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Hellbound Hellraiser II poster

Hellbound: Hellraiser II is a 1988 horror film directed by Tony Randel and starring Clare Higgins, Ashley Laurence, Kenneth Cranham and Doug Bradley. The second film in the Hellraiser franchise, Hellraiser II draws heavily upon (and was made by much of the same cast and crew as) its precursor, Hellraiser, which was released a year prior. Laurence reprises her role as Kirsty Cotton, who is admitted into a psychiatric hospital after the events of the first film. There, the head doctor (Cranham) unleashes the Cenobites, a group of sadomasochistic beings from another dimension.

Clive Barker, who wrote and directed the first Hellraiser film, wrote the story of Hellraiser II and served as executive producer. An international co-production of the United Kingdom and the United States, Hellraiser II screened at the Toronto Festival of Festivals on 9 September 1988, and received mixed reviews upon release. It was followed by Hellraiser III: Hell on Earth in 1992.

Plot[]

In the past, British military officer Elliot Spencer is transformed into the Cenobite "Pinhead" after opening the Lament Configuration.

Shortly after her father is killed by Frank Cotton, Kirsty Cotton is admitted into a psychiatric hospital. Interviewed by Dr. Channard, and his assistant Kyle MacRae, she tells her account of the events, and pleads with them to destroy the bloody mattress her murderous stepmother, Julia Cotton, died upon.

After hearing Kirsty's story, Dr. Channard, who is secretly obsessed with the Lament Configuration, has the mattress brought to his home and convinces mentally ill patient, Mr. Browning, to lie on it and cut himself with a straight razor. The resulting blood frees a skinless Julia from the Cenobite dimension. MacRae, having snuck inside Dr. Channard's house to investigate Kirsty's claims, witnesses the event and flees.

Kirsty meets a young patient named Tiffany, who demonstrates an amazing aptitude for puzzles. Later that night Kirsty is awakened in her room by a vision of her skinless father, who tells her in writing that he's in Hell and to help him. MacRae arrives back at the hospital and informs Kirsty he believes everything is true. The two decide to return to Dr. Channard's house.

Meanwhile, Dr. Channard, seduced by Julia, has brought more mentally ill patients to his home for her to feed on and regenerate. Kirsty and MacRae arrive at Channard's home. MacRae is killed by a now fully regenerated Julia, and Kirsty is knocked unconscious.

Channard and Julia kidnap Tiffany and force her to unlock the Lament Configuration so they can enter the labyrinth-like world of Pinhead and the Cenobites. They enter, followed by Kirsty, who now possesses the Lament Configuration. Pinhead and the other Cenobites find Kirsty and tell her she is free to explore. Julia betrays Dr. Channard and leaves him to be transformed into a Cenobite by the god of hell, Leviathan.

Kirsty encounters Frank Cotton in the labyrinth, who reveals that he tricked her by pretending to be her father. Julia appears and destroys Frank in revenge for killing her, allowing Kirsty to escape. Julia is then killed by a vortex that opens within the labyrinth, leaving only her skin behind.

Kirsty and Tiffany reconnect and attempt to escape, but are ambushed by Channard, now having become a Cenobite. Kirsty and Tiffany flee and encounter Pinhead and the other Cenobites. Kirsty shows Pinhead a photograph of Elliot Spencer that she took from Channard's study, and he gradually remembers that he was human. Suddenly, Channard appears. Pinhead and the other Cenobites attempt to fight him, but Channard easily overpowers and kills them all.

Channard traps Kirsty and Tiffany. Kirsty finds Julia's skin and wears it to distract Channard, giving Tiffany enough time to once again solve the Lament Configuration. Channard is killed and the door to hell is finally closed. Kirsty and Tiffany leave.

Elsewhere, two moving men are removing Dr. Channard's belongings from his home. One is pulled inside of the mattress, and the other witnesses a mysterious pillar rise from within it.

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