Dear Movies, I Love You – Hellraiser (1987)

Hosts: Millie De Chirico & Casey O’Brien
Date: October 21, 2025

Episode Overview

This episode explores the legendary 1987 horror film Hellraiser, directed by Clive Barker. Hosts Millie and Casey dive into its gnarly world of pleasure and pain, BDSM subtext, and what makes it such a goth and countercultural classic. Along the way, they share personal connections, discuss the movie’s notorious imagery and themes, and reflect on its cultural staying power—sprinkled with their signature humor and candid asides.

Spooky Season & Halloween Antics

[01:41–10:06]

• Millie and Casey warm up by discussing the chaos and pressure of October ("spooky season").
• Stories of last-minute Halloween costumes:
  • Millie’s forgotten “Nancy” (of Nancy comic strip) costume and an iconic turn as Gallagher:

    “I actually smashed fruit in the back of the parking lot... And I actually bought a sledgehammer from Home Depot and returned it.” – Millie, [07:23]

  • Their childhood devotion to “Wayne’s World” costumes—Millie as Wayne, Casey as Garth.
  • Plans to go trick-or-treating in their 40s, “Wayne and Garth" style.

Film Diary: Weekly Watches

[16:53–32:07]

• Casey's Picks:

  • The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai (1984): “Tons of fun, lots of ideas, zany, good time.” [17:19]
  • Silver Bullet (1985): “Gary Busey terrorizes the audience because he is so crazy.” [18:19]
  • The Fury (1978): Comparing the era’s fascination with telekinesis.
  • Let’s Scare Jessica to Death (1971): “A really kind of spooky hippie movie...folk horror.” [19:21]
  • Visitors from the Arcana Galaxy (1981): Zany practical effects, puppet monsters.

• Millie’s Picks:

  • Emmanuelle (1974): French erotic classic, “directed by a horny French guy,” but stylish and extremely “vibey.” [22:55]
  • Nightmare on Elm Street (1984): “Freddy is terrifying in this movie...he hadn’t developed his standup routine yet.” [24:02]
  • Ilsa, She-Wolf of the SS (1975): “I was bored to tears by Ilsa, apparently...the marker for what is ‘fucked up’ moved.” [27:30]
  • Der Fan (1982): “Talk about pacing...it is like a glacially paced...throbbing electro music...very German.” [29:46]
  • All That Jazz (1979): “A horror movie about aging...Roy Scheider, our greatest cigarette-smoking actor.” [31:14]

Main Discussion: Hellraiser (1987)

[34:00–75:58]

Themes & Personal Memories

• Casey: Hellraiser was “an absolute VHS classic,” but too scary to watch until age 31.

  “I had to be married to protect myself from this movie.” [35:24]

• Millie: Hellraiser was owned by goth/industrial “alternative kids” (lots of “fetish wear, leather pants, boots”) and was always connected to Clive Barker’s legacy; her memory focuses on the art of “kids that were into Hellraiser.” [36:16–38:00]

Plot Rundown

• Frank’s Hedonism:
  • Frank buys the infamous puzzle box in Morocco seeking “carnal pleasures unlike anything available on earth.”
  • Opening the box summons the Cenobites, who subject him to a hell of pleasure and pain.

    “He didn’t care...he needed to know the other side.” – Casey, [47:13]

• Obsession & Betrayal:
  • Larry (Frank’s dorky brother) moves into the childhood home with wife Julia, who is obsessed with Frank.
  • Julia and Frank’s sexual past depicted through memorable wedding dress-seducing and knife/bra-strap cuts:

    “He’s a real dom, and you’re like, fuck. OK?” – Millie, [52:09]

• Frank’s Return:
  • Larry’s blood accidentally revives Frank as a grotesque, skinless form.

    “This movie is ooey gooey, dude.” – Millie, [59:54]

  • Julia willingly murders men to feed Frank, exploring themes of dominance, submission, and taboo desire.

The Cenobites & BDSM Subtext

• Analysis of the Cenobites ("Pinhead" et al.):
  • Their look: "industrial goth, cyberpunk," “full leather or vinyl.” [66:46]
  • Connections to BDSM—Hellraiser as a metaphor for extreme pleasure and pain, kink culture, and queer subtext.
  • Clive Barker's personal connection to kink, “his shit is kind of sexy...[but] dangerous.” [55:02]
  • Pinhead's relative screen time vs. cultural icon status:

    “If you would have asked me in middle school, I would have said [Pinhead’s] the entire movie.” – Millie, [66:15]

Standout Quotes & Moments

• Memorable lines:
  • “We’ll tear your soul apart.”
  • “Come to Daddy.”
• Gross-out highlights:
  • “Doesn't [Julia] like, put Frank's fleshy, bloody fingers in her mouth...he’s not even fully back yet.” – Casey, [60:24]

Culture, Gender, and Power

• Julia, as dominant business lady/goth archetype of the ‘80s.

  “She’s the hottest woman of all time—every man who sees her is like...” [61:41]

  • Reading Frank as ultimate dom, Julia as sub.
• Reflections on growing up Catholic, the innate allure of the taboo, and how Hellraiser is countercultural, queer, and still striking in today's climate.

The World of Clive Barker

• The particular “goth, fantasy, BDSM kink” element Clive Barker brought to horror—feeling “part of a greater myth or something.”
• Attraction to the underground and countercultural, especially in contrast to the current political/cultural climate:

  "It feels really underground. It feels really countercultural in a really cool way. It feels very queer..." – Casey, [73:48]

Listener Letters & Film Advice

[75:58–92:31]

• Favorite Kids and Teen Movies to Pass On:
  • Both hosts reminisce about watching things outside their age group, “broccoli movies," and how classics like The Wizard of Oz, French New Wave, or Twin Peaks might hit younger generations today.
• Partners with Different Movie Tastes:
  • “Maybe family members should never watch movies with each other.” – Casey, [86:36]
  • Millie: “One of you has to be the Frank and one of you has to be the Julia in this situation. I’ll be your movie sub.” [86:45-86:52]
• Film Gripe of the Week:
  • Molly gripes about the trope where a character lies in the bath, submerges, and stares open-eyed into the camera:

    “No one has ever done this in real life...I think it’s generally meant to symbolize being overwhelmed, but I just find it hacky and annoying.” – Molly (listener), [86:52]

• Bonus digression into “crying in public places,” movies that make them weep, and music-triggered car cries.

Recommendations & Closing

[92:31–99:16]

Employee Picks

• Casey: Nightbreed (1990, dir. Clive Barker) – “If you like Hellraiser, you would like Nightbreed. Check out the director’s cut.” [93:27]
• Millie: Peeping Tom (1960, dir. Michael Powell) – One of the OG psychological horrors that explores the intersection of voyeurism, kink, and violence. A film long studied for its sexual and psychological implications:

  “For 1960, this is still pretty, you know, pretty effective...it still hits pretty hard.” – Millie, [96:17]

Next Episode Preview

• Tetsuo: The Iron Man (1989) – a wild, short (64 min.) Japanese horror/sci-fi deep cut to close out horror month.

Notable Quotes & Moments (w/ Timestamps)

• “I always thought I kind of resembled [Nancy]. She likes horror movies and snacks. Me too.” – Millie, [03:27]
• “The key is to know people that don’t have kids and maybe aren’t married...they are the gateway to fun.” – Millie, [16:23]
• “Frank is a master of the masters...He is a classic sex tourist.” – Millie, [45:22, 44:59]
• “This movie is ooey gooey, dude.” – Millie, [59:54]
• “Every man who sees [Julia] is like...It just goes to show what dogs men are.” – Casey, [61:41]
• “It feels really underground. It feels very queer. I know Clive Barker is queer. So it just feels like, I’m really attracted to things that are countercultural right now.” – Casey, [73:48]
• “Maybe family members should never watch movies with each other.” – Casey, [86:36]

Segment Timestamps

• Costume/Halloween chit-chat: [01:41–10:06]
• Film Diaries: [16:53–32:07]
• Hellraiser main discussion: [34:00–75:58]
• Listener film advice/gripe: [75:58–92:31]
• Employee Picks and Closings: [92:31–99:16]

Tone, Style, and Signature

The episode is as irreverent and knowledgable as always, mixing movie nerd detail with comedic candor and relatable confessions. Millie and Casey frame Hellraiser as both a product of goth/queer subculture and a unique artifact of 1980s horror, inviting listeners to revisit it with new eyes (and to embrace their own freakishness anytime—especially in Halloween season).

Follow & Participate

Write in with film advice requests, gripes, or “consensual gropes” at DearMovies@ExactlyRightMedia.com, and follow the show on Instagram @dearmoviesiloveyou. Next up: Tetsuo: The Iron Man (1989)—watch along!