2. Why Is The Puzzle Box So Easy To Open? (Hellraiser series 19872005)
The Hellraiser series centres on a mysterious puzzle box (revealed in the sequels to be The Lament Configuration) which, when opened, unleashes the Cenobites led by the iconic Pinhead (Doug Bradley) upon the opener. Much is made about how hard it is to open the damn box which would make sense as the person would really have to want to experience the dark pleasures of Hell to open it, right? From what the films show, however, all you need to do is press down on the circle shape on the box, and then the box opens itself. Despite how many times the films insist on the box being hard to open it seems that if I left the box in a preschool the Cenobites would be sticking around for snack time. This problem actually becomes more prevalent in the sequel Hellraiser II: Hellbound. In the original Hellraiser we see Frank and Kristy open the box without too much fuss. The second film opens with Pinheads human self opening the box without too much fuss so why oh why does the eeeeeeeeeeevil Dr. Channard (Kenneth Cranham)need the institutionalized Tiffany who is a whiz at puzzles to open it? He couldnt have done it? A doctor who when to medical school (albeit an eeeeeeeeeevil medical school) whos been researching it his whole life couldnt have opened it? Let alone the hapless simpletons who manage to open it in the sequels? The possible answer lies in the boxs history. Built by a toymaker Philip Lemarchand for the Duc de L'Isle an aristocrat and master of the dark arts (arent they all?) to open a gateway to Hell and enslave a demon the Lament Configuration was made to order for one specific person and not intended for mass consumption. My theory is, the Duc de L'Isle was as dumb as a post. When youre hired to make something you have to please your audience. If your audience is an inbred French aristocrat then chances are having a big shiny button to open the gateway to Hell is an unspoken requirement.