The Hellraiser franchise has a particular place in the hearts of all fans, yet it can not be denied that after the first two films, the series was never the same. There were a few exceptions, but it was difficult to match the pleasure of the first two Hellraiser flicks. Clive Barker’s depiction of the horrific world of the Labyrinth was so detailed that horror enthusiasts were taken aback.
The Cenobites, twisted and deranged extraterrestrials, were the most vivid addition to this universe, and these pain-loving demonic entities gave the franchise’s spark. They dwelt in a distinct infernal realm, and some artifacts, such as the Lament Configuration, might be used to open portals to this dimension. Their horrible mutilations and cold-blooded brutality, which was virtually always explicit in nature, astounded the audience.
Pinhead, with his spine-chilling demeanor and behaviors, definitely steals the show when it comes to the Cenobites. Other Cenobites, on the other hand, are vying for your attention. Many of these Cenobites, such as the Female Cenobite and Chatterer, were terrifying, and even the ones from the first two films are difficult to overlook.
We will take you on another excursion into Barker’s eerie universe today as we look at the Cenobite Butterball. This huge and ugly Cenobite appeared in both Hellraiser and Hellbound: Hellraiser II, and he has a fascinating background. So sit back and take a trip into the nightmare world that is home to some of the most horrifying creatures in horror history!
An Obese Glutton to a massive Cenobite – the rewards of sin!
Many of the Cenobites existed in a human form before being transformed into this monstrosity and Butterball was one of them. Like his fellow Cenobites, he has no memory of his past human life, and not much has been revealed about the process of his transformation. All we know is that he was a man named Laslo, a despicable character as a human, who was plagued by his obsession with overeating.
He laid waste all his talents, and he was only concerned with pleasuring himself by means of more and more food. He was disappointed with his habits of overeating, but he could not stop himself from the pleasures of more food. His gluttony was his sin, and this brought him some kind of perverse pleasure.
It went on to an extent, where he kept eating and went on to become morbidly obese. Even with the satisfaction of food, he felt that something was missing, and he sought more material and physical pleasures.
At this point, he first came across the cursed Lament Configuration, and he readily solved the puzzle box when he was promised everything he could desire. However, the opening of the portal to the hellish realm introduced him to a new way of life. The human Laslo was then transformed into a Cenobite, and he became a member of Pinhead’s original gash.
Butterball underwent extreme body modifications and mutilations, just like the other Cenobites. He retained his obese physique, and apart from his massive size he can be characterized by a series of stitches through his eyelids. These are usually hidden by a pair of round sunglasses, which add a comical touch to this demented creature of hell.
There are some changes in his movie appearances from his role in Clive Barker’s novella. He was introduced as a high-ranking Cenobite in the novel, and he had plenty of dialogues. However, in the movies is a lower-ranked Cenobite who hardly ever makes a sound. All he did was lick his lips occasionally with his bloated tongue. It has been shown that Butterball is more than capable of being extremely violent in combat.
His obese stature might be deceiving because he fights with fierce ferocity when the need arises. The design of Butterball in the movies was simply impeccable. He was specifically designed to look like it was impossible for him to eat anything more. His stomach was ripped open, which indicated that he could directly interact with his organs.
Butterball in the Hellraiser Timeline – a lost potential!
The fans of Hellraiser, especially the ones familiar with the novels and comic books will agree that Butterball was somewhat wasted as a character in the movies. He was hardly assigned much importance, and he was more of an additional force for Pinhead. He first appeared to take Frank to Hell after he solved the Lament Configuration to fulfill his lust. Frank was then tortured repeatedly for his sins by the Jailors.
Later, when Kirsty opened the puzzle box, Butterball appeared along with the other Cenobites and they came to an agreement, where Kirsty was spared in return for Frank. However, Frank killed Larry and stole his skin, which confused Kirsty. Eventually, Frank could not escape and he has ripped apart with hooked chains and sent back to Hell.
In Hellraiser II, Dr. Channard used Tiffany to open the puzzle box because of his lust for knowledge. Butterball appeared once again with Pinhead, Chatterer, and the Female Cenobite, and they encountered Kirsty.
They explained the laws of hell to her, and she was sent off to explore the Labyrinth. She helped them remember their past lives, and the Cenobites wanted to repay her for the enlightenment. They all tried to protect Kirsty from Doctor Cenobite, and Butterball was the second one to be killed. He was struck by a spear in his chest, and he never appeared further in the franchise.
Butterball in the comic books and other written works
This Cenobite was supposed to be way more important than what you have seen in the movies. Clive Barker was forced to change his mind because the extremities of the costume did not allow the man donning a suit to speak a word. In the written word, however, Butterball takes center stage and he is portrayed as the leader of the Cenobites with Pinhead as his subordinate.
Initially, he was seen next to Pinhead, Sloth, and the Female Cenobite, as they went ahead to demand a sacrifice from the small town of Pension Veneur. The artists and poets living in the town had struck a deal with the Cenobites, according to which they would be empowered to create masterpieces in return for an occasional sacrifice and they promised their most perverse works of art to the Cenobites.
Pinhead’s Gash came down to claim one such sacrifice, and Butterball seemed to be an important character in this group. He was also present when Doomsayer was attempting to create a nuisance by spreading doubt of Leviathan to the other Cenobites. He was also the one to deal with a horse trainer named Cassidy who was thrown into Hell. He threw her into the Creation Chamber, which transformed her into one of the Cenobites.
One of the most interesting stories surrounding Butterball is the one featuring the character Janice Baur, a great actress. A director named Steven Sigourney wanted her to form the shape of pain, and she started to obsess over the task. She cuts herself and has strange dreams of being tortured by the Cenobites in a hellish realm.
In one such dream, she interacted with Butterball, who claimed to be a fan of her work and asked her for an autograph. These dream experiences helped her complete the shape of pain, and she opened the Lament Configuration to travel into Hell. She met Pinhead, The Female Cenobite, and Chatterer, and she was brutally tortured in hell. The director filmed this sequence of Janice getting tortured to use in his movie, and she never recovered from Hell’s influence following this incident.
Another instance of his appearance was when a woman solved the Lament Configuration and summoned the Cenobites Pinhead, Butterball, and Wolf-face. She was furious about the death of her cats, and she made a deal that would allow her to live an extra year in return for allowing the Cenobites to take her neighbor Thomas, who was responsible for the death of the cats. After a year, she realizes her childish mistake, but it is too late and she is dragged to hell.
Butterball has some interesting and important storylines, and it is unfortunate that these haven’t been translated on screen. We would certainly love to see Butterball in a more important role and this obese Cenobite can turn out to be a nice addition for future additions to the franchise.
New Hellraiser Movie Announced
Speaking of future additions to the franchise, the upcoming new Hellraiser movie is creating quite a stir among the fans. It is being produced by David S. Goyer, and he has revealed that he intends to create a new chapter in the Hellraiser legacy.
The narrative is supposed to take inspiration from its original violent roots, and although the identity of Pinhead hasn’t been officially revealed, it is believed that Jamie Clayton will step into the shoes of the legendary Doug Bradley. The other members of the cast include the likes of Adam Faison, Brandon Flynn, Drew Starkey, and Goran Visnjic.
The most interesting news for the Hellraiser fans is the inclusion of Clive Barker in the project’s creative team. The creator of the Hellraiser universe is also working on an unrelated HBO series, which is also an adaptation of his property. He seems ecstatic about the new movie because the story makes good use of the Hellraiser mythology and intends to honor the original. It is supposed to release later this year, and if our expectations are rewarded, it is going to be a treat for the fans!