Hellraiser 3: Hell on Earth is actually a very respectable addition to the Hellraiser series! Most fans of Pinhead and his legion of leather-clad Cenobites tend to hover around the first two films and ignore the rest, which is fine, but many don't give Hellraiser 3: Hell on Earth a chance. As a matter of fact, most horror fans have never even seen Hellraiser 3! Why, you ask? Because they've been misled by the rumor that the third installment is horse shit, which is simply not correct.
          Clive Barker has stepped aside as director and Anthony Hickox has taken the (understandably nerve racking) directors chair. I can't imagine being a director, making a highly anticipated sequel and having to live up to the standards of Clive Barker fans. That would be serious stress. Anthony Hickox stayed true to the Hellraiser formula and didn't stray into unneeded plot twists and character flaws... until the last 30 seconds of the film.
          In all truth, the climax near the end of the film is great, but what happens after is the opposite. As in every Hellraiser film, the Cenobites are defeated and everyone dances like pirates in triumph. Now, normally this is where the film ends correct? Not here... our surviving beauty of the film (Joey Summerskill) decides to incase the infamous puzzle box in cement at a nearby construction site. Little does she know, many years later the building would somehow adopt the look of the puzzle box with walls of bronze puzzle pieces and loads of other unexplained garbage. Seriously people... what the fuck? Were the writers smoking hash-hesh when they came up with this steaming pile of elephant dung of an ending? Sigh.
          Besides that little quirk, the movie is excellent! We follow the aspiring news reported, Joey Summerskill, in her quest to discover the truth behind a strange attack at a popular night club called "The Boiler Room." The night club is exactly the kind of place you'd find me trolling for pussy. Metal music, grotesque artwork on the walls, a killer atmosphere and most importantly... a river of vagina the size of the Mississippi. Yep, that's my kinda place. The owner of the joint, J.P. Monroe, murdered his family many years earlier to inherit their wealth and create his fantasy land. Unknown to him, an ex-girlfriend is helping our reporter discover the origins of the mysterious puzzle box, found at the crime scene.
          Pinhead is trapped inside a large sculpture which is purchased by J.P. and placed inside "The Boiler Room." After recruiting help, he succeeds in consuming enough bodies to escape and return to the flesh. Then, as expected, the carnage begins. Pinhead manages to pull out the best death-scenes of the entire series when he orchestrates a bloodbath inside "The Boiler Room." Hundreds of bar patrons are slaughtered in extremely clever ways. (I would explain them, but I wouldn't want to ruin the surprises.) The new cenobites he creates are also fantastic. We now have the Terri Cenobite, Camerahead Cenobite, Barbie Cenobite, CD the DJ Cenobite and the J.P. Monroe Cenobite. All worthy candidates to the family.
          This is what it comes down to: If you enjoyed the first two Hellraiser installments, you will definitely like the third. There's just no way around it. It's appeal to the urge for carnage we all have is undeniable and deserves to be in all horror collections. If you don't have a copy... get one.