I introduced The Wife to the original (1987) Hellraiser. I'm not sure exactly what she thought of it, but, as far as I'm concerned, it has held up well. It's one of my favorite horror films.
Actually, I introduced The Wife to an iteration of Clive Barker's 1986 novella The Hellbound Heart. She hasn't read it, but this is probably as close as she's going to get. The movie is fairly faithful to the novella, since they share the same writer and Barker also made his directorial debut with the film.
What I love about Hellraiser is how low-budget it is, yet the special effects in this are amazing. The scene of Frank's "return" to the room where he first summoned the Cenobites is spectacular, visceral, and stomach-churning. The only effects that haven't aged well are the hooks snagging flesh (it seems too rubbery) and the flashes of light when the puzzle box brings forth or sends away one of the Cenobites. But, otherwise, the effects and makeup are top notch, and still work.
If they had ended Pinhead's run with this novella and this film, it probably would have been better. But other filmmakers tried their hand at sequels. Then Barker decided he needed to delve deeper into the background of the Hell Priest (Pinhead). Barker's work is better than the films, but he still should have just let everything end with one novella and the one film it inspired.
Streaming on Tubi.
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