“Explorers in the further regions of experience. Demons to some. Angels to others.”
Thus, Pinhead himself perfectly describes what makes the Cenobites so horrifying: their sheer otherworldliness. Neither good nor evil, they travel between realms, seeking fellow “explorers” to share in their journey–between the most exquisite pleasure and the most excruciating pain. Unfortunately for adventurous sadomasochists such as Frank Cotton, these extradimensional beings do not distinguish between the two extremes. Outsiders perceive only endless, inescapable torture–at least until they, too, surrender to the sensations and relinquish their humanity.
[Originally published October 4, 2012.]