Pinhead (Hellraiser)

Pinhead is a fictional character in Clive Barker's Hellraiser universe. He is portrayed in the realms of the silver screen by the actor Doug Bradley.

Character details

Pinhead originated as Captain Elliot Spenser (c. 1883-1918), an explorer and a British Army veteran who served in World War I. His transformation into Pinhead, the angel of suffering and leader of the Cenobites, came about through his opening of the demonic Lament Configuration and he was subsequently possessed by the Cenobite spirit Xipe Totec.

The character of Pinhead presented somewhat of a departure from the horror movie villains which preceded him. One aspect of this uniqueness is his lack of muteness; he can and does speak (unlike Leatherface, Jason Voorhees and Michael Myers). However, he speaks very little and is not at all comical or glib (unlike Freddy Krueger or Chucky). When he does indulge in humor it is notably dry.

Another difference between Pinhead and other film killers, supernatural and otherwise, is his need to have been purposely summoned, as the Lament Configuration must be opened for the Cenobites to enter the world. Pinhead kills not indiscriminately, nor for vengeance; he kills because he was conjured from Hell by the opener of the puzzle box. The act of opening the Lament Configuration is not in and of itself reason to be killed: in Hellraiser II, Pinhead stops the Cenobites from killing Tiffany, a mentally ill girl who opened the box only after being manipulated by the evil Dr. Channard. “…it is not hands that call us, it is desire…” '' Pinhead's other difference from typical horror killers is his ability to be reasoned and bargained with. In both Hellraiser and Hellraiser: Hellseeker, the character Kirsty bargains with Pinhead to offer him more "souls" in exchange for her own (in particular her human adversaries), thus ending with him sparing her life.

Pinhead does not kill quickly; he and the Cenobites are well-versed in torture. Death does not end the suffering of his victims, either, as the victims are brought to Hell/the Labyrinth, where (in Pinhead's words), "We have an eternity to know your flesh."

Pinhead: Ruler of Hell?

Since the first film, Pinhead's role has varied with each installment. In the original Hellraiser, Pinhead was simply named "Lead Cenobite" and was part of a collective group whose purpose was to give pleasure and pain to those who opened the Box. They were not 'evil' as such, simply a force that existed to explore experience. The second film followed this but the third film radically changed the original concept, making Pinhead and the Cenobites into typical Hollywood monsters. In the fourth film he is presented as a demon of Hell who wants to take over Earth and by the fifth he is simply out to torture those who solve the box. The seventh film goes back to the originals, with the Cenobites being responsible for pleasure and pain, but still borders on the demonic portrayal of the middle installments. With this in mind, most Hellraiser fans only consider the first two films as true depictions of Pinhead and the Cenobites.

Quotes

"We have such sights to show you."

"The box...you opened it, we came."

"Oh, no tears, please. It's a waste of good suffering."

"I...am the way."

"Your soul belongs to me now"

"You solved the box, we came, now you must come with us, taste our pleasures."

"This is my body, this is my blood...happy are they who come to my supper."

"We have eternity to know your flesh."

"Your suffering will be legendary, even in Hell."

"Ah, the suffering. The sweet suffering."

"It is not hands that call us, it is...desire."

"Amen."

"Nobody escapes us."

"Burn? Oh, such a limited imagination." (In response to a priest claiming that Pinhead would burn in Hell for defiling a Church)

"Do I look like someone who cares what God thinks?"

"I...am...pain." (In response to a security guard claiming that he'll "Bring the pain.")

"We'll tear your soul apart."

"Welcome to Oblivion."

"Welcome to the worst nightmare of all...reality."

"Not quite." (In response to a guy saying "Jesus Christ!" at the sight of Pinhead)

"I am so exquisitely empty."

Trivia

Clive Barker has voiced his intention to kill off Pinhead in a future short story saying "I want to give Pinhead a good send-off. I want to do it right. If we are going to get rid of the old guy, let's do it with some style."
Doug Bradley once made a cameo appearance, in full Pinhead makeup, on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno where Pinhead expressed an interest in Leno's hangnail.
One draft of the horror film Freddy vs. Jason involved Pinhead appearing at the end of the film, where he stops a fight between the two title characters: "Now, gentlemen, what seems to be the problem?"
In the original film Pinhead did not have a name, he was simply credited as "the Lead Cenobite". Pinhead was a name coined by fans.
In Bride of Chucky, Chucky asks: "Why does that look so familiar?" after shooting nails into a victim's head.

References

External links

Official site for Doug Bradley
Revelations Official Clive Barker Resource