Following on from the success of Hellraiser, Clive Barker adapted
his book Cabal for the big screen. The finished result was this surreal, graphic, and highly enjoyable horror romp, about a psychopathic doctor and
a cemetery full of mutants.
A young chap, Boone (Craig Sheffner), has been having disturbing dreams about a strange place named Midian. His Psychologist, Dr Decker (played by non-other than David Cronenberg), hypontises him, to find out what's going on in his subconscious. But upon waking, is extremely alarmed to be told he apparently revealed he was responsible for a series of brutal knife murders, whilst he was under.
Committed to a psychiatric hospital, Boone escapes and attempts to find Midian. But soon finds the police on his tail, after Decker informs them that he's the killer they've been looking for. However, in actuality it is Decker who's the real killer, and has framed Boone for the murders because he wants to destroy Midian, and plans to use Boone to lead him there.
Although Boone does eventually find Midian, located under an old cemetery in the middle of the countryside. He is not well received by it's inhabitants, who appear to be strange mutant creatures with special powers, and after one of them bites a chunk out of his shoulder he wisely decides not to stick around. Only to be shot dead by the police shortly afterwards.
Things get interesting when Boone's body disappears from the morgue and he appears in Midian, reborn as a new character named Cabal. But his troubles aren't over for him yet, as now that Dr Decker turns up with the local police and a group of rednecks, and an all out battle erupts. Providing some of the film's more spectacular scenes, as the mutants fight for their life against a mass onslaught of machine guns and flamethrowers and Decker dons his killer outfit and wades through the thick of the battle wielding his knives.
Directed by Clive Barker himself, this is an extremely enjoyable horror, with blood, gore, and tons of action, although it's actually worth watching just for David Cronenberg's excellent performance as the psychopathic Doctor Decker. The film also stars Doug Bradley and some of Barker's other Hellraiser alumni in different roles, although personally, I found it highly amusing to see Charles Haid, who was in the 80's cop show Hill Street Blues, cast again as a police officer. Definitely recommended viewing, there's also an extended cut that's been released, which is also worth seeking out.
