The Hellraiser Movies - Just fiction?

[Prize Gotti]

Im pretty sure a good amount of you have seen the Hellraiser movies at some point in your life. You remember the puzzle box that opens a door for the Cenobites to take you to their world?

This box is called 'The Lament Configuration'.

I was looking to buy a 'working' replica (I say working in the sense that is a puzzle, not in the sense that I want to be tortured) as Im starting a collection of movie replicas.

I did a little research, mainly to help me find the best replica, however I discovered more than I expected.

Philip LeMarchand was a French architect, artisan, and designer who is posthumously credited as possibly one of the most prolific, if undiscovered, mass murderers in the history of the modern world. He first became known for his creation of bizarre, intricately designed music boxes which quickly became the rage of Europe. The boxes, known in some circles as LeMarchand Boxes, were each one of a kind creations which were also puzzles, with the answer to one's ultimate hearts desire as their solution.
At the height of his career, Paris was besieged by scandalous multiple disappearances of noteworthy individuals, a number of whom had purchased LeMarchand's puzzle boxes. Suspicions, though unconfirmed, fell upon the sculptor / architect, especially inasmuch as LeMarchand's apprentice, the son of a respected clock maker, was one of the first to disappear.
Amidst this notoriety, LeMarchand fled Europe without selling his home. Apparently certain that the authorities were closing in on him, LeMarchand discarded his already floundering career. In certain circles, the name LeMarchand is synonymous with dread and horror. This "architect of the damned" served agents far more sinister than those served by Hitler's own architect, Albert Speer. The atrocities performed by LeMarchand made him one of France's most infamous figures, rivaled only by the DeVincouer family and Gilles de Rais. It is believed this genius constructed more than 270 of his puzzle boxes before he vanished. These boxes change hands rapidly, as is expected, though there are a few collectors, who are interested in the boxes as objects of admiration, and have no interest in working their wonders. One of LeMarchand's boxes has even appeared recently on the album cover of the Goth rock group, The Cult of Joseph, showcasing a release entitled Chain of Souls. The agency representing the band recently announced that the band's tour bus had mysteriously disappeared between engagements in Muncie and Gary, Indiana.
Who knows what the consequences of solving it will bring? We know that in order for LeMarchand to create his boxes, he needed human fat, lots of it, so therefore he had to murder a great deal. This he must have done quietly, taking only people whose absence would go unnoticed, for we have no records of any European manhunt during the time he returned to France. LeMarchand was 94 years old when he checked into L'Hotel D'Arnais. He was never seen checking out. When the hotel management finally entered his room they found it empty except for the furnishings, and one of LeMarchand's own boxes which sat on the floor amongst a great deal of blood.

If that wasn't creppy enough...

"Historical Find Discovered in Excavation"

Headlines New York City / Feb 4th 2003

Story By: Thomas Fisher - NYC Times



A recent excavation project on a New York State University campus, has led to a mysterious and frightening discovery.



The Antonio Gerasi Construction Corp. (A.G.C. Corp.) had been contracted last October by the university. Their job, to tunnel underground and install new wiring for the campus’ new computer networking system. While digging near the Elmer Holmes Bobst Library, the construction workers uncovered what looked to be a rotting wooden crate. The crate laid dormant, five feet under the surface. It's estimated, it had been untouched for over 200 years




Inside the crate, a burlap bag containing dozens of old wooden blocks (as described by A.G.C. Corp. employee Martin Sarkiero). These boxes were later identified by historians as "puzzle boxes" (Lament Configurations) created by Philip Lemarchand, the French architect and genius of the occult. A background check further revealed that the site of the current library (70 Washington Square) was once the site of LeMarchand’s New York home. Even the library itself bears a striking resemblance to one of the puzzle boxes.



A larger gateway perhaps, or maybe a landmark for unspeakable atrocities from the past.



Of the ten men that were working on the construction project, only five escaped to speak of their discovery. The five men claim there were originally 60 boxes discovered, of which only 55 remain. The whereabouts of the five unaccounted for workers, as well as the five “missing” boxes, is still under investigation.

It is said that LeMarchand created close to 300 of his puzzle boxes before his disappearance in 1811. Among his works, the "Lament Configuration" being the most widely recognized by scholars of the occult. His own disappearance steeped in mystery, a blood coated room and a single lament box, in the last place he was known to reside. A fitting end to the man whose work brought the disappearance of hundreds? Or the rebirth of evil into a completely different realm?

If you want to buy a replica;

http://www.hellraiserpuzzlebox.com/

If you don't have the money;
http://www.fortunecity.com/victorian/hillcrest/76/hellraiser/lament-gallery/printable-cube.gif
(I recommend using glossy photo paper)

 

[SicC]

buy a real one and if u stop posting we will know why.

pz

 

[Casey]

fuck, that's weird. i'm really interested now.


EDIT - It's all bogus. Wikipedia says:

Philip Lemarchand is a fictional character appearing in works derived from Clive Barker's novella, The Hellbound Heart.

Although Barker mentions Lemarchand in his novella, Lemarchand is merely described as a French toymaker who created an elaborate puzzle box known as the Lemarchand Configuration. The puzzle, when solved, opens a doorway to the realm of the Cenobites. Lemarchand is mentioned by surname only and does not appear in the story. Barker subsequently used this story as the basis for his film, Hellraiser.

Lemarchand first appears as a character in the Epic Comics series Hellraiser, based on the movie. Lemarchand was described as a toymaker and genius who became corrupted over the years. He eventually became a mass murderer who builds puzzle boxes that serve as gateways to other dimensions. He is assisted in his work by a Cenobite known as Baron.

Lemarchand gained his most prominent exposure in the fourth sequel to Hellraiser, Hellraiser: Bloodline. The character, as played by Bruce Ramsay is presented as a young and talented artificer of complex mechanical toys. The film focuses on how Lemarchand came to create the Lemarchand box that has become known in the film series as the Lament Configuration.

 

[SicC]

But explain the missing 5 workers and boxes mili!

pz

 

[Prize Gotti]

Meh, you spoilt it Mili

 

[SicC]

I think we need to call in the myth busters.

pz

 

[killahill187um]

nice post

 

[Casey]

oops. sorry i fucked it up.

 

[SonOf2pac]

this is all internet bullshit...

 

[PuffnScruff]

lol @ the painting of the guy, looked like something from a waynes bros. movie

 

[_carmi]

lol nice. i was believing it till militant ruined it.

 

[Prize Gotti]

Was gonna see how many of your bought it, at first I was believing it until I did more reading.

 

[Casey]

Yeah me too.