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Finding decent sequels can be a tricky business. Finding good horror sequels is even trickier so when they do come along it's something of an event. Having made its mark in 1987, Toney Randel took over the director's chair from Clive Barker for the second outing in the Hellraiser series - "Hellbound: Hellraiser II", released in 1989. Having introduced the minions from Hell - the Cenobites - in the first movie, most of the cast was reformed for the second movie in what was to become one of the biggest horror franchises in movie history.

Having survived the ordeal with the Cenobites and the demise of her father, her step-mother and the evil uncle Frank, Kirsty Cotton (Ashley Laurence), finds herself in a psychiatric ward. Dr Channard (Kenneth Cranham) is keen to hear her story and upon discovering that the bloody mattress central to the conclusion of the first movie may hold esoteric secrets, Channard has it delivered to his home where he forces a patient to cut himself, releasing blood into the mattress which, in turn, allows the soul of the malevolent Julia (Clare Higgins), Kirsty's step mother (why are all step mothers shown as evil?), to escape the dimension its trapped in and enter the world partially formed. Part and parcel of Channard's curiosity is his search for the Lament Configuration, a doorway to another dimension. Seduced by the partially formed Julia, Channard lures more patients back to his house for Julia to feed on, thus reforming again from the semi-skeletal state she is in. Discovering the gruesome cabal, Channard's assistant, Dr McRae (William Hope) takes both Kirsty and a young patient called Tiffany (Imogen Boorman) to Channard's home in an attempt to find Kirsty's father who she believes is held captive in another world, accessible through the secrets of the puzzle box that Channard holds precious. As McRae meets an unfortunate ending at the hands of the now completely rejuvenated Julia, Tiffany is forced to unravel the puzzle box, opening a portal of Hell and allowing Channard and Julia to enter and the Cenobites to seek out new flesh.

"Hellraiser II" caused some consternation amongst its fan base after its release. Not so much because the movie was bad. Far from it, for a sequel, "Hellraiser II" was inventive, highly visual and took the viewer to the labyrinthine bowels of Hell and is a testimony to Peter Atkin's screenplay. No, it was more the alleged humanisation of the demonic creations - the Cenobites - reprised and recreated for the

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