Demon to some.
Angel to others.

British filmmaker Clive Barker cemented his status as one of contemporary horror cinema’s foremost creators when he unleashed his iconic creation, HELLRAISER, in 1987. Buoyed by truly fantastic practical effects in an endless stream of gore, the unforgettable character who would eventually come to be known the world over as “Pinhead,” and a seething allegorical undercurrent that acknowledged both queerdom and the inescapable horrors of the AIDS crisis, HELLRAISER would ultimately emerge as one of the more genuinely disturbing movies of the decade (which is saying a lot, as the 80s proved a bloody good time for the genre). The film would go on to spawning a stunning nine additional titles in franchise, including most recently in 2022.

In the original entry, the audience meets Frank, a “sexual deviant” who inadvertently opens a portal to hell after tinkering with a mysterious puzzle box he bought while traveling abroad. The act unleashes gruesome beings called Cenobites, who tear Frank’s body apart. When Frank’s brother and his wife, Julia, move into Frank’s old house, they accidentally bring what is left of Frank back to life. Frank then convinces Julia, his one-time lover, to lure men back to the house so he can use their blood to reconstruct himself. With Sean Chapman, Andrew Robinson, Clare Higgins, Ashley Laurence, Doug Bradley.

“Horror is at its best when it’s relentless. Clive Barker knows this, and his debut feature as director is so gleefully vicious, so relentlessly grim that it’s going to be very hard for fans of the genre not to like it.” (Empire Magazine)

“Barker’s vision cribs equally from the mythos of vampires and zombies, but Hellraiser’s overriding ridiculousness (and nagging budgetary shortcomings) can’t disguise the fact that the movie is at least unwittingly a product of the AIDS crisis.” (Slant Magazine)

“Elevated by writer-director Clive Barker’s fiendishly unique vision, Hellraiser offers a disquieting – and sadistically smart – alternative to mindless gore.” (Rotten Tomatoes)

Thursday, October 27
Doors 7:50 pm | Movie 8:20 pm *Start time subject to change. Please arrive on time.
Advance tickets HERE

Monday, October 31
Doors 8:00 pm | Movie 8:30 pm *Start time subject to change. Please arrive on time.
Advance tickets HERE

*Minors permitted. Must be 19+ w/ID for bar service. Rio Theatre Groupons and passes OK for any single film screening only. Please redeem at the box office.
*Advance ticket sales end an hour before showtime; unless otherwise noted tickets are available for purchase at the door.
*If you are looking to redeem your tickets to either a canceled Rio Theatre screening or a Rio Theatre gift certificate, please email <[email protected]> with info including your name, canceled receipt number, gift certificate info, what you are wanting to see and when, and we can make the switch for you in advance. Alternately, you can bring this information with you to the venue, and we will do our best to help you at the box office.

HELLRAISER (Clive Barker, 1987 / 95 mins / 18A) A woman discovers the newly resurrected, partially formed, body of her brother-in-law. She starts killing for him to revitalize his body so he can escape the demonic beings that are pursuing him after he escaped their sadistic underworld.