Kevin Yagher removed his name from the film (see BULL'S-EYE) and the name of shame takes its place: Alan Smithee. I expected a disaster…

Hellraiser 4 has a few things going for it. The story is told through three time periods (past-present-future) and the core of it is very interesting. I loved the 18^th century segment, it’s the darkest of the film. It introduces a delicious looking demon that goes by the name of Angelique (sizzling), it has very nasty gore (the skin being filled by the demon’s soul) and a bitter, cruel streak. Seeing "Hellraiser"-like events happen in that time period really worked for me…it just clicked. I wish the whole flick took place in the 18^th century.

The flick started losing me when it jumped to the present. I almost felt like the story didn’t know where to go. Pinhead shows up with his endless monologues (still hasn’t learned to shut up) and there are way too many scenes of him interacting with Angelique. I felt like I was watching a soap opera with the heavies flirting and scheming their evil plans. Pinhead even resorts to kidnapping the hero’s wife and young son in order to blackmail him. What is this..."Days Of Our Lives"???

Pinhead is no longer hell’s referee, the impartial demon that goes by the rules. He’s now the token bad guy (who likes to pet pigeons???). I’ll go as far as saying that Pinhead is this entry's weakest element. Every time he shows up, the story stops so he can ramble on and on and on.

The story doesn’t only stop for Pin boy, it also stops to show gore for gore’s sakes. Now I love gore, but I love good storytelling way more. Did we really need that scene with the two twins being turned into Cenobites? Yes, it's pretty kool and messy but it stops the flow of the film and doesn’t serve the story. It felt like "let's put the flick on hold to show some gnarly stuff"…clumsy…

The opening segment in space is a good teaser but the ending (also in space) is a let down. All about Pinhead and his crew stalking paper-thin soldiers through a space station. Even though the murders are kool, the ending stalk sequences did not please me. When did Hellraiser become Friday The 13^th?? Another thing that didn’t sit well with me is Pinhead’s demise. Has all these years in hell made him numb and dumb? I mean Marchand is right there in his face preparing his end but Pin is too busy talking Marchand’s ear off to notice. Pinhead=fool? U bet.

Just before release, Miramax had some scenes deleted and others re-shot, causing director Kevin Yagher to disown the film (the theatrical release has a director credited for 'Alan Smithee'). A new director, Joe Chappelle, was brought in to shoot the additional material.

The original cut, titled "Hellraiser IV: Bloodline Story", begins in 1784. LeMarchand builds the box, gives it to the evil man seen in the theatrical version, and watches as him and Angelique and some others play cards. Some lose the game and lose their lives on the new puzzlebox. LeMarchand goes to Augustine, who is later killed by Angelique. LeMarchand and his wife go to a party, where Angelique shows off her new box, and LeMarchand's wife barely escapes alive to America.

The central part of the film is mostly the same as the theatrical version with the addition of a new character, a neighbor who is killed by Pinhead, who then comes back to life later and promises Pinhead a good fight in the future.

The last part is set in the future. Dr. Merchant and his crew are about to board the space station, when they realize something else in on board (Pinhead). The reincarnated neighbor returns to finish off Pinhead forever. Then, the space station turns into the box and destroys Pinhead.