Hellbound: Hellraiser (1988) A B C D E After such a ground breaking original movie you wouldn't even dream -or have nightmares- about a sequel which could live up to it's predecessor in such a way that Hellbound: Hellraiser II has. Hailed as the supreme of the series by many a Hellraiser fan and general horror fans alike. Personally I rate it second, however Hellbound is a movie to be reckoned with in it's own right and even more so as far as sequels are concerned Beginning where Hellraiser left off, Hellbound takes it much further on all playing fields. The sexual element from the original is slightly diminished in this follow-up, which downplays what the original had created in such a masertfully seedy way, however the atmospheric value of the piece is similiar to the original installment in the series. Hellbound instead of building the majority of the movie around sexual scenes -Frank and Julia- like the original did, takes Pinhead's story much further and to the next level. This is a winner as far as Pinhead specific fans are concerned, but quite possibly a loser as far as the rest of the Hellraiser fans are concerned; who long for the suspense, wanting and gradual escalation of the original Hellraiser. Mysterious is the only way to describe Pinhead, I am quite sure after watching the original that everyone else, like myself, was atleast intrigued by the Pinhead character and like myself may have desired to see a lot more of him in this installment. Well, our silent calls were answered. We do learn a little more and do see a lot more in this sequel, and this is where as far as I am concerned, it's one superiority over it's predecessor begins and doesn't let up for a second. From the start to finish, this movie is a gripping roller coaster ride, if you like, of gruesome, but powerful images and sequences with the finale in particular, putting you on the edge of your chair. We see Pinhead, we see more Pinhead and we actually see that Pinhead was once human, which apart from his physical humanoid appearance is easy to over look. We learn that he can be reached giving him a vulnerability which I welcome very much. Highly recommended, Hellbound: Hellraiser II will shock, entertain, confuse and even bemuse you with it's quality and essentially it's stand up to the original Hellraiser in a way that can only be described as meant to be...