For this new year I'd like to write even more than I did last year. My last year's resolution was to write more and I think I did an okay job at doing that. I'd also like to do more mapping projects, I want this to be my most productive year yet, I think I'll start out by doing a Shipment remake for Half-Life 1. Also maybe also enter more LD contest, they're super fun to do.
I'd also like to try and focus more on modeling a bit. I did spend more time with Blender like I said in last years post but I DO need to keep up with working in it. I made some okay models and learned most of the basic stuff. I can make a simple model, uv it, and get it compiled in Source pretty reliably.
Lately I've also been wanting to spend more time with programming and website design stuff. I think it'd be fun to learn.
For Halloween this year I started watching through the Hellraiser movies. I got to 5 before I took a break, so this will only go over the first 5 movies. I'll make a newer post later when I finish the entire franchise.
Anyway from worst to best here are my rankings.
5. Hellraiser III Hell on Earth
This one was just too weird for me, it felt way more silly than the other movies and also had some of the weirdest acting, line delivery's in this felt really flat. It did have some of the more fun cenobite designs though.
I think this is the worst movie in terms of Pinhead's characterization. The scene below is a great example of what I mean, he's spouting off weird one liners and acting like a typical 80's slasher. It's fun but I don't think it fits his character well.
4. Hellraiser Bloodline
Bloodline was interesting. I liked how the story took place over different time periods, which everything being told as a story by a distant relative of the puzzle box's creator in the far future. At first I was getting 'Pinhead in SPACE' vibes but it never really devolved into that too much. The Victorian era sorcery stuff was really cool to see too.
I think this movie's major issue was that it was underdeveloped, from what I understand there were issues during the production which greatly effected it. Really a shame because it seems like it could have been really great.
Also has possibly one of the lamest kills out of the first 5.
3. Hellraiser Inferno
This movie does NOT deserve a 20% on Rotten Tomato's, It's probably the best movie out of the first five after the original. It's only issue is that it's not a good Hellraiser movie. The movie itself has little to do with Hellraiser besides someone opening a puzzle box at the beginning and an appearance by Pinhead at the end.
Unlike some of the other movies the horror is a lot more psychological, with the main character experiencing delusions and the movie being in an almost dream like state. It actually got me a bit creeped out at times. It's also a kickass detective / noir type of story which I REALLY enjoy in media, it gives off a hard Condemned: Criminal Origins mixed with Jacob's Ladder vibe.
I think having Pinhead being a more background type character suits him way better. I enjoy him better being a impartial judge rather and a weird 80's slasher like in 3.
VERY underrated movie.
2. Hellbound: Hellraiser II
Decent sequel to the first movie, works well as a continuation of the first one. It's weird, I like the setting with the Asylum and the evil doctor tuned cenobite, but it's probably the least memorable out of all the movies, really blends into the first one. This one WOULD be in third place but it's here because it's more Hellraiser than Inferno is.
Again though, the asylum the movie take place in is awesome, I remember taking screenshots of some parts of the movie as reference pictures for level stuff. Also we get some really cool scenes towards the end of Hell and even of Leviathan.
The feeling towards the end is actually a bit whimsical rather than just horror. Of course there are still spooky parts in it, and I think it may be a bit scarier than the first film. Also it has the first time we actually see someone getting converted into a cenobite from human, it's a cool scene but I think it kind of retracts a bit from the other wordily beings that the cenobites in the first film have, which I guess it also a bit of a critique of the other movies.
There also the fight towards the end that further humanizes them witch is ehhh.
1. Hellraiser
The original, the OG, the objectively BEST Hellraiser movie. The first one is simply the best. Everything is paced well, the acting is great, and everything regarding the cenobites and the puzzle box feels fittingly mysterious, nothing is overly explained.
I really like how in this movie Pinhead and the cenobites aren't necessarily evil, they're just doing what they do. Has the creepiest puzzle box opening scene as well.
Only issue I have with the movie is the ending felt a little weak. The house crashing in and her running out with her bf felt rushed almost. Also the stuff at the very end with the hobo also feels weirdly random. I don't remember if he was explained in the movies at all but I do remember him eating the bugs.
Also has one the the BEST scenes out of all the fist 5. This shit is AWSOME.
Diggles is a classic game from my childhood. Sadly for the longest time it was near impossible to play on modern hardware and with each fix there was some trade off. Some fixes would make the game run but you'd lose audio, others would fix the audio but you'd have to play in German, there really was no way to get it perfectly stable.
My copy in all it's jewel case glory.
To my surprise it seems like a team has gone back and patched the old game to run perfectly on Windows 10, and it does run perfectly. Have been playing for a solid 3 hours as of typing this and have had 0 issues what so ever. It's really great. It even supports 4k resolutions!
Has the actual game aged well though? I've been having with it. Despite the game being old the graphics feel stylized in a way that makes them super charming, the art direction on this was on point.
The only issue I have with the gameplay is that it can feel a bit slow paced. When all your little dwarfs are working there not a whole lot to do during average downtime besides watch your guys work. There is a speedup time option but your camera is locked in place while using it. It's a bit similar to Oxygen Not Included but more story focused.
If you're partial to slower paced rts type games you'd probably LOVE this game.
