Main Cast: Bruce Ramsay, Valentina Vargas, Doug Bradley, Kim Myers, Christine Harnos
Release Year: 1996
Country: US
Run Time: 85 minutes
MPAA Rating: R
Plot
Clive Barker's horrific creation Pinhead (Doug Bradley) returns to the screen for the fourth (and purportedly final) time in this time-juggling horror opus. In 18th century France, Phillip Lemarchand (Bruce Ramsay) constructs a black puzzle box for the wizard Duc de L'Isle (Mickey Cottrell); however, the box has potentially deadly consequences when it's discovered that it can be used to open the gates of hell, freeing the demonic Pinhead. Two hundred years later, the box finds its way into the hands of John (also played by Bruce Ramsay), a New Yorker and distant descendant of Lemarchand who is being pursued by Pinhead and his minions, while another 200 years hence, Dr. Paul Merchant (Ramsay again) is trying to make his way aboard a space station in hopes of reclaiming the puzzle box, hoping to destroy it before it can be used to once again release the demons upon the world; Merchant is also attempting to build a second box that can close the gates that the first box opens. While makeup artist Kevin Yagher made his directorial debut with this film, the final cut was taken away from him and considerably shortened, which in his mind severely compromised the film's complex, time-traveling narrative. He opted to instead credit his work to Alan Smithee, which was the Directors Guild's official pseudonym for directors who feel their work has been tampered with. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
Cast
Bruce Ramsay - Phillip / John / Paul
Valentina Vargas - Angelique
Doug Bradley - Pinhead
Kim Myers - Bobbi
Christine Harnos - Rimmer
Charlotte Chatton - Genevieve; Wren T. Brown - Parker; Mickey Cottrell - Duc de L'Isle; Louis Mustillo - Sharpe; Pat Skipper - Carducci; Louis Turenne - Auguste; Paul Perri - Edwards; Tom Dugan - Chamberlain; Courtland Mead - Jack
Credit
Ken M. Larson - Art Director, Anna C. Miller - Associate Producer, Laurel Smith - Casting, Andrea Stone - Casting, Eileen Kennedy - Costume Designer, K.C. Colwell - First Assistant Director, Alan Smithee - Director, Kevin Yagher - Director, Jim Prior - Editor, Randolph K. Bricker - Editor, Rod Dean - Editor, Clive Barker - Executive Producer, Paul Rich - Executive Producer, Casey Bennett - Executive Producer, Daniel Licht - Composer (Music Score), Daniel Licht - Songwriter, Gary J. Tunnicliffe - Makeup, Gary Lively - Camera Operator, Ivo Cristante - Production Designer, Gerry Lively - Cinematographer, Nancy Rae Stone - Producer, Robert Bennett - Producer, Ed White - Sound/Sound Designer, Dennis Dion - Stunts, Kurt Bryant - Stunts, Robert Lee - Stunts, Peter Atkins - Screenwriter
The story revolves around the original creator of the Lament Configuration, a French toymaker named Philip Lemarchand, commissioned by Duc de L'Isle, a wealthy Aristocrat, master of the dark arts who wished to open a gateway to Hell in order to enslave a demon. The story takes place in 1784 France (Paris). It presents the story of the later Lemarchand/Merchant bloodline and their unconscious bond with the Lament Configuration, and a plot to create a new design, the Elysium Configuration, able to close the gateway opened by the first box and destroy the Cenobites.
The film was re-edited without director Kevin Yagher's consent by Dimension Films and Yagher substituted the generic Director's Guild pseudonym "Alan Smithee" They called in director Joe Chappelle to re-shoot large amounts of material[1]. and many viewers found the film difficult to follow. The original film was more story-based with no appearance by Pinhead until halfway through the film. The science fiction element of Bloodline is sometimes compared to Aliens, Pitch Black, the first Resident Evil movie, and especially Event Horizon, which has several embedded Hellraiser references in it.
The script, a fourth draft written by Peter Atkins, may be found at The Hellbound Web: * Bloodline Original Script. Kevin Yagher cut 4 different director's cuts, ranging from 82 minutes to 110. Time constraints with other projects and increasing uneasiness between the producers and Kevin Yegher led to a friendly departure of the director and the studio brought in Rand Ravich (writer) and Joe Chappelle to write new scenes and do two more weeks of shooting. By this time, the story had changed far from the original script.
