10 Horror Movie Franchises That Need To End

After writing the scripts for Underworld (1985) and Rawhead Rex (1986), Clive Barker stepped behind the camera for Hellraiser, which offered an Old Dark House gothic nobody had seen before, full of twisted sexuality and grisly violence. The film’s antagonists, the Cenobites, looked like demons in fetish gear, and as they pursued a skinless creature that had escaped their clutches, it was clear that British horror had entered a new era.

Tellingly, Barker didn’t return to the director’s chair for the sequels, so the drop off in quality began with Hellbound: Hellraiser II which has gore galore but no real soul (not to mention an illogical plot). However, the real damage was inflicted when Dimension Films, seeking a horror franchise to rival New Line’s A Nightmare On Elm Street, acquired the series and set about increasing the amount of blood, nudity and special effects.

Hellraiser III: Hell On Earth was bad enough, but Hellraiser: Bloodline is notable only for being the first slasher movie to send its antagonist into outer space. The franchise never recovered and each subsequent movie went straight to DVD, but if you want to see Henry Cavill paying his dues then check out Hellraiser: Hellworld.

Hellraiser: Judgement, the tenth movie in the series, is currently gearing up for a 2017 release so don’t say you weren’t warned.