There's a new Hellraiser movie on the horizon, helmed by the creative team behind The Night House. That couldn't be more thrilling to fans, who almost all agreed that the series had taken a huge dive in quality over the years, with a string of straight-to-DVD sequels that added up to an incoherent and sloppy franchise.
But while many of the Hellraiser movies tend to be maligned for their convoluted lore and shoddy production value, something that even the harshest critics can't deny is that the franchise produced one of the most distinguished and charismatic horror villains in Pinhead, played by Doug Bradley in almost all the previous films. Known for his thundering voice, these are the most iconic Pinhead lines that perfectly capture what made the character so captivating.
"Your flesh is killing your spirit."
Hellraiser: Inferno (2000)
In the first straight-to-DVD sequel, Pinhead and the Cenobites torment a corrupt detective who becomes ensnared in their web. Pinhead says this line to the detective, reminding the audience once again of his fascination for "the flesh," one of many reoccurring motifs for the character.
It's a perfect Pinhead line because it shows his absolute rejection of mortality. To Pinhead, true transcendence is pain and suffering.
"What you think of as pain is only a shadow. Pain has a face. Allow me to show it to you. Gentlemen, I... Am... Pain."
Hellraiser: Bloodline (1994)
Pinhead delivers this chilling line to a couple of security guards that are about to be transformed and mutated into a duo of Cenobites for Pinhead's service. It's a line that perfectly exemplifies what made Pinhead stand out amongst his slasher villain peers.
While there were wisecrackers (Freddy and Chucky) and stoic mutes (Michael and Jason), there's almost a poetic nature to Pinhead's dialogue. And Doug Bradley's delivery takes it to some truly thespian heights.
"Human dreams... such fertile ground for the seeds of torment."
Hellraiser III: Hell on Earth (1993)
One of his most sinister lines, Pinhead was almost the Willy Wonka of satanic horror movies, taking the power of dreams and imaginations and turning them into absolute nightmares. And he says this line in the movie where he cements his status as a true slasher villain, joyfully executing as many victims as he can in the most grotesque ways that he can.
Pinhead isn't just a sadist, but a creative type that sees true artistic merit to sadism. While Pinhead's ghastly methods have repelled audiences, they can't help but also be intrigued by his twisted outlook.
"Ah, the eternal refrain of humanity. Pleading ignorance, begging for mercy."
Hellraiser: Inferno (2000)
Pinhead sneeringly directs this line towards the corrupt detective, who at this point is begging for some form of mercy. While he reveres suffering and pain, he clearly thinks very little of humanity. That's possibly because he had a past life as a mortal, something which he thoroughly resents.
Lines like these put Pinhead's god complex on display and make all the moral characters around him seem even more feeble and insignificant. In the Hellraiser universe, pain is God, and Pinhead is the patron saint.
"Do I look like someone who cares about what God thinks?"
Hellraiser: Bloodline (1994)
At the very least, Pinhead has some self-awareness about his image. He says this line, which is the closest he gets to making a joke for most of the series, to a horrified would-be victim who shouts, "For God's Sakes!"
Just the very mention of God seems to set Pinhead off, proving that, even though he was once human, he's absolutely a product of Hell by now. This gives Pinhead a deeper, more literary quality than the other slasher villains at the time. That makes sense, of course, since he was originally from a novel, The Hellbound Heart.
"This is my body. This is my blood. Happy are they who come to my supper."
Hellraiser III: Hell on Earth (1993)
Speaking of perverse moralities, this line of Pinhead's was so offensive to religious groups that it resulted in minor controversy. But that only added to the allure and intrigue of Pinhead's character, that he was a heretical figure that dared to upset the natural order of mankind.
This quote comes when he chases the heroine down to a church, where he performs something akin to a sick parody of Communion. Bradley delivers it with such relish that it's clear that no other slasher villain has such contempt for religion.
"Demons to some, angels to others."
Hellraiser (1987)
Pinhead says this infamous line to Kirsty when she asks "who are you." And Pinhead gives an answer that perfectly sums up the mission of the Cenobites. They're angels to thrill-seekers and nihilists looking to push the boundaries of pain and pleasure, like Frank Cotton, the man who originally opened the puzzle box and unleashed all of this mayhem.
Unfortunately, they're demons to the likes of Kirsty and other innocent mortals that are just trying to survive the Cenobites' wrath. But like the best villains, Pinhead operates on his own, perverse morality.
"Your suffering will be legendary, even in Hell!"
Hellraiser II (1989)
One of the greatest threats ever put to film, Pinhead once again faces off against Kirsty in this sequel as she tries to remind him of his human past as Elliot Spencer.
Given that Pinhead actually says this line while they're "in" Hell, it certainly shouldn't be taken idly. It's a line that truly captures what makes Pinhead so terrifying, and one that reminds viewers of his unique power. He's almost a Lovecraftian figure in how unlimited and boundless his terror truly is, and that's probably because Clive Barker has taken great inspiration from Lovecraft.
"We have such sights to show you!"
Hellraiser (1987)
No line has done more to establish his mystique as a character. Once again, he's pursuing his final girl Kirsty and almost seems to be promising deliverance rather than death. Lines like these imply that Pinhead truly sees himself as a prophet rather than evil. Or perhaps he sees evil and deliverance as intertwined.
Of course, those "sights" turn out to be a sadomasochistic fetish for chains and leather. That's certainly not to everyone's taste, but that doesn't take away the fact that Pinhead undeniably has a way with words.
"We'll tear your soul apart!"
Hellraiser (1987)
In another quote from the first installment, this line is so synonymous with Pinhead that it was used as the tagline on the original movie poster. No other movie villain would make this kind of threat, because it wouldn't even make sense if it weren't coming from Pinhead.
By the time Pinhead screams this immortal line, he's already taken Frank Cotton to him and dismembered him both physically and spiritually. So again, it's not an empty threat. Sure, Michael and Jason can stab someone, or shove their face through a wall. But only Pinhead has the power to reach into a soul, a human essence, and rip it to shreds.