Hellraiser IV: Bloodline – Written by a Pinhead

Hellraiser IV: Bloodline is a typical late 80s/early 90s horror sequel; as in, it's a cash grab. Sure, it takes Pinhead and his Cenobite minions to space (sort of), but it has nothing truly unique to offer to the series' lore.

And the space element, which was so popular amongst fledgling horror franchises that we're dedicating an entire month to it, isn't even present the majority of the film. Hellraiser IV revolves much more around its subtitle, "Bloodline."

It chronicles the history of Lemarchand's Box, the puzzle box that unlocks the gateway to Hell, covering its original design by French toymaker Philip Lemarchand, through its ultimate use to lock the portal forever.

In between, we get the story of another of Lemarchand's descendants, an architect whose latest building is essentially a giant version of the 'Lament Configuration' or "The Box of Sorrows."

Of course, it wouldn't be a Hellraiser film unless the horrors of the box were unleashed, and they are in each era. But, sadly, for us, the viewers, the only thing that follows is the equivalent of cinematic torture.

Hellraiser IV looks and feels cheap; is devoid of scares; and isn't even so bad, it's actually fun. It's just plain bad. Certainly, diminishing quality is a hallmark of horror sequels during this era, but this thing is a total mess and not just because of all the guts it spills.

Anyway, Adam Scott is here as a horny Frenchman who's into the occult! So, sit back, sink your hooks into a Tank Dog Hazy Imperial IPA from New Realm Brewing Co., and stop fumbling with that godforsaken cube! I, the Thunderous Wizard (@WriterTLK), Mayor McCheese, and Chumpzilla are dancing with the devil and celebrating the fall of capitalism in space with Tim Curry!

This Week’s Segments:

• Introduction/Plot Breakdown – This year, the past, the present and the future will all meet at the crossroads of Hell! (00:00)
• Lingering Questions – The Double Turn Podcast enters the Chamber of Horrors with Pinhead, and then we attempt to tackle the convoluted, era-spanning nonsense of Hellraiser IV. (46:06)
• The "Jesus Wept!" Trivia Challenge – After a word from our brothers in beer at Hop Nation USA, Chumpzilla challenges the field to trivia about the series. (1:04:42)
• Recommendations – We offer our picks for the week and next up: We continue "Hops and Cosmic Terror Flops" with Leprechaun 4. (1:18:11)

And, as always, hit us up on Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram to check out all the interesting factoids—the best Cenobites in Hellraiser history and more—from this week’s episode!

You can find this episode of Hops and Box Office Flops on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, Podbean, Spotify, Acast, TuneIn, iHeartRadio, Vurbl, Amazon Music, and more!

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