Being that it is the month of All thing Ghostly, I thought it may be fun to look at the films that have HOMOeroticism written all over them, esp. within the horror genre.  Nowadays there are films within the genre specifically marketed towards a gay audience (Socket, a great example), but i thought i would be fun to look at some of the earlier titles that contain their share of homoerotic imagery and subtext.  Also, being a leatherboy, i thought, why not start off with one of my favorites, the 1987 film Hellraiser, written and directed by out Artist Clive Barker. 

 Originally based on Barker’s novella “The Hellbound Heart”, the limited budget feature (containing many actors from Barker’s theatrical Dog Company) had a working title of “Sadomasochists from Beyond the Grave”. Yes, I agree that “Hellraiser” is the better title.

No only did the film give birth to the horror genre’s “newest Villain”, the ‘Lead Cenobite’ (Who, following the first and second features was officially credited as “Pinhead”, following the cult fan following), but the film, being a serious, adult horror film, also explores SM and leather concepts in ways few films before dared to illustrate.

The leather/fetish attire of the Cenobites (“explorers of the further regions of experience”) are not simply clothing. The leather is sewn through the skin itself, displaying the open wounds to wonderfully aching effect. The Female Cenobite’s throat is peeled apart, creating a makeshift vagina. The Cenobites ooze with sensation, sexuality and dangerous mystery. They offer extreme pleasure, through the art of pain and suffering. Sounds familiar, doesn’t it? And they only appear in the film for about 6 and a half minutes of screen time. The term used in the creation of the cenobites looks was, I believe, 'grptesque glamour'

The main drama of the film involves the family saga of Larry and Julia Cotton, Larry’s daughter from a previous marriage, Kirsty, and Larry’s ‘missing’ brother (and Julia’s one-time lover) Frank. Their plot involves incest, murder, revenge, sex, secrets, and false identities. Frank has one of the most memorable lines ever when he, with handy knife in hand, beckons to a frightened Kirsty “It’s me. It’s Uncle Frank. You Remember…Come to Daddy.”

Although his voice was dubbed, actor Sean Chapman, in the role of Frank (with skin), is one hot sexy villain. His knife-aided removal of Julia’s bra as they prepare to fuck, rough, atop her wedding dress, is adrenaline pumping and intensely arousing. And then there is the final confrontation, up in the attic of the house at 66 Lodovico Street. The cenobites have come to reclaim Frank, and now, beneath the skin of his slain brother, is suspended with hooks and chains piercing and pulling his flesh. Instead of typical screams of repentance and begging, Frank licks his lips and smiles, laughing “Jesus wept”.

With its intense images, mesmerizing characters, and (for the time) cutting-edge special effects, “Hellraiser” will forever be one of the top horror films, not only of its day, but in the history of the genre, at least, in my record book at least.

NOTE: The film was followed the following year with HELLBOUND: HELLRAISER II, which continues the same themes and atmosphere of the first novel, and has Julia returning as the main Villain, something Baker had wanted to do with the series.  The third film HELLRAISER III:  HELL ON EARTH (Get the Unrated Version, please!!!) contains a sex scene with Kevin Bernhardt, smoking the entire time, that will go down as one of the hottest i've ever seen! The remaining sequels have their moments, but can not compete with the original film and Hellbound. Again, in my opinion.  What say you?