TweetWithBGH

— S. G. Cherryhomes (@GreenSpe) September 21, 2015

This flashback with Kirsty screaming "Is this what you want? I trusted you!" makes literally no sense #TweetWithBGH

— S. G. Cherryhomes (@GreenSpe) September 21, 2015

Has he really been dead this ENTIRE TIME? This is even worse than "It was a dream the whole time" aka Hellraiser V. #TweetWithBGH

— Sophie Day (@philliesfemme) September 21, 2015

Followed by our complete and utter inability to understand how this franchise keeps producing so many damn sequels:

I legitimately can't fathom how there are more Hellraiser movies after this one. What a joke. #TweetWithBGH

— Evan Slead (@EvanSlead) September 21, 2015

Now let's all hold our loved ones tight and make sure none of our secret 1st drafts could ever become Hellraiser 12:Dutch Oven #TweetWithBGH

— S. G. Cherryhomes (@GreenSpe) September 21, 2015

Wait, apparently the next two Hellraiser movies both came out in 2005? Can someone explain this? #TweetWithBGH

— Evan Slead (@EvanSlead) September 21, 2015

@EvanSlead My theory is we've all been dead the whole time #TweetWithBGH

— S. G. Cherryhomes (@GreenSpe) September 21, 2015

Hellraiser VI, you were far from the worst of the franchise (and we’ve been promised that, as with all trips to Hell, the worst is yet to come). Next week our journey continues with Hellraiser: Deader. See you on Sunday!