Hellraiser: Judgment

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The featured article for Saturday, 7 November 2020 is Hellraiser: Judgment.

Hellraiser: Judgment is a 2018 American horror film starring Damon Carney, Randy Wayne, Alexandra Harris, Heather Langenkamp, and Paul T. Taylor. It is the tenth installment in the Hellraiser film series created by Clive Barker, written and directed by the series' longtime special make-up effects artist Gary J. Tunnicliffe. The plot centers on three police detectives who, investigating a series of murders, are confronted by the denizens of hell. The film expands the fictional universe by introducing a new faction of hell, the Stygian Inquisition, who are distinct from the recurring Cenobites. The Cenobites offer sadomasochistic pleasures to humans who enter their dominion, while the Inquisition processes the souls of sinners. Tunnicliffe plays the Inquisition's auditor, a prominent role in the film.

Unable to direct his screenplay for Hellraiser: Revelations due to a scheduling conflict, Tunnicliffe initially removed all references to the series from his Judgment concept and tried to have it funded as an independent film in 2013. He intended on making a "true" Hellraiser film because of his disappointment with the later films. Several years later, Dimension Films was required to make another Hellraiser film to retain the rights, giving Tunnicliffe a chance to propose his vision. The concept was initially rejected but accepted after he negotiated changes with the studio executives. It was filmed in Oklahoma with Children of the Corn: Runaway, both films produced by Michael Leahy. Some scenes were deemed too graphic by the studio, and were edited. Although Tunnicliffe asked actor Doug Bradley to return as priest of hell Pinhead (a series mainstay), Bradley declined when he learned that he would be required to sign a non-disclosure agreement to read the script. Judgment is the second Hellraiser film without Bradley in the role, having been replaced by Stephen Smith Collins in Revelations. Newcomer Paul T. Taylor was cast after impressing Tunnicliffe in an audition for another character. He and Tunnicliffe decided to develop a new look and interpretation, rather than imitating Bradley's performance. Mike Jay Regan reprised his role as the Chatterer, Pinhead's servant in several of the earlier sequels.

Judgment was scheduled for release in 2017 with minimal marketing to avoid negative publicity, but was temporarily shelved. According to Taylor, its release was not a priority for Dimension until the sexual abuse allegations involving parent company co-founder Harvey Weinstein (when the film was put back into post production). It was distributed by Lionsgate Films in video on demand and home media on February 13, 2018. Although critics compared the film favorably to its predecessors, its low budget and police procedural aspects were criticized.

This recording reflects the Wikipedia text as of 00:46 UTC on Saturday, 7 November 2020.

For the full current version of the article, see Hellraiser: Judgment on Wikipedia.

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