Hell in popular culture
Encyclopedia
Hell
is a common theme for entertainment and popular culture, particularly in the Horror and Fantasy genres where it is often used as a location.
Hell
In many religious traditions, a hell is a place of suffering and punishment in the afterlife. Religions with a linear divine history often depict hells as endless. Religions with a cyclic history often depict a hell as an intermediary period between incarnations...
is a common theme for entertainment and popular culture, particularly in the Horror and Fantasy genres where it is often used as a location.
Art
- Perhaps the most famous depictions of hell can be viewed in several paintings by medieval DutchNetherlandsThe Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
painterPaintingPainting is the practice of applying paint, pigment, color or other medium to a surface . The application of the medium is commonly applied to the base with a brush but other objects can be used. In art, the term painting describes both the act and the result of the action. However, painting is...
Hieronymus Bosch. The Garden of Earthly DelightsThe Garden of Earthly DelightsThe Garden of Earthly Delights is a triptych painted by the early Netherlandish master Hieronymus Bosch , housed in the Museo del Prado in Madrid since 1939. Dating from between 1490 and 1510, when Bosch was about 40 or 50 years old, it is his best-known and most ambitious work...
is probably the most famous. - Gustave DoréGustave DoréPaul Gustave Doré was a French artist, engraver, illustrator and sculptor. Doré worked primarily with wood engraving and steel engraving.-Biography:...
made illustrations for DanteDANTEDelivery of Advanced Network Technology to Europe is a not-for-profit organisation that plans, builds and operates the international networks that interconnect the various national research and education networks in Europe and surrounding regions...
's The Divine ComedyThe Divine ComedyThe Divine Comedy is an epic poem written by Dante Alighieri between 1308 and his death in 1321. It is widely considered the preeminent work of Italian literature, and is seen as one of the greatest works of world literature...
, including Dante's visit to hell. - Auguste RodinAuguste RodinFrançois-Auguste-René Rodin , known as Auguste Rodin , was a French sculptor. Although Rodin is generally considered the progenitor of modern sculpture, he did not set out to rebel against the past...
made a sculpture, The Gates of HellThe Gates of HellThe Gates of Hell is a monumental sculptural group work by French artist Auguste Rodin that depicts a scene from "The Inferno", the first section of Dante Alighieri's Divine Comedy. It stands at 6 m high, 4 m wide and 1 m deep and contains 180 figures. The figures range from...
, based on Hell depicted in DanteDANTEDelivery of Advanced Network Technology to Europe is a not-for-profit organisation that plans, builds and operates the international networks that interconnect the various national research and education networks in Europe and surrounding regions...
's The Divine ComedyThe Divine ComedyThe Divine Comedy is an epic poem written by Dante Alighieri between 1308 and his death in 1321. It is widely considered the preeminent work of Italian literature, and is seen as one of the greatest works of world literature...
.
Cartoons, anime, comics, manga, and televised cartoon series
- Hell is featured in the American Dad!American Dad!American Dad! is an American animated television series created by Seth MacFarlane and owned by Underdog Productions and Fuzzy Door Productions. It is produced in association with 20th Century Fox Television...
episode, "The Most Adequate Christmas Ever". It is shown as a fiery canyon near Limbo that is filled with demons. - In BleachBleach (manga)is a Japanese shōnen manga series written and illustrated by Noriaki "Tite" Kubo. Bleach follows the adventures of Ichigo Kurosaki after he obtains the powers of a —a death personification similar to the Grim Reaper—from another Soul Reaper, Rukia Kuchiki...
, Hell is the destination of those who committed unforgivably evil acts during their lives in the human world. When a Hollow whose mortal soul is too wicked to enter Soul Society is slain by a Zanpakutō, the gates of hell (giant doors held by skeletons) appear and begin to open. A giant, laughing spiritual being with a blade spears the wicked spirit and drags it down into hell. In the film Bleach: The Hell VerseBleach: The Hell Verseis the fourth animated film adaptation of the anime and manga series Bleach. Directed by Noriyuki Abe. The film's theme song is "Save The One, Save The All", performed by T.M.Revolution and its screenplay was written by Natsuko Takahashi and Ookubo Masahiro, with Tite Kubo, author of the manga,...
, Ichigo goes to Hell to save his sister, Yuzu. - In the DC UniverseDC UniverseThe DC Universe is the shared universe where most of the comic stories published by DC Comics take place. The fictional characters Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman are well-known superheroes from this universe. Note that in context, "DC Universe" is usually used to refer to the main DC continuity...
, the character Lobo was banned from Hell, as he caused too many problems there, thus achieving immortality, as he was also banned from Heaven for much the same reason. Incidentally, God apparently got some mirth from watching Lobo's antics. Hell in the Sandman Series is run by a triumvirate of Lucifer Morningstar, Azazel, and Beelzebub. However demons like Belial and the Rhymer Etrigan scheme to get into the Trimuverate. The capital of Hell is Pandaimoneum. When the Fire of Hell of extinguished, an act of evil is required to reunite it. This is done by Eclipso slitting Enchantresse's throat. Hell is divided into Nine provinces. The Nine Provinces included Pandemonia, The Odium, The Gull, Praetori, Internecia, Ament, Labyrinth, Err, and Purgatory. Everything there is made from the damned. The rulers of Purgatory, Blaza and Satanus, lead a rebellion by offering hope to the hopeless, and finally Blaze betrays her brother and becomes Hell's ruler. - In the mangaMangaManga is the Japanese word for "comics" and consists of comics and print cartoons . In the West, the term "manga" has been appropriated to refer specifically to comics created in Japan, or by Japanese authors, in the Japanese language and conforming to the style developed in Japan in the late 19th...
series Death NoteDeath Noteis a manga created by writer Tsugumi Ohba and manga artist Takeshi Obata. The main character is Light Yagami, a high school student who discovers a supernatural notebook, the "Death Note", dropped on Earth by a god of death, or a shinigami, named Ryuk...
, the Shinigami Death god Ryuk tells the protagonist Light that any human who uses a Death Note cannot go to Heaven or Hell. In the last volume Ryuk claims they go to Mu (Nothingness). - In the comic stripComic stripA comic strip is a sequence of drawings arranged in interrelated panels to display brief humor or form a narrative, often serialized, with text in balloons and captions....
DilbertDilbertDilbert is an American comic strip written and drawn by Scott Adams. First published on April 16, 1989, Dilbert is known for its satirical office humor about a white-collar, micromanaged office featuring the engineer Dilbert as the title character...
(created by Scott AdamsScott AdamsScott Raymond Adams is the American creator of the Dilbert comic strip and the author of several nonfiction works of satire, commentary, business, and general speculation....
) "heck" is a lesser version of hell reserved for people who have done misdeeds that are not evil enough to warrant hell. Heck is ruled by Phil, the Prince of Insufficient Light who carries a giant spoon instead of a pitchfork. - In the Dragon BallDragon Ballis a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Akira Toriyama. It was originally serialized in Weekly Shōnen Jump from 1984 to 1995; later the 519 individual chapters were published into 42 tankōbon volumes by Shueisha. Dragon Ball was inspired by the classical Chinese novel Journey to the...
anime series, Hell was known as HFIL. This acronym was stated to stand for Home For Infinite Losers. Hell is never actually shown in the manga; however it is shown several times throughout the Dragon Ball Z and Dragon Ball GT anime series. - In the Family GuyFamily GuyFamily Guy is an American animated television series created by Seth MacFarlane for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series centers on the Griffins, a dysfunctional family consisting of parents Peter and Lois; their children Meg, Chris, and Stewie; and their anthropomorphic pet dog Brian...
episode Holy Crap, PeterPeter GriffinPeter Griffin is a fictional character and the protagonist of the animated comedy series Family Guy and the patriarch of the Griffin family. He is voiced by cartoonist Seth MacFarlane and first appeared on television, along with the rest of the family in the 15-minute short on December 20, 1998....
visits Hell in a cutaway joke where he finds Adolf HitlerAdolf HitlerAdolf Hitler was an Austrian-born German politician and the leader of the National Socialist German Workers Party , commonly referred to as the Nazi Party). He was Chancellor of Germany from 1933 to 1945, and head of state from 1934 to 1945...
, Al CaponeAl CaponeAlphonse Gabriel "Al" Capone was an American gangster who led a Prohibition-era crime syndicate. The Chicago Outfit, which subsequently became known as the "Capones", was dedicated to smuggling and bootlegging liquor, and other illegal activities such as prostitution, in Chicago from the early...
, John Wilkes BoothJohn Wilkes BoothJohn Wilkes Booth was an American stage actor who assassinated President Abraham Lincoln at Ford's Theatre, in Washington, D.C., on April 14, 1865. Booth was a member of the prominent 19th century Booth theatrical family from Maryland and, by the 1860s, was a well-known actor...
and SupermanSupermanSuperman is a fictional comic book superhero appearing in publications by DC Comics, widely considered to be an American cultural icon. Created by American writer Jerry Siegel and Canadian-born American artist Joe Shuster in 1932 while both were living in Cleveland, Ohio, and sold to Detective...
. This baffles Peter, but Superman explains he was sent to hell "after murdering a hooker who made a joke about him being faster than a speeding bullet." In "Dial Meg for MurderDial Meg for Murder"Dial Meg for Murder" is the eleventh episode of season eight of the animated comedy series Family Guy. It originally aired on Fox in the United States on January 31, 2010 . The episode follows teenager Meg as she dates and falls in love with an inmate at the local prison...
," Goofy is sent to hell for being involved with the events on 9/11. When Goofy tells Satan "that's what they get for supporting Israel," Satan pushes him into the eternal fire. - In the one-panel comicComic stripA comic strip is a sequence of drawings arranged in interrelated panels to display brief humor or form a narrative, often serialized, with text in balloons and captions....
The Far SideThe Far SideThe Far Side is a popular single-panel comic created by Gary Larson and syndicated by Universal Press Syndicate, which ran from January 1, 1980, to January 1, 1995. Its surrealistic humor is often based on uncomfortable social situations, improbable events, an anthropomorphic view of the world,...
(created by Gary LarsonGary LarsonGary Larson is the creator of The Far Side, a single-panel cartoon series that was syndicated internationally to newspapers for 15 years. The series ended with Larson's retirement on January 1, 1995. His 23 books of collected cartoons have combined sales of more than 45 million...
in the eighties) Hell is featured among other recurring themes, depicting SatanSatanSatan , "the opposer", is the title of various entities, both human and divine, who challenge the faith of humans in the Hebrew Bible...
and his minions as grim-looking figures in robes with horns and pitchforkPitchforkA pitchfork is an agricultural tool with a long handle and long, thin, widely separated pointed tines used to lift and pitch loose material, such as hay, leaves, grapes, dung or other agricultural materials. Pitchforks typically have two or three tines...
s, running the place in businessBusinessA business is an organization engaged in the trade of goods, services, or both to consumers. Businesses are predominant in capitalist economies, where most of them are privately owned and administered to earn profit to increase the wealth of their owners. Businesses may also be not-for-profit...
-like manner: in one instance, the bespectacled secretarySecretaryA secretary, or administrative assistant, is a person whose work consists of supporting management, including executives, using a variety of project management, communication & organizational skills. These functions may be entirely carried out to assist one other employee or may be for the benefit...
behind the typewriterTypewriterA typewriter is a mechanical or electromechanical device with keys that, when pressed, cause characters to be printed on a medium, usually paper. Typically one character is printed per keypress, and the machine prints the characters by making ink impressions of type elements similar to the pieces...
asks her boss seen as a silhouetteSilhouetteA silhouette is the image of a person, an object or scene consisting of the outline and a basically featureless interior, with the silhouetted object usually being black. Although the art form has been popular since the mid-18th century, the term “silhouette” was seldom used until the early decades...
behind the officeOfficeAn office is generally a room or other area in which people work, but may also denote a position within an organization with specific duties attached to it ; the latter is in fact an earlier usage, office as place originally referring to the location of one's duty. When used as an adjective, the...
door: There is an insuranceInsuranceIn law and economics, insurance is a form of risk management primarily used to hedge against the risk of a contingent, uncertain loss. Insurance is defined as the equitable transfer of the risk of a loss, from one entity to another, in exchange for payment. An insurer is a company selling the...
salesman here. Should I admit him in or tell to go to HeavenHeavenHeaven, the Heavens or Seven Heavens, is a common religious cosmological or metaphysical term for the physical or transcendent place from which heavenly beings originate, are enthroned or inhabit...
? - In the television series FuturamaFuturamaFuturama is an American animated science fiction sitcom created by Matt Groening and developed by Groening and David X. Cohen for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series follows the adventures of a late 20th-century New York City pizza delivery boy, Philip J...
, the characters go to Robot Hell on occasion, where the Robot Devil and other evil robots reside. The entrance is located in New Jersey. In "Hell is Other RobotsHell Is Other Robots"Hell Is Other Robots" is the ninth episode of Futurama. It originally aired in North America on May 18, 1999, as the season finale of the first season. The episode was written by Eric Kaplan and directed by Rich Moore. Guest stars in this episode include the Beastie Boys as themselves and Dan...
" Bender was put in there to be tormented in a series of "ironic punishments" such as being rolled into a giant cigar for smoking. A hell clause means that the Robot Devil will release a soul if he is beaten in a golden fiddle playing contest. In "The Devil's Hands Are Idle PlaythingsThe Devil's Hands are Idle Playthings"The Devil's Hands Are Idle Playthings" is the eighteenth episode in the fourth production season of the animated television series Futurama, and was aired for the first time in the United States on August 10, 2003 as the sixteenth episode of the fifth broadcast season...
", Fry and Bender go to hell to make a deal for Fry to get robot hands so he can play the holophonor. The robot whose hands Fry will get is determined by a large wheel with every robot on it. Fry winds up with the Robot Devil's hands (I just put my name on there as a show of good faith to the other robots). The Robot Devil proceeds to use a "circuitous plan" involving Bender and Leela to convince Fry to trade hands back. At the end of the episode the Robot Devil returns to Hell, taking Richard NixonRichard NixonRichard Milhous Nixon was the 37th President of the United States, serving from 1969 to 1974. The only president to resign the office, Nixon had previously served as a US representative and senator from California and as the 36th Vice President of the United States from 1953 to 1961 under...
with him. In 'The Beast with a billion backs' Bender gets the armies of Robot Hell in exchange for his first born son. - In the comic bookComic bookA comic book or comicbook is a magazine made up of comics, narrative artwork in the form of separate panels that represent individual scenes, often accompanied by dialog as well as including...
series Ghost RiderGhost Rider (comics)Ghost Rider is the name of several fictional supernatural antiheroes appearing in comic books published by Marvel Comics. Marvel had previously used the name for a Western character whose name was later changed to Night Rider and subsequently to Phantom Rider.The first supernatural Ghost Rider is...
, Johnny BlazeGhost Rider (Johnny Blaze)Ghost Rider is a fictional character, an antihero in the Marvel Comics Universe. He is the second Marvel character to use the name Ghost Rider, following the Western hero later known as the Phantom Rider, and preceding Daniel Ketch.Johnny Blaze was portrayed both in the 2007 film Ghost Rider and...
sold his soul to the demon MephistoMephisto (comics)Mephisto is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appears in Silver Surfer #3 and was created by Stan Lee and John Buscema, loosely modeled on Mephistopheles - a character from the Faust legend.Debuting in the Silver Age of comic books,...
to cure his adoptive father from dying of cancer. In the recent revival of the series we see the Ghost Rider residing in Hell to pay up his end of the bargain. Hell is depicted as a red desert with cannons and pools of lava. We see the devil as a powerful political leader residing in a grand palace with many servants and advisors. The palace is surrounded by burning towers. The demons Mephisto and Sattanish are sometimes shown with characters like Hitler, Himmler, and Stalin. In one story several villains are resurrected by Sattanish to form a Lethal Legion. - CartoonistCartoonistA cartoonist is a person who specializes in drawing cartoons. This work is usually humorous, mainly created for entertainment, political commentary or advertising...
Jimmy HatloJimmy HatloJames Cecil Hatlo , better known as Jimmy Hatlo, was an American cartoonist who created in 1929 the long-running comic strip and gag panel They'll Do It Every Time, which he wrote and drew until his death in 1963...
created a series of Sunday newspaper cartoonCartoonA cartoon is a form of two-dimensional illustrated visual art. While the specific definition has changed over time, modern usage refers to a typically non-realistic or semi-realistic drawing or painting intended for satire, caricature, or humor, or to the artistic style of such works...
s about life in Hell called The Hatlo Inferno, which ran from 1953 to 1958. - In the comic bookComic bookA comic book or comicbook is a magazine made up of comics, narrative artwork in the form of separate panels that represent individual scenes, often accompanied by dialog as well as including...
series HellboyHellboyHellboy is a comic book superhero created by writer-artist Mike Mignola. The character first appeared in San Diego Comic-Con Comics #2 , and has since appeared in various eponymous miniseries, one-shots and intercompany crossovers...
by award-winning artist Mike MignolaMike MignolaMichael Joseph "Mike" Mignola is an American comic book artist and writer who created the comic book series Hellboy for Dark Horse Comics. He has worked for animation projects such as Atlantis: The Lost Empire and the adaptation of his one shot comic book, The Amazing Screw-On Head.-Career:Mignola...
, Hell is shown in the two page story "Pancakes" (1999 Dark Horse Presents Annual) to be a dark, alternate dimension filled with flames and demons and where the infernal capital city of PandemoniumPandæmonium (Paradise Lost)Pandæmonium is the capital of Hell in the epic poem Paradise Lost by the 17th century English poet John Milton."Pandæmonium" stems from Greek "παν", meaning "all" or "every", and "δαιμόνιον", meaning "little spirit" or "little angel", or, as Christians interpreted it, "little daemon", and later,...
resides. In issue one "Seed of Destruction" the Nazis with aid of the mad monk RasputinGrigori RasputinGrigori Yefimovich Rasputin was a Russian Orthodox Christian and mystic who is perceived as having influenced the latter days of the Russian Emperor Nicholas II, his wife Alexandra, and their only son Alexei...
successfully breach the transdimensional boundary of Hell via magic and call forth the infant Hellboy so that he may bring about the end of the world. They are stopped, however, by the Allied ForcesWorld War IIWorld War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
who also rescue Hellboy and raise him. - The comic book SpawnSpawn (comics)Spawn is a fictional comic book superhero who appears in a monthly comic book of the same name published by Image Comics. Created by writer/artist Todd McFarlane, Spawn first appeared in Spawn #1...
sees Hell its demons as an important plot element. Mercenary Al Simmons gets betrayed by his own employers, dies, and goes to Hell. He then makes a deal with the Devil MalebolgiaMalebolgiaMalebolgia is a fictional character in the Spawn universe, drawing its name from the term in Dante's Inferno used to describe Malebolge, the ditches in the eighth circle of Hell where humans who committed the sin Fraud are punished...
(Guardian of Hell) that if he agrees to fight with Malebolgia's army, he would get to return to Earth and see his wife again. Throughout the comics, he meets and fights many nefarious characters. - In the animeAnimeis the Japanese abbreviated pronunciation of "animation". The definition sometimes changes depending on the context. In English-speaking countries, the term most commonly refers to Japanese animated cartoons....
Jigoku ShojoJigoku Shojo, also known as Jigoku Shōjo: Girl from Hell, is an anime series produced by Aniplex and Studio Deen. It focuses on the existence of a supernatural system that allows people to take revenge by having other people sent to Hell via the services of the mysterious titular character and her assistants...
, Hell is not seen but the soul is ferried there. - In the Renkin 3-kyū Magical? Pokān episode, "The Spell of Rebirth is a Trip Through Hell", Uma is condemned to Hell by EnmaYama (Buddhism and Chinese mythology)Yama the name of the Buddhist dharmapala and judge of the dead, who presides over the Buddhist Narakas , "Hells" or "Purgatories". Although ultimately based on the god Yama of the Hindu Vedas, the Buddhist Yama has developed different myths and different functions from the Hindu deity...
(played by Dr. K-Ko) following the ending of "Love's Spell is a Trip to the Beach." In this series, Hell is depicted in different levels like the Children's Hell where children continuously stack rocks until it is knocked down by a demon version of Liru, a Boiling in Oil Hell that is overseen by a demon version of Pachira, and a flaming chariot ride around Hell operated by a demon version of Aiko. When Uma ends up driving them crazy, the demon Aiko ends up allowing Uma to ascend into Heaven with a letter to God (portrayed by Keimie) stating that Uma is banished from Hell for all eternity. - In The SimpsonsThe SimpsonsThe Simpsons is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series is a satirical parody of a middle class American lifestyle epitomized by its family of the same name, which consists of Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie...
, Hell is depicted numerous times. In "Bart Gets Hit by a CarBart Gets Hit by a Car"Bart Gets Hit by a Car" is the tenth episode of The Simpsons second season. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on January 10, 1991. At the start of the episode, Bart is hit by Mr. Burns' car. Prompted by ambulance chasing lawyer Lionel Hutz and quack doctor Dr. Nick...
", Bart enters Hell due to a car accident where the Hieronymus Bosch painting The Garden of Earthly DelightsThe Garden of Earthly DelightsThe Garden of Earthly Delights is a triptych painted by the early Netherlandish master Hieronymus Bosch , housed in the Museo del Prado in Madrid since 1939. Dating from between 1490 and 1510, when Bosch was about 40 or 50 years old, it is his best-known and most ambitious work...
is parodied. Satan is shown to have a MacintoshMacintoshThe Macintosh , or Mac, is a series of several lines of personal computers designed, developed, and marketed by Apple Inc. The first Macintosh was introduced by Apple's then-chairman Steve Jobs on January 24, 1984; it was the first commercially successful personal computer to feature a mouse and a...
computer which he uses to view details about everyone who enters Hell. Bart's arrival is, however, too early, so the Devil sends him back to Earth, advising him to continue to "lie, cheat, steal and listen to heavy metalHeavy metal musicHeavy metal is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the Midlands of the United Kingdom and the United States...
." Homer ended up in Hell in The Simpsons Halloween Episodes. In "Treehouse of Horror IVTreehouse of Horror IV"Treehouse of Horror IV" is the fifth episode of The Simpsons fifth season and the fourth episode in the Treehouse of Horror series of Halloween specials. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on October 28, 1993, and features three short stories called "The Devil and Homer...
" Benedict ArnoldBenedict ArnoldBenedict Arnold V was a general during the American Revolutionary War. He began the war in the Continental Army but later defected to the British Army. While a general on the American side, he obtained command of the fort at West Point, New York, and plotted to surrender it to the British forces...
, Lizzie Borden, Richard NixonRichard NixonRichard Milhous Nixon was the 37th President of the United States, serving from 1969 to 1974. The only president to resign the office, Nixon had previously served as a US representative and senator from California and as the 36th Vice President of the United States from 1953 to 1961 under...
, John DillingerJohn DillingerJohn Herbert Dillinger, Jr. was an American bank robber in Depression-era United States. He was charged with, but never convicted of, the murder of an East Chicago, Indiana police officer during a shoot-out. This was his only alleged homicide. His gang robbed two dozen banks and four police stations...
, BlackbeardBlackbeardEdward Teach , better known as Blackbeard, was a notorious English pirate who operated around the West Indies and the eastern coast of the American colonies....
, and the 1976 Philadelphia FlyersPhiladelphia FlyersThe Philadelphia Flyers are a professional ice hockey team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
are brought up from hell to form a "jury of the Damned". In the same episode it is suggested that James CocoJames CocoJames Coco was an American character actor.- Early life and career :Born James Emil Coco in New York City, son of Feliche Coco, a shoemaker and Ida Detestes Coco, James began acting straight out of high school. As an overweight and prematurely balding adult, he found himself relegated to character...
also went to hell. Homer is subjected to the torture of eating every donut (in the "Hell Labs Ironic Punishment Division") in the world after selling his soul for a donut. After happily eating all of the donuts, a demon claims 'most people go mad after 15 minutes.' In the episode "Treehouse of Horror XITreehouse of Horror XI"Treehouse of Horror XI" is the first episode of The Simpsons twelfth season and the 249th overall, and the eleventh Halloween episode. The episode features "G-G-Ghost D-D-Dad", "Scary Tales Can Come True" and "Night of the Dolphin" and was written by Rob LaZebnik , John Frink and Don Payne and...
" Homer is tortured in hell by the devil after St. Peter opens a trapdoor near Heaven's gate. His screams wake up John WayneJohn WayneMarion Mitchell Morrison , better known by his stage name John Wayne, was an American film actor, director and producer. He epitomized rugged masculinity and became an enduring American icon. He is famous for his distinctive calm voice, walk, and height...
who also resides there. In "Simpsons Bible StoriesSimpsons Bible Stories"Simpsons Bible Stories" is the eighteenth episode of The Simpsons tenth season. It first aired on the Fox network in the United States on Easter, 1999. It is the first of The Simpsons now annual trilogy episodes, and consists of four self-contained segments. In the episode the Simpsons all fall...
", the entire family fall asleep in church and wake up to find the ApocalypseApocalypseAn Apocalypse is a disclosure of something hidden from the majority of mankind in an era dominated by falsehood and misconception, i.e. the veil to be lifted. The Apocalypse of John is the Book of Revelation, the last book of the New Testament...
occurring, whereby a staircase opens in the ground and they are sent down to Hell. Homer is at first excited by the smells of barbecueBarbecueBarbecue or barbeque , used chiefly in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, New Zealand and Australia is a method and apparatus for cooking meat, poultry and occasionally fish with the heat and hot smoke of a fire, smoking wood, or hot coals of...
but soon starts screaming in agony. In "Treehouse of Horror XVIIITreehouse of Horror XVIII"Treehouse of Horror XVIII" is the fifth episode of The Simpsons nineteenth season and was first broadcast on November 4, 2007. In the eighteenth annual Treehouse of Horror episode, Bart harbors Kodos the alien in "E.T. Go Home," Homer and Marge are husband and wife assassins who try to take each...
" The Devil sends every person in SpringfieldSpringfield (The Simpsons)Springfield is the fictional town in which the American animated sitcom The Simpsons is set. A mid-sized town in an undetermined state of the United States, Springfield acts as a complete universe in which characters can explore the issues faced by modern society. The geography of the town and its...
to a Hieronymus Bosch-like hell. - In many episodes of the television series South ParkSouth ParkSouth Park is an American animated television series created by Trey Parker and Matt Stone for the Comedy Central television network. Intended for mature audiences, the show has become famous for its crude language, surreal, satirical, and dark humor that lampoons a wide range of topics...
, "(Do the Handicapped Go to Hell?Do the Handicapped Go to Hell?"Do the Handicapped Go to Hell?" is the ninth episode of the fourth season of the animated television series South Park, and 57th episode of the series overall. "Do the Handicapped Go to Hell?" originally aired in the United States on July 19, 2000 on Comedy Central. It is the first part of a two...
/ProbablyProbably (South Park)"Probably" is the eleventh episode of the fourth season of the animated television series South Park, and the 58th episode of the series overall. "Probably" originally aired in the United States on July 26, 2000 on Comedy Central...
"), Satan appears. On many occasions, he is accompanied by his homosexual lover Saddam HusseinSaddam HusseinSaddam Hussein Abd al-Majid al-Tikriti was the fifth President of Iraq, serving in this capacity from 16 July 1979 until 9 April 2003...
, who ironically seems to be even more malicious than Satan himself. Hell in the series is an overpopulated place where several famous people as Frank SinatraFrank SinatraFrancis Albert "Frank" Sinatra was an American singer and actor.Beginning his musical career in the swing era with Harry James and Tommy Dorsey, Sinatra became an unprecedentedly successful solo artist in the early to mid-1940s, after being signed to Columbia Records in 1943. Being the idol of the...
, John F. KennedyJohn F. KennedyJohn Fitzgerald "Jack" Kennedy , often referred to by his initials JFK, was the 35th President of the United States, serving from 1961 until his assassination in 1963....
, John F. Kennedy, Jr.John F. Kennedy, Jr.John Fitzgerald Kennedy, Jr. , often referred to as John F. Kennedy, Jr., JFK Jr., John Jr. or John-John, was an American socialite, magazine publisher, lawyer, and pilot. The elder son of U.S. President John F...
, Walter MatthauWalter MatthauWalter Matthau was an American actor best known for his role as Oscar Madison in The Odd Couple and his frequent collaborations with Odd Couple star Jack Lemmon, as well as his role as Coach Buttermaker in the 1976 comedy The Bad News Bears...
, Dean MartinDean MartinDean Martin was an American singer, film actor, television star and comedian. Martin's hit singles included "Memories Are Made of This", "That's Amore", "Everybody Loves Somebody", "You're Nobody till Somebody Loves You", "Sway", "Volare" and "Ain't That a Kick in the Head?"...
, Diana, Princess of WalesDiana, Princess of WalesDiana, Princess of Wales was the first wife of Charles, Prince of Wales, whom she married on 29 July 1981, and an international charity and fundraising figure, as well as a preeminent celebrity of the late 20th century...
, Tiny TimTiny Tim (musician)Tiny Tim , , born in Manhattan, was an American singer and ukulele player. He was most famous for his rendition of "Tiptoe Through the Tulips" sung in a distinctive high falsetto/vibrato voice.-Rise to fame:Born to Lebanese parents in 1932, Khaury displayed musical talent at a very young age...
, Michael LandonMichael LandonMichael Landon was an American actor, writer, director, and producer. He is widely known for his roles as Little Joe Cartwright in Bonanza , Charles Ingalls in Little House on the Prairie , and Jonathan Smith in Highway to Heaven...
, Gene SiskelGene SiskelEugene Kal "Gene" Siskel was an American film critic and journalist for the Chicago Tribune. Along with colleague Roger Ebert, he hosted the popular review show Siskel & Ebert At the Movies from 1975 until his death....
, George BurnsGeorge BurnsGeorge Burns , born Nathan Birnbaum, was an American comedian, actor, and writer.He was one of the few entertainers whose career successfully spanned vaudeville, film, radio, television and movies, with and without his wife, Gracie Allen. His arched eyebrow and cigar smoke punctuation became...
, Andy DickAndy DickAndrew R. "Andy" Dick is an American comedian, actor, musician and television/film producer. His first regular television role was on the short-lived but highly influential Ben Stiller Show. In the mid-1990s, he had a long-running stint on NBC's NewsRadio...
, and Mahatma GandhiMahatma GandhiMohandas Karamchand Gandhi , pronounced . 2 October 1869 – 30 January 1948) was the pre-eminent political and ideological leader of India during the Indian independence movement...
live next to more obvious people as Adolf HitlerAdolf HitlerAdolf Hitler was an Austrian-born German politician and the leader of the National Socialist German Workers Party , commonly referred to as the Nazi Party). He was Chancellor of Germany from 1933 to 1945, and head of state from 1934 to 1945...
, Jeffrey DahmerJeffrey DahmerJeffrey Lionel Dahmer was an American serial killer and sex offender. Dahmer murdered 17 men and boys between 1978 and 1991, with the majority of the murders occurring between 1987 and 1991. His murders involved rape, dismemberment, necrophilia and cannibalism...
, Ted BundyTed BundyTheodore Robert "Ted" Bundy was an American serial killer, rapist, kidnapper, and necrophile who assaulted and murdered numerous young women during the 1970s, and possibly earlier...
, John Wayne GacyJohn Wayne GacyJohn Wayne Gacy, Jr. was an American serial killer, rapist and clown who sexually assaulted and murdered at least 33 teenage boys and young men between 1972 and 1978. Gacy buried 26 of his victims in the crawlspace of his home, buried three others elsewhere on his property, and discarded the...
, Djenghis Khan and Mao ZedongMao ZedongMao Zedong, also transliterated as Mao Tse-tung , and commonly referred to as Chairman Mao , was a Chinese Communist revolutionary, guerrilla warfare strategist, Marxist political philosopher, and leader of the Chinese Revolution...
. Only MormonsMormonsThe Mormons are a religious and cultural group related to Mormonism, a religion started by Joseph Smith during the American Second Great Awakening. A vast majority of Mormons are members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints while a minority are members of other independent churches....
seem to go to HeavenHeavenHeaven, the Heavens or Seven Heavens, is a common religious cosmological or metaphysical term for the physical or transcendent place from which heavenly beings originate, are enthroned or inhabit...
. South Park's version of Hell can also be seen in the episodes: "Best Friends ForeverBest Friends Forever"Best Friends Forever" is the fourth episode of the ninth season of the American animated television series series South Park. It was written and directed by co-creator Trey Parker and first aired on Comedy Central in the United States on March 30, 2005....
" and "Hell on Earth 2006Hell on Earth 2006"Hell on Earth 2006" is the 150th episode of Comedy Central's animated series South Park. It originally aired on October 25, 2006 and marked the series' fourth Halloween episode....
". In this episode, Steve IrwinSteve IrwinStephen Robert "Steve" Irwin , nicknamed "The Crocodile Hunter", was an Australian television personality, wildlife expert, and conservationist. Irwin achieved worldwide fame from the television series The Crocodile Hunter, an internationally broadcast wildlife documentary series which he co-hosted...
(who had only recently died at that time) was depicted as an inhabitant of Hell, causing much controversy with viewers and Irwin's family. At the end of the "Dead CelebritiesDead Celebrities"Dead Celebrities" is the eighth episode of the thirteenth season of the American animated television series South Park, and the 189th overall episode of the series. It originally aired on Comedy Central in the United States on October 7, 2009...
" episode, several celebrities who had passed away in 2009 arrive in Hell. - In the Tom and JerryTom and JerryTom and Jerry are the cat and mouse cartoon characters that were evolved starting in 1939.Tom and Jerry also may refer to:Cartoon works featuring the cat and mouse so named:* The Tom and Jerry Show...
cartoon, "Heavenly PussHeavenly PussHeavenly Puss is a 1949 one-reel animated cartoon and is the 42nd Tom and Jerry short, created in 1948, and released on 9 July 1949. It was directed by William Hanna and Joseph Barbera, and produced by Fred Quimby...
', Tom is nearly sent to Hell. - Warner Bros. cartoons occasionally depict Hell.
- In Devil's Feud CakeDevil's Feud CakeDevil's Feud Cake is a 1962 Warner Bros. Merrie Melodies animated short featuring Bugs Bunny and Yosemite Sam. This one of the few Bugs Bunny cartoons to use footage from previous episodes, and the first to do so since 1959's Hare-Abian Nights....
, Yosemite SamYosemite SamYosemite Sam is an American animated cartoon character in the Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies series of cartoons produced by Warner Bros. Animation. The name is somewhat alliterative and is inspired by Yosemite National Park...
repeatedly tries to kill Bugs BunnyBugs BunnyBugs Bunny is a animated character created in 1938 at Leon Schlesinger Productions, later Warner Bros. Cartoons. Bugs is an anthropomorphic gray rabbit and is famous for his flippant, insouciant personality and his portrayal as a trickster. He has primarily appeared in animated cartoons, most...
, but always ends up back in Hell, having to face Satan. - In Draftee DaffyDraftee DaffyDraftee Daffy is a 1945 Looney Tunes Daffy Duck cartoon, directed by Bob Clampett.- Plot :Having read about the U.S. fighting forces pushing the Nazi troops back during World War II , Daffy is in a patriotic mood...
, after Daffy DuckDaffy DuckDaffy Duck is an animated cartoon character in the Warner Bros. Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies series of cartoons, often running the gamut between being the best friend and sometimes arch-rival of Bugs Bunny...
accidentally kills himself while trying to escape a man from the draft board, he wakes up in Hell, only to be reunited with the man. - At the end of The Hole Idea, the professor slips a hole under his domineering wife, sending her to Hell, but Satan rejects her.
- In Satan's Waitin'Satan's Waitin'Satan's Waitin' is a 1953 animated Warner Bros. Looney Tunes cartoon directed by Friz Freleng, released in 1954, starring Sylvester and Tweety.-Synopsis:...
, SylvesterSylvesterSylvester is a name derived from the Latin adjective silvestris meaning "wooded" or "wild", which derives from the noun silva meaning "woodland". Classical Latin spells this with i. In Classical Latin y represented a separate sound distinct from i, not a native Latin sound but one used in...
goes to Hell after plummeting to his death, but Satan (in the form of a dog) lets him use up the rest of his nine lives on Earth. - In Three Little BopsThree Little BopsThree Little Bops is a 1957 Looney Tunes cartoon directed by Friz Freleng, with voices by Stan Freberg and music by jazz composer/trumpeter Shorty Rogers...
, the Big Bad Wolf's botched attempt to blow up a jazzJazzJazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
club sends him to Hell, where he learns how to play jazz properly, at which point the Three Little Pigs admit him to the band.
- In Devil's Feud Cake
Film
- In the 1991 film Bill and Ted's Bogus Journey, the title characters end up in Hell.
- Hell is also depicted in Tex AveryTex AveryFrederick Bean "Fred/Tex" Avery was an American animator, cartoonist, voice actor and director, famous for producing animated cartoons during The Golden Age of Hollywood animation. He did his most significant work for the Warner Bros...
's The Blitz Wolf (1942). - ConstantineConstantine (film)Constantine is a 2005 American action horror film directed by Francis Lawrence as his directorial debut, starring Keanu Reeves as John Constantine, with Rachel Weisz, Shia LaBeouf, Tilda Swinton, and Djimon Hounsou...
(a 2005 Warner Bros. film) depicts as graphic a version of the traditional Christian version of Hell as can be found in cinema: it shows a parallel plane with many of the same buildings and structures as the normal world, but twisted, ruined and perpetually seared as if eternally hit by the blast waveBlast waveA blast wave in fluid dynamics is the pressure and flow resulting from the deposition of a large amount of energy in a small very localised volume. The flow field can be approximated as a lead shock wave, followed by a 'self-similar' subsonic flow field. In simpler terms, a blast wave is an area of...
of a nuclear bomb. This movie is based on the DC/Vertigo comic series HellblazerHellblazerHellblazer is a contemporary horror comic book series, originally published by DC Comics, and subsequently by the Vertigo imprint since March 1993, the month the imprint was introduced, where it remains to this day...
. - In televised stage musical Jerry Springer the Opera, Act 2 sees Jerry descend into Hell within his imagination, where it is depicted as his TV studio but smouldering and burned, and his audience members are sealed within the walls.
- A depiction of Hell based on Dante's InfernoInferno (Dante)Inferno is the first part of Dante Alighieri's 14th-century epic poem Divine Comedy. It is followed by Purgatorio and Paradiso. It is an allegory telling of the journey of Dante through what is largely the medieval concept of Hell, guided by the Roman poet Virgil. In the poem, Hell is depicted as...
appears in the 1935 Spencer TracySpencer TracySpencer Bonaventure Tracy was an American theatrical and film actor, who appeared in 75 films from 1930 to 1967. Tracy was one of the major stars of Hollywood's Golden Age, ranking among the top ten box office draws for almost every year from 1938 to 1951...
film Dante's Inferno. - In the film Deconstructing HarryDeconstructing HarryDeconstructing Harry is a black comedy film by Woody Allen released in 1997. This film tells the story of a successful writer called Harry Block, played by Allen himself, who draws inspiration from people he knows in real-life, and from events that happened to him, sometimes causing these people to...
by Woody AllenWoody AllenWoody Allen is an American screenwriter, director, actor, comedian, jazz musician, author, and playwright. Allen's films draw heavily on literature, sexuality, philosophy, psychology, Jewish identity, and the history of cinema...
, the protagonist descends into Hell where he has a chance to learn from the DevilDevilThe Devil is believed in many religions and cultures to be a powerful, supernatural entity that is the personification of evil and the enemy of God and humankind. The nature of the role varies greatly...
himself (played by Billy CrystalBilly CrystalWilliam Edward "Billy" Crystal is an American actor, writer, producer, comedian and film director. He gained prominence in the 1970s for playing Jodie Dallas on the ABC sitcom Soap and became a Hollywood film star during the late 1980s and 1990s, appearing in the critical and box office successes...
), among other things about the significance of having air conditioningAir conditioningAn air conditioner is a home appliance, system, or mechanism designed to dehumidify and extract heat from an area. The cooling is done using a simple refrigeration cycle...
in Hell, and then proceeds to discover his own father. After learning those reasons, Harry grants absolutionAbsolutionAbsolution is a traditional theological term for the forgiveness experienced in the Sacrament of Reconciliation. This concept is found in the Roman Catholic Church, as well as the Eastern Orthodox churches, the Anglican churches, and most Lutheran churches....
to his ancestor and suggests that latter is to be taken to ParadiseParadiseParadise is a place in which existence is positive, harmonious and timeless. It is conceptually a counter-image of the miseries of human civilization, and in paradise there is only peace, prosperity, and happiness. Paradise is a place of contentment, but it is not necessarily a land of luxury and...
- only to be reminded: I am Jewish and do not believe in Paradise!. - The film Drag Me to HellDrag Me to HellDrag Me to Hell is a 2009 American horror film, directed by Sam Raimi, with a screenplay by Sam and Ivan Raimi. The plot focuses on loan officer Christine Brown , who tries to impress her boss by refusing to extend a loan to a gypsy woman by the name of Mrs. Ganush...
tells the story of a woman cursed by an evil gypsy. The curse will send her to Hell unless she can get rid of it. - The movie Event HorizonEvent Horizon (film)Event Horizon is a 1997 science fantasy horror film. The screenplay was written by Philip Eisner and directed by Paul W. S. Anderson. The film stars Laurence Fishburne and Sam Neill...
also deals with themes of Hell As a ship with an experimental, singularityGravitational singularityA gravitational singularity or spacetime singularity is a location where the quantities that are used to measure the gravitational field become infinite in a way that does not depend on the coordinate system...
-inducing reactor core, that was supposed to travel faster than light by folding space, instead entered another dimension, which is likened to Hell, and inadvertently bring a demon with it. - In the Disney film FantasiaFantasia (film)Fantasia is a 1940 American animated film produced by Walt Disney and released by Walt Disney Productions. The third feature in the Walt Disney Animated Classics series, the film consists of eight animated segments set to pieces of classical music conducted by Leopold Stokowski, seven of which are...
(1940), the "Night on Bald MountainNight on Bald MountainNight on Bald Mountain is a composition by Modest Mussorgsky that exists in, at least, two versions—a seldom performed 1867 version or a later and very popular "fantasy for orchestra" arranged by Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov, A Night on the Bare Mountain , based on the vocal score of the "Dream Vision...
" sequence shows ChernobogChernobogChernobog is a Slavic deity, about whom much has been speculated but little can be said definitively. The name may also be given as Crnobog, Czernobóg, Černobog, Црнобог, Zernebog and Чернобог, meaning black god...
ruling Hell. - At the end of 1996's The FrightenersThe FrightenersThe Frighteners is a 1996 comedy horror film directed by Peter Jackson and co-written with his wife, Fran Walsh. The film's cast includes Michael J. Fox, Trini Alvarado, John Astin, Jeffrey Combs, Dee Wallace, Jake Busey and Chi McBride...
, the main villains are grabbed by dark tentacles inside giant lava worms and dragged into a fiery vortex that is clearly meant to be Hell. - At the end of GhostGhost (film)Ghost is a 1990 romantic drama film starring Patrick Swayze, Demi Moore and Whoopi Goldberg. It was written by Bruce Joel Rubin and directed by Jerry Zucker.-Plot:...
(1990), Sam's killer is swarmed by a legion of shadowy figures and dragged through the streets, presumably to Hell. The same thing happens to the killer's boss Carl. - Hell is depicted in the Danish film classic HäxanHäxanHäxan is a 1922 Swedish/Danish silent horror film written and directed by Benjamin Christensen...
(1922). - Hell is subjective in the HellraiserHellraiserHellraiser is a 1987 British and American horror film based upon the novella The Hellbound Heart by Clive Barker, who also wrote the screenplay and directed the film. Hellraiser explores themes of sadomasochism and morality under duress and fear. The film spawned a series of sequels...
movie series, as well as Clive Barker'sClive BarkerClive Barker is an English author, film director and visual artist best known for his work in both fantasy and horror fiction. Barker came to prominence in the mid-1980s with a series of short stories which established him as a leading young horror writer...
novella. Upon solving the Lament Configuration, the sinner, or victim experiences a hell which they themselves defined by their own actions. From the fifth movie onward, it is revealed that the primary demon, the cenobite known as Pinhead (sometimes the Engineer), enjoys playing games with his victims, leading the guilty along a story of their own deeds until in agony they finally confront their sins, at which point Pinhead tears apart their physical self to take their soul into the Labyrinth. - 2000's Little NickyLittle NickyLittle Nicky is a 2000 American comedy film directed by Steven Brill. It stars Adam Sandler as Nicky, one of Satan's three sons.-Plot:The story revolves around a struggle to determine which of Satan's three sons will succeed their father as ruler of Hell...
depicts hell as a kingdom where monsters, giant fire birds, flying jellyfish and a large castle, named the Castle of The Underworld belong and the entrance to Hell is a fiery gate, called the Gateway to Hell. Satan (Harvey KeitelHarvey KeitelHarvey Keitel is an American actor. Some of his most notable starring roles were in Martin Scorsese's Mean Streets and Taxi Driver, Ridley Scott's The Duellists and Thelma and Louise, Ettore Scola's That Night in Varennes, Quentin Tarantino's Reservoir Dogs and Pulp Fiction, Jane Campion's The...
) performs tasks such as shoving a pineapplePineapplePineapple is the common name for a tropical plant and its edible fruit, which is actually a multiple fruit consisting of coalesced berries. It was given the name pineapple due to its resemblance to a pine cone. The pineapple is by far the most economically important plant in the Bromeliaceae...
up Hitler's posterior. - During the Christmas FutureGhost of Christmas Yet to ComeThe Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come, A.K.A., The Ghost of Christmas Future, is a fictional character in English novelist Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol. It is the ghost that haunts the miser Ebenezer Scrooge, in order to prompt him to adopt a more caring attitude in life and avoid the horrid...
segment of Mickey's Christmas CarolMickey's Christmas CarolMickey's Christmas Carol is a 1983 American animated short film produced by Walt Disney Productions and distributed by Buena Vista Distribution Company. It was directed and produced by Burny Mattinson...
, Scrooge McDuckScrooge McDuckScrooge McDuck is a cartoon character created in 1947 by Carl Barks and licensed by The Walt Disney Company. Scrooge is an anthropomorphic white duck with a yellow-orange bill, legs, and feet. He typically wears a red or blue frock coat, top hat, pince-nez glasses, and spats...
is thrown into a grave with a coffin that opens directly into Hell. - The 2010 film Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning ThiefPercy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning ThiefPercy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief is a 2010 fantasy-adventure film directed by Chris Columbus. The film is loosely based on The Lightning Thief, the first novel in the Percy Jackson & The Olympians series by Rick Riordan...
, Percy and his colleagues save his mother from Hades, who sometimes appears as a giant horned demon with fire. The Underworld is shown as a miserable fiery wasteland with Hades castle over it. The entrance is under Hollywood. - In the Pluto cartoon Pluto's Judgement Day Pluto is sent to Hell where he is punished for harming cats.
- The 2006 film Silent HillSilent Hill (film)Silent Hill is a 2006 horror film directed by Christophe Gans and written by Roger Avary. The story is an adaptation of the Silent Hill series of survival horror video games created by Konami. The film, particularly its emotional, religious and aesthetic content as well as its creature design,...
depicts Hell numerous times throughout the movie. It implies a private hell, where we punish ourselves by denying our guilt and fate, only prolonging our suffering and agony. The overall concept of the film is the lengths a mother will go to for her child, traveling to 'Hell and back'. Hell is also depicted as a modern world, but decayed and rusted, populated by strange and horrific creatures. In a number of respects, this concept is rather far removed from the game setting. - South Parks version of Hell can also be seen in the film, South Park: Bigger, Longer & UncutSouth Park: Bigger, Longer & UncutSouth Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut is a 1999 animated musical comedy film based on the animated television series South Park, created by Matt Stone and Trey Parker. The film was directed by Parker, who also stars along with the rest of the regular voice cast from the series, including Stone, Mary...
(2000). - In the Stephen KingStephen KingStephen Edwin King is an American author of contemporary horror, suspense, science fiction and fantasy fiction. His books have sold more than 350 million copies and have been adapted into a number of feature films, television movies and comic books...
movie, Storm of the CenturyStorm of the CenturyStorm of the Century, alternatively known as Stephen King's Storm of the Century, is a 1999 horror TV miniseries written by Stephen King and directed by Craig R. Baxley. Unlike many other King mini-series, Storm of the Century was not based upon a Stephen King novel - King wrote it as a screenplay...
, the character Andre Linoge states that "Hell is repetition". - At the end of the 1995 horror filmHorror filmHorror films seek to elicit a negative emotional reaction from viewers by playing on the audience's most primal fears. They often feature scenes that startle the viewer through the means of macabre and the supernatural, thus frequently overlapping with the fantasy and science fiction genres...
Tales from the HoodTales from the HoodTales From the Hood is a 1995 horror anthology film directed by Rusty Cundieff, and executive produced by Spike Lee. It presents four short African American-themed horror stories, presented within the frame story of three drug dealers buying some "found" drugs from an eccentric and story-prone...
it is revealed that the three of the four main characters (Stack, Ball, and Bulldog) are not in a funeral homeFuneral homeA funeral home, funeral parlor or mortuary, is a business that provides burial and funeral services for the deceased and their families. These services may include aprepared wake and funeral, and the provision of a chapel for the funeral....
, but in Hell, which they had been in all along while listening to the horrific tales told by the funeral directorFuneral directorA funeral director , also known as a mortician or undertaker, is a professional involved in the business of funeral rites. These tasks often entail the embalming and burial or cremation of the dead, as well as the planning and arrangement of the actual funeral ceremony...
, Mr. Simms. The walls around them shatter to reveal the fiery Hell as Simms morphs into Satan himself. - What Dreams May ComeWhat Dreams May Come (film)What Dreams May Come is a 1998 American supernatural drama film, starring Robin Williams, Cuba Gooding, Jr., and Annabella Sciorra. The film is based on the 1978 novel of the same name by Richard Matheson, and was directed by Vincent Ward. The title is taken from a line in Hamlet's To be, or not to...
, a 1998 movie that won an Academy Award for its depiction of heaven and hell as the subjective creations of the individual, was an essentially mystical interpretation of heaven, hell and reincarnation. It was based on the eponymous novelWhat Dreams May ComeWhat Dreams May Come is a 1978 novel by Richard Matheson. The plot centers on Chris, a man who dies and goes to Heaven, but eventually descends into Hell to rescue his wife...
by Richard MathesonRichard MathesonRichard Burton Matheson is an American author and screenwriter, primarily in the fantasy, horror, and science fiction genres. He is perhaps best known as the author of What Dreams May Come, Bid Time Return, A Stir of Echoes, The Incredible Shrinking Man, and I Am Legend, all of which have been...
.
Roleplaying games
- In the Dungeons & DragonsDungeons & DragonsDungeons & Dragons is a fantasy role-playing game originally designed by Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson, and first published in 1974 by Tactical Studies Rules, Inc. . The game has been published by Wizards of the Coast since 1997...
role-playing game, there are seven hellish planes, that are usually called the Lower Planes. The Plane most often referred to as 'Hell' is the Outer PlaneOuter PlaneIn the fantasy role-playing game Dungeons & Dragons, an Outer Plane is one of a number of general types of planes of existence. They can also be referred to as godly planes, spiritual planes or divine planes. The Outer Planes are home to beings such as deities and otherworldly creatures such as...
Baator and comprises nine levels, sometimes called the Nine Hells or the Nine Hells of Baator. The other planes are Pandemonium, an endless underground network filled with howling winds that cause madness; the Abyss, a collection of countless places of evil and chaos, each one worse than the one before; Carceri, the prison of the multiverse; Hades, place of grey and bleak plains (that also has a place called Niflheim); the four peaks of the vulcans of Gehenna; and Archeron, a place of broken weapons and engines of war from all battlefields. - In Nomine, the forces of HeavenHeavenHeaven, the Heavens or Seven Heavens, is a common religious cosmological or metaphysical term for the physical or transcendent place from which heavenly beings originate, are enthroned or inhabit...
and HellHellIn many religious traditions, a hell is a place of suffering and punishment in the afterlife. Religions with a linear divine history often depict hells as endless. Religions with a cyclic history often depict a hell as an intermediary period between incarnations...
fight each other in a modern setting. Hell, the home location of all demons, is separated into several subdivisions called principalities, each ruled by one or more Demon Princes. All of Hell's principalities is named after a cultural version of hell (i.e., Hades, Sheol, Tartaurus, etc.) An additional area, known as lower hell, is where LuciferLuciferTraditionally, Lucifer is a name that in English generally refers to the devil or Satan before being cast from Heaven, although this is not the original meaning of the term. In Latin, from which the English word is derived, Lucifer means "light-bearer"...
resides. Most demons stay away from there and only go to lower hell when they have no other choice.
Video games
- Hell: A Cyberpunk ThrillerHell: A Cyberpunk ThrillerHell: A Cyberpunk Thriller is a point-and-click adventure game released in 1994 by GameTek and developed by Take‑Two Interactive Software. It was available both for DOS and 3DO. The game was notable for being one of the first CD-ROM-only games to use speech with hi-res graphics, and has been...
, a point and click graphic adventure game, features a dystopian future where religious fundamentalist rule with an iron first and can literally send people to hell. - The 1996 city-buildingCity-building gameCity-building games are a genre of strategy computer game where players act as the overall planner and leader of a city, looking down on it from above, and being responsible for its growth and management...
god gameGod gameA god game is an artificial life game that casts the player in the position of controlling the game on a large scale, as an entity with divine/supernatural powers, as a great leader, or with no specified character , and places them in charge of a game setting containing autonomous characters to...
Afterlife has the player "build" Heaven and Hell as cities. - The RTSReal-time strategyReal-time strategy is a sub-genre of strategy video game which does not progress incrementally in turns. Brett Sperry is credited with coining the term to market Dune II....
game, Age of MythologyAge of MythologyAge of Mythology , is a mythology-based, real-time strategy computer game developed by Ensemble Studios and published by Microsoft Game Studios...
, has several missions that take place in HadesHadesHades , Hadēs, originally , Haidēs or , Aidēs , meaning "the unseen") was the ancient Greek god of the underworld. The genitive , Haidou, was an elision to denote locality: "[the house/dominion] of Hades". Eventually, the nominative came to designate the abode of the dead.In Greek mythology, Hades...
. - In BayonettaBayonettais a hack and slash action game for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 developed by Platinum Games in cooperation with publisher Sega. Set in a fictional city in Europe, the game centers on its title character, Bayonetta, who uses pistols and magical attacks to defeat enemies...
, Hell takes the form of a demonic realm called Inferno, a world inhabited by demons. The Umbra witches make deals with numerous demons for power, but are sent to Hell after they die. Major angels on the verge of death are also taken to Hell as trophies. Also, during the game over sequence, Bayonetta is shown being dragged into Hell by numerous demonic hands. Finally, the name of Rodin's bar/weapon shop is called "The Gates of Hell." - The "hack and slash" fantasyFantasyFantasy is a genre of fiction that commonly uses magic and other supernatural phenomena as a primary element of plot, theme, or setting. Many works within the genre take place in imaginary worlds where magic is common...
horror video game, Dante's InfernoDante's Inferno (video game)Dante's Inferno is a 2010 action-adventure video game developed by Visceral Games and published by Electronic Arts for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 consoles. The game was also released on the PlayStation Portable and was developed by Artificial Mind and Movement...
, based on the medieval poem of the same name, is exclusively set in Hell, fully realised in its medieval Roman Catholic conception as a physical and supernatural environment full of grotesque suffering and torture in correspondence with various sinsSeven deadly sinsThe 7 Deadly Sins, also known as the Capital Vices or Cardinal Sins, is a classification of objectionable vices that have been used since early Christian times to educate and instruct followers concerning fallen humanity's tendency to sin...
, with the nine circles of hell making the different parts of the game through which the player, Dante, must fight. - The video game series Devil May CryDevil May Cryis an action game developed and published by Capcom, released in 2001 for the PlayStation 2. Although it is the first game in the series of the same name, the events in Devil May Cry are second in the series storyline's chronological order, taking place after Devil May Cry 3: Dante's Awakening and...
features Hell as a location to battle through. The name of the main character Dante is a reference to The Divine ComedyThe Divine ComedyThe Divine Comedy is an epic poem written by Dante Alighieri between 1308 and his death in 1321. It is widely considered the preeminent work of Italian literature, and is seen as one of the greatest works of world literature...
, as is his twin brother Vergil. - In the first of the Diablo series of games, a "leaked-out" portion of hell is featured as a pit deep under the ground largely characterized as a place of suffering, as the bodies of hundreds of apparently tortured people reside there. The game manual refers to this place as actually part of the mortal realm whose barriers with the metaphysical Hell have weakened, causing it to take on hellish attributes combined with more worldly ones. None of the apparently tortured bodies show any signs of life or torment, and as such may simply be the Decor that Diablo, the lord of Terror, has chosen for his home in the mortal world. This fits with the view of the actual Hell as portrayed in Diablo IIDiablo IIDiablo II is a dark fantasy/horror-themed hack and slash, with elements of the role playing game and dungeon crawl genres. It was released for Windows and Mac OS in 2000 by Blizzard Entertainment, and was developed by Blizzard North. It is a direct sequel to the 1996 hit PC game, Diablo.Diablo II...
, which features Hell as a bleak landscape populated by grotesque monsters and souls in active torment. - The famous PC game series Doom also involves the concept of Hell, but with a science-fiction twist, as a future teleportation experiment accidentally opens a gate to Hell, releasing demons. Hell is treated in the Christian conception, replete with Satanic symbols and corporeal demons, as a parallel universe of crimson skies, black mountains and oceans of fire. At the end of the second game in the series, after the main character has killed the 'largest demon he's ever seen' Hell is wrecked, and the main character wonders where evil people will go when they die. In Doom 3Doom 3Doom 3 is a science fiction horror video game developed by id Software and published by Activision. An example of the first-person shooter genre, Doom 3 was first released for Microsoft Windows on August 3, 2004. The game was later adapted for Linux, as well as being ported by Aspyr Media for Mac...
the player must travel to Hell to obtain a powerful Martian artifact. - In the fourth edition of the game series The Elder ScrollsThe Elder ScrollsThe Elder Scrolls is a role-playing video game series developed by Bethesda Game Studios and published by Bethesda Softworks.-History:...
, Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, the main quest in the game involves preventing and stopping monsters from coming through gates linking to a place called Oblivion. It is widely believed that this is synonymous with Hell. However, the realm seen mostly in this game is only one of the 16 realms of Oblivion, the one belonging to the daedra lord Mehrunes Dagon (a 4 armed almost human creature). The other 15 realms of Oblivion (one for every other daedra prince) are not the same as Dagon's, and the realms of the more benevolent daedra (such as Azura and Meridia) are probably not hell-like at all. Also, Oblivion is not an afterlife for the sinful. - The first Fear EffectFear EffectFear Effect is an action-adventure game released for the PlayStation in 1999. It was developed by Kronos Digital Entertainment and published by Eidos Interactive. The story concerns three outlaws named Hana, Deke, and Glas who are trying to retrieve the missing daughter of a wealthy Chinese...
game deals extensively with the Chinese concept of hell, replete with its aforementioned political ramifications. Several of the later levels actually take place in the Chinese hell. - In both God of WarGod of War (series)God of War is a series of action-adventure video games based on Greek mythology.The main trilogy—God of War I, II, & III—in the series were developed by Sony Computer Entertainment's Santa Monica division , with Ready at Dawn Studios developing the PSP and Javaground the mobile phone installment...
games, the main character, Kratos, gets sent to the Hell of Greek mythology thrice. The first time, he is killed by a broken pillar thrown by Ares. The underworld is depicted as having floating platforms made of bloody flesh and huge bones. There are red clouds above and below; above is the underside of the world, below is the massive river Styx. The souls of the dead are seen falling into it. The second time, Kratos is killed by Zeus; it is a giant cave with black, skeletal arms everywhere. The third time, Kratos falls into the Great Chasm with an elderly, insane IcarusIcarus-Space and astronomy:* Icarus , on the Moon* Icarus , a planetary science journal* 1566 Icarus, an asteroid* IKAROS, a interplanetary unmanned spacecraft...
. He steals his wings and glides down to rest on the rocky Titan AtlasAtlas (mythology)In Greek mythology, Atlas was the primordial Titan who supported the heavens. Although associated with various places, he became commonly identified with the Atlas Mountains in north-west Africa...
. - In another popular fighting game series, Guilty Gear, the characters Testament and Eddie both have a stage based on Hell. Hell was Testament's stage in Guilty Gear XGuilty Gear X, subtitled By Your Side, is the second full game in the Guilty Gear series. It was released in multiple versions:*Guilty Gear X ver 1.5...
, while in Guilty Gear XX, it was Eddie's stage. Up until Guilty Gear XX Accent Core, it was depicted as the freezing kind of Hell in GGXX, but in GGXXAC, it is depicted as a more fiery hell with buildings halfway sunken in what appears to be a whole ocean of blood. The GGXXAC Hell was also Venom's stage in that game. Guilty Gear IsukaGuilty Gear Isukais a game in the Guilty Gear series. Unlike previous games of the series, Isuka allows for fights with up to four players, and is exclusively programmed for use in tournament play. It is the first Guilty Gear game to include the character A.B.A...
also has two stages that reference to Hell; in any mode other than GG Boost mode, a stage owned by both Testament and Eddie is called Hell's Forest, which is also called Deep Forest in the American Release of GGI. The GG Boost mode stage that references to Hell is called Hell's Prison, and is the fourth and second-to-last stage of GG Boost mode. - In Hellgate: LondonHellgate: LondonHellgate: London is a dark fantasy themed action role-playing game originally developed by Flagship Studios, released on October 31, 2007. It was developed by a team headed by former Blizzard Entertainment employees, some of whom had overseen the creation of the Diablo series...
, demonic armies has merged from hell and reduced London to ruin and is slowly converting the world to hell through a process called "Hellforming". The protagonist must fight back the demonic invaders and destroy hell. - In the video game Marvel: Ultimate AllianceMarvel: Ultimate AllianceMarvel: Ultimate Alliance is an action role-playing game developed for PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, Xbox and Xbox 360 by Raven Software and published by Activision. The game was simultaneously ported to the PlayStation Portable and Wii by Vicarious Visions, and to Microsoft Windows by Beenox...
, Mephisto'sMephisto (comics)Mephisto is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appears in Silver Surfer #3 and was created by Stan Lee and John Buscema, loosely modeled on Mephistopheles - a character from the Faust legend.Debuting in the Silver Age of comic books,...
Realm is a name given for hell. It appears as a fiery wasteland inhabited by aggressive demons. - In the MetroidMetroidis an action-adventure video game, and the first entry in the Metroid series. It was co-developed by Nintendo's Research and Development 1 division and Intelligent Systems, and was released in Japan in August 1986, in North America in August 1987, and in Europe in January 1988...
series, Norfair has a close resemblance to Hell. - In the expansion pack "Hordes of the Underdark" for the game, Neverwinter NightsNeverwinter NightsNeverwinter Nights , produced by BioWare and published by Infogrames , is a third-person perspective computer role-playing game that is based on third edition Dungeons & Dragons and Forgotten Realms rules. It was originally to be published by Interplay Entertainment, but the publisher's financial...
, the player gets banished to the eighth level of hell, a frozen wasteland called Cania. - Hell is portrayed as a battlefield frozen in time in the video game Painkiller. Everything from bullets to trenches to mushroom cloudMushroom cloudA mushroom cloud is a distinctive pyrocumulus mushroom-shaped cloud of condensed water vapor or debris resulting from a very large explosion. They are most commonly associated with nuclear explosions, but any sufficiently large blast will produce the same sort of effect. They can be caused by...
s are present in stark stasis, allowing the player to move about the vista to get a good look at it. The most notable omission from the stage is that of people; the player is the only living thing in the scene, occasionally accosted by wraiths—presumably ghosts of the dead soldiers. Being the final level in the game it is relatively short and culminates with a showdown with SatanSatanSatan , "the opposer", is the title of various entities, both human and divine, who challenge the faith of humans in the Hebrew Bible...
himself. - The first game in the QuakeQuake (series)The Quake series is a line of first-person shooter video games produced by id Software.-Overview:The Quake series is somewhat unusual in that its focus changes frequently; the story of Quake II has nothing to do with Quake, and Quake III Arena has little to do with either of its predecessors...
computer game series involves an invasion by forces from Hell, more exactly the Great Old Ones. Note however, that the rest of the series has nothing to do with this concept. - In the popular fighting game series, Street Fighter, the character Akuma uses a move called "Shun Goku Satsu" which sends the opponent's soul to Hell.
- In the game Tony Hawk's Underground 2Tony Hawk's Underground 2Tony Hawk's Underground 2, also known as THUG 2, is the sixth installment in Neversoft's Tony Hawk's Series and sequel to Tony Hawk's Underground. Tony Hawk's Underground 2 was released on October 4, 2004 for the PlayStation 2, GameCube, Xbox, PC, and Game Boy Advance platforms...
, there is an unlockable level (within 2 others) that depicts Hell. Little Demons, rural citizens, and a jazz dancing Satan are in the level. - In the Guitar HeroGuitar HeroGuitar Hero is a music video game developed by Harmonix Music Systems and published by RedOctane for the PlayStation 2 video game console. It is the first entry in the Guitar Hero series. Guitar Hero was released on November 8, 2005 in North America, April 7, 2006 in Europe and June 15, 2006 in...
series, many characters, songs, guitars, and stages represent and come from Hell. - In MinecraftMinecraftMinecraft is a sandbox-building independent video game written in Java originally by Swedish creator Markus "Notch" Persson and now by his company, Mojang, formed from the proceeds of the game. It was released as an alpha on May 17, 2009, with a beta version on December 20, 2010...
, players are able to create a portal to "The Nether", the game's equivalent to Hell. - In Mortal Kombat, one of the arenas is called Hell, and the character Scorpion is a hell specter.
Literature
- Dante AlighieriDante AlighieriDurante degli Alighieri, mononymously referred to as Dante , was an Italian poet, prose writer, literary theorist, moral philosopher, and political thinker. He is best known for the monumental epic poem La commedia, later named La divina commedia ...
's famous epic poem Divine Comedy tells how he visits Heaven and Hell. His visit to Hell is probably the most famous literary depiction of the concept. Hell has its entrance in the Northern hemisphere, the other side of the world to Purgatory, and the bottom of Hell is at the Centre of the Earth. Hell is systematically divided in thematical tortures for crimes of the same nature in its Nine Circles, for example people violent against others are trapped in the Seventh Circle of Hell in a boiling river of blood with centaurs firing arrows to keep them in their place. The people are judged by the Serpentine Minos. Hell was created by Lucifer's fall, he is now trapped in the final level for Traitors. Hell is surrounded by the river Acheron, the neutral sit on the banks chased by swarms of insects and running after a banner. Dante claims to have seen several famous people being tortured in hell: biblical characterBibleThe Bible refers to any one of the collections of the primary religious texts of Judaism and Christianity. There is no common version of the Bible, as the individual books , their contents and their order vary among denominations...
s (JudasJudas IscariotJudas Iscariot was, according to the New Testament, one of the twelve disciples of Jesus. He is best known for his betrayal of Jesus to the hands of the chief priests for 30 pieces of silver.-Etymology:...
, Cain, ...), mythological characters (MedusaMedusaIn Greek mythology Medusa , " guardian, protectress") was a Gorgon, a chthonic monster, and a daughter of Phorcys and Ceto. The author Hyginus, interposes a generation and gives Medusa another chthonic pair as parents. Gazing directly upon her would turn onlookers to stone...
, MinotaurMinotaurIn Greek mythology, the Minotaur , as the Greeks imagined him, was a creature with the head of a bull on the body of a man or, as described by Roman poet Ovid, "part man and part bull"...
,...), historical characterHistoryHistory is the discovery, collection, organization, and presentation of information about past events. History can also mean the period of time after writing was invented. Scholars who write about history are called historians...
s (NeroNeroNero , was Roman Emperor from 54 to 68, and the last in the Julio-Claudian dynasty. Nero was adopted by his great-uncle Claudius to become his heir and successor, and succeeded to the throne in 54 following Claudius' death....
, BrutusBrutusBrutus is the cognomen of the Roman gens Junia, a prominent family of the Roman Republic. The plural of Brutus is Bruti, and the vocative form is Brute, as immortalized in the quotation "Et tu, Brute?", from Shakespeare's play, Julius Caesar....
, Attila the HunAttila the HunAttila , more frequently referred to as Attila the Hun, was the ruler of the Huns from 434 until his death in 453. He was leader of the Hunnic Empire, which stretched from the Ural River to the Rhine River and from the Danube River to the Baltic Sea. During his reign he was one of the most feared...
,...) and people of his own lifetime. His journey is described with many imaginative details. - In Piers AnthonyPiers AnthonyPiers Anthony Dillingham Jacob is an English American writer in the science fiction and fantasy genres, publishing under the name Piers Anthony. He is most famous for his long-running novel series set in the fictional realm of Xanth.Many of his books have appeared on the New York Times Best...
's series Incarnations of ImmortalityIncarnations of ImmortalityIncarnations of Immortality is the name of an eight-book fantasy series by Piers Anthony. The first seven books each focus on one of seven supernatural "offices" in a fictional reality and history parallel to ours, with the exception that society has advanced both magic and modern technology...
, HellHellIn many religious traditions, a hell is a place of suffering and punishment in the afterlife. Religions with a linear divine history often depict hells as endless. Religions with a cyclic history often depict a hell as an intermediary period between incarnations...
, along with HeavenHeavenHeaven, the Heavens or Seven Heavens, is a common religious cosmological or metaphysical term for the physical or transcendent place from which heavenly beings originate, are enthroned or inhabit...
and PurgatoryPurgatoryPurgatory is the condition or process of purification or temporary punishment in which, it is believed, the souls of those who die in a state of grace are made ready for Heaven...
, are actual locations populated by the main characters and souls of the dead. - Wayne BarloweWayne BarloweWayne Douglas Barlowe is an American science fiction and fantasy painter. He has paintedover 300 book and magazine covers and illustrations for many major book publishers, as well as Life magazine, Time, and Newsweek...
's book, Gods Demon, is set in Hell and follows the endeavors of a powerful Demon, Sargatanas, to achieve redemption. The hell depicted is in many ways the classical ChristianChristianA Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
perception of burning cities and desolate wastelands with souls being routinely tortured. - In The Black Jewels trilogy by Anne BishopAnne BishopAnne Bishop is an American fantasy writer. Her most noted work is The Black Jewels trilogy. She lives in upstate New York. She won the Crawford Award in 2000 for the first three novels in her The Black Jewels series: Daughter of the Blood, Heir to the Shadows, and Queen of the Darkness.-The Black...
, Hell is one of the three realms. - Science fictionScience fictionScience fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
author Fredric BrownFredric BrownFredric Brown was an American science fiction and mystery writer. He was born in Cincinnati.He had two sons: James Ross Brown and Linn Lewis Brown ....
wrote a number of imaginative fantasyFantasyFantasy is a genre of fiction that commonly uses magic and other supernatural phenomena as a primary element of plot, theme, or setting. Many works within the genre take place in imaginary worlds where magic is common...
short stories about SatanSatanSatan , "the opposer", is the title of various entities, both human and divine, who challenge the faith of humans in the Hebrew Bible...
’s activities in Hell. - In the novel The Black TattooThe Black TattooThe Black Tattoo is a young adult fantasy novel by Sam Enthoven, published in 2006. It deals with a boy, Charlie, becoming possessed by a demon that manifests itself in the form of a black tattoo on his body....
by Sam EnthovenSam EnthovenSam Enthoven is a children's author who was born in 1974 and lives in North London. He is a graduate of the University of Manchester. He worked for ten years as a bookseller before writing The Black Tattoo. His second book is TIM Defender of the Earth, and his newest book, "Crawlers", has been...
, Hell is depicted as a Roman type empire, complete with gladiator pits. - The novel Job: A Comedy of JusticeJob: A Comedy of JusticeJob: A Comedy of Justice is a novel by Robert A. Heinlein published in 1984. The title is a reference to the biblical Book of Job and James Branch Cabell's book Jurgen, A Comedy of Justice...
, by Robert A. HeinleinRobert A. HeinleinRobert Anson Heinlein was an American science fiction writer. Often called the "dean of science fiction writers", he was one of the most influential and controversial authors of the genre. He set a standard for science and engineering plausibility and helped to raise the genre's standards of...
, offers a Hell that is a thriving community centered on a Lake of Fire that, while it is indeed a burning lake, is something of a practical joke. Incoming souls, who are in apparent corporeal form, fall to the lake but are (usually) caught by attendants who stand by with nets. The newly-arrived citizens are assigned temporary quarters, have jobs, and often meet old friends (and enemies). Sex, eating and drinking, and other forms of entertainment are part of Hell; this Satan is a reasonably courteous host and has a sense of justice. - Stephen KingStephen KingStephen Edwin King is an American author of contemporary horror, suspense, science fiction and fantasy fiction. His books have sold more than 350 million copies and have been adapted into a number of feature films, television movies and comic books...
suggests that Hell is repetition in his short story, "That Feeling, You Can Only Say What It Is in FrenchThat Feeling, You Can Only Say What It Is in FrenchThat Feeling, You Can Only Say What It Is in French is a short story by Stephen King. It was originally published in the June 22, 1998 issue of The New Yorker magazine. In 2002, it was collected in King's collection Everything's Eventual...
". The story focuses on a woman who is forced to repeat the first hours of her and her husband's doomed second honeymoon over and over. - The novel The Taking, by Dean KoontzDean KoontzDean Ray Koontz is a prolific American author best known for his novels which could be described broadly as suspense thrillers. He also frequently incorporates elements of horror, science fiction, mystery, and satire. A number of his books have appeared on the New York Times Bestseller List, with...
, features a global alien invasion, but it is suggested that the invaders may be demons instead of aliens. - In the novel City Infernal by Edward LeeEdward Lee (writer)Edward Lee is an American novelist specializing in the field of horror who has written 40 books, more than half of which have been published by mass-market New York paperback companies such as Leisure/Dorchester, Berkley, and Zebra/Kensington. He is a Bram Stoker award nominee for his story “Mr...
, Hell is depicted as a modern metropolis (the Mephistopolis), albeit where bones are currency and electricity is provided by tapping the bio-electricity of tortured souls. - In MiltonJohn MiltonJohn Milton was an English poet, polemicist, a scholarly man of letters, and a civil servant for the Commonwealth of England under Oliver Cromwell...
's Paradise LostParadise LostParadise Lost is an epic poem in blank verse by the 17th-century English poet John Milton. It was originally published in 1667 in ten books, with a total of over ten thousand individual lines of verse...
, Lucifer and the other Fallen angels (such as BeelzebubBeelzebubBeelzebub -Religious meaning:Ba‘al Zəbûb is variously understood to mean "lord of flies", or "lord of the dwelling". Originally the name of a Philistine god, Beelzebub is also identified in the New Testament as Satan, the "prince of the demons". In Arabic the name is retained as Ba‘al dhubaab /...
, BelialBelialBelial is one of the four crown princes of Hell and a demon in the Bible, Jewish apocrypha and Christian apocrypha...
, and Molech) are imprisoned in Hell for rebelling against God after the birth of Christ. Hell is Nine days' fall from Heaven and three times further than Earth. Between it and the Universe are Chaos and Night. In Hell, the fallen Angels build Pandaimoneum. Hell's gate is guarded by Sin, Satan's daughter. In Book 10 a bridge is built from Hell to Earth by Sin and Death after the Fall of Man, which has been caused by Lucifer, while the Fallen Angels are turned into snakes. - In Jean-Paul SartreJean-Paul SartreJean-Paul Charles Aymard Sartre was a French existentialist philosopher, playwright, novelist, screenwriter, political activist, biographer, and literary critic. He was one of the leading figures in 20th century French philosophy, particularly Marxism, and was one of the key figures in literary...
's play No ExitNo ExitNo Exit is a 1944 existentialist French play by Jean-Paul Sartre. The original French title is Huis Clos, the French equivalent of the legal term in camera, referring to a private discussion behind closed doors; English translations have also been performed under the titles In Camera, No Way Out...
the famous quoteQuotationA quotation or quote is the repetition of one expression as part of another one, particularly when the quoted expression is well-known or explicitly attributed by citation to its original source, and it is indicated by quotation marks.A quotation can also refer to the repeated use of units of any...
: "Hell is other people" is made. - Emanuel SwedenborgEmanuel Swedenborgwas a Swedish scientist, philosopher, and theologian. He has been termed a Christian mystic by some sources, including the Encyclopædia Britannica online version, and the Encyclopedia of Religion , which starts its article with the description that he was a "Swedish scientist and mystic." Others...
wrote Heaven and HellHeaven and Hell (Swedenborg)Heaven and Hell is the common English title of a book written by mystic Emanuel Swedenborg in Latin, published in 1758.The full title is Heaven and its Wonders and Hell From Things Heard and Seen, or in Latin: De Caelo et Ejus Mirabilibus et de inferno, ex Auditis et Visis.This book is a detailed...
in which he claimed to have visited Hell. - In J. R. R. TolkienJ. R. R. TolkienJohn Ronald Reuel Tolkien, CBE was an English writer, poet, philologist, and university professor, best known as the author of the classic high fantasy works The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings, and The Silmarillion.Tolkien was Rawlinson and Bosworth Professor of Anglo-Saxon at Pembroke College,...
's novel The SilmarillionThe SilmarillionThe Silmarillion is a collection of J. R. R. Tolkien's mythopoeic works, edited and published posthumously by his son Christopher Tolkien in 1977, with assistance from Guy Gavriel Kay, who later became a noted fantasy writer. The Silmarillion, along with J. R. R...
, The Dark Lord MorgothMorgothMorgoth Bauglir is a fictional character from J. R. R. Tolkien’s Middle-earth legendarium. He is the main antagonist of The Silmarillion, figures in The Children of Húrin, and is mentioned briefly in The Lord of the Rings.Melkor was the most powerful of the Ainur, but turned to darkness and became...
's first empire Utumno, bears many similarities to Hell, as Morgoth himself is similar to the Devil and both are deep underground, infested by demons and other evil creatures. - In David WeberDavid WeberDavid Mark Weber is an American science fiction and fantasy author. He was born in Cleveland, Ohio. Weber and his wife Sharon live in Greenville, South Carolina with their three children and "a passel of dogs"....
's book Echoes of HonorEchoes of HonorEchoes of Honor is the eighth Honor Harrington novel by David Weber.The novel is divided into six "books". Books 1, 3 and 5 describe the unfolding course of the Manticore-Haven war, while Books 2, 4 and 6 focus on the exploits of Honor and her allies in the prison planet Hades, also known as...
, Hell is the nickname given to the Havenite prison planet of Hades. - In the horror manga Reiko The Zombie ShopReiko the Zombie Shopis a Japanese manga series by Rei Mikamoto, chronicling the exploits of Reiko Himezono, a teenage “zombie shop”, or a "...necromancer-for-hire employed by bereaved families to resurrect departed loved ones for a short time so that the dead may impart their final truths to the living.” Eleven...
by Rei Mikamoto, the main antagonist Riruka Himezono (who was killed in the early part of Volume 7 by a zombie mutant), is given a glimpse of Hell after her death. Hell is depicted as an empty landscape where the souls of those who died become zombie servants summoned by the necromancers in the manga. The inhabitants of Hell are shown to be bearing all of their mortal wounds (such as the necromancer Tracey bearing a bullet wound in her forehead) that were inflicted upon them as humans in life and is guarded by a limbless, mentally disturbed psychopomp who is tasked with sending the souls to Hell. Also, Reiko sends Saki Yurikawa to Hell in order to stop her murderous rampage after she was reduced to a severed head by Saki.
Albums
- GWARGWARGwar is a satirical heavy metal band formed in Richmond, Virginia, United States, in 1984. The band is best known for its elaborate science fiction/horror film inspired costumes, obscene lyrics and graphic stage performances, which feature humorous enactments of politically and morally taboo...
uses the word "hell" and related concepts in the albums titled:- Beyond HellBeyond HellBeyond Hell is the tenth studio album by Gwar. It was released on August 29, 2006, the album was originally announced through the band's official website on February 23, 2006...
(2006) - Hell-OHell-OHell-o! is the debut album by Gwar. The album was released in 1988, on Shimmy Disc Records.Gwar's angle on the album is that of a morbid punk band obsessed with debauchery, violence and toilet humor...
! (1988)
- Beyond Hell
- SlayerSlayerSlayer is an American thrash metal band formed in Huntington Park, California, in 1981 by guitarists Jeff Hanneman and Kerry King. Slayer rose to fame with their 1986 release, Reign in Blood, and is credited as one of the "Big Four" thrash metal acts, along with Metallica, Megadeth and...
's second studio album Hell AwaitsHell AwaitsHell Awaits is the second studio album by the American thrash metal band Slayer, released through Metal Blade Records in 1985. The band's previous release, Show No Mercy, became Metal Blade Records' highest selling release; as a result, producer Brian Slagel desired to release a second Slayer album...
. Many of the band's other songs also have Hellish lyrical themes. - The 2004 Insane Clown PosseInsane Clown PosseInsane Clown Posse is an American hip hop duo from Detroit, Michigan. The group is composed of Joseph Bruce and Joseph Utsler, who perform under the respective personas of the "wicked clowns" Violent J and Shaggy 2 Dope. Insane Clown Posse performs a style of hardcore hip hop known as horrorcore...
album, Hell's Pit is a concept album about Hell. - Bring Me the HorizonBring Me the HorizonBring Me the Horizon are a British metalcore band from Sheffield, Yorkshire, who formed in 2004. Bring Me the Horizon constits of Oliver Sykes as the lead vocalist, lead guitarist Lee Malia, rhythm guitarist Jona Weinhofen, bassist Matt Kean and drummer Matt Nicholls...
's third studio album, There Is a Hell, Believe Me I've Seen It. There Is a Heaven, Let's Keep It a SecretThere Is a Hell, Believe Me I've Seen It. There Is a Heaven, Let's Keep It a SecretThere Is a Hell, Believe Me, I've Seen It. There Is a Heaven, Let's Keep It a Secret. is the third full-length studio album by British metalcore band Bring Me the Horizon, released on 4 October 2010 in the United Kingdom and majority of Europe, and 5 October 2010 in the United States. The album's...
revolves around the themes of Heaven and Hell. - The VenomVenomVenom is the general term referring to any variety of toxins used by certain types of animals that inject it into their victims by the means of a bite or a sting...
album titled Welcome to HellWelcome to HellWelcome to Hell is the debut album by the English heavy metal band Venom, released in December 1981. Welcome to Hell is often described as speed metal, but it had a great influence on the then-emerging thrash metal style, and crystallized the elements of what later became known as death metal and...
released in 1981. - Bad Meets EvilBad Meets EvilBad Meets Evil is an American hip hop duo from Detroit, Michigan that consists of rappers Royce da 5'9" and Eminem . They are best known for collaborating on a self-titled song that appeared on Eminem's major-label debut album The Slim Shady LP in 1999, their early association with Dr...
's debut EP Hell: The SequelHell: The SequelHell: The Sequel is the debut extended play by Bad Meets Evil, an American hip hop duo composed of Royce da 5'9" and Eminem. It was released on June 13, 2011 in some countries by Shady Records and Interscope Records and on June 14, 2011 in the United States. The EP focuses on hardcore hip hop and...
features the song Welcome 2 Hell. The EP's name is a reference to the song Bad Meets Evil from EminemEminemMarshall Bruce Mathers III , better known by his stage name Eminem or his alter ego Slim Shady, is an American rapper, record producer, songwriter and actor. Eminem's popularity brought his group project, D12, to mainstream recognition...
's major-label debut album The Slim Shady LPThe Slim Shady LPThe Slim Shady LP is the second studio album by American rapper Eminem, released on February 23, 1999. It is his major-label debut, and was released under Dr. Dre's Aftermath Entertainment, and Web Records....
quoting the line: "Bad Meets Evil, see you in hell for the sequel."
Singles and songs
- In the song "Fire Water BurnFire Water Burn"Fire Water Burn" is the second single from The Bloodhound Gang's 1996 album One Fierce Beer Coaster. The chorus of the song is taken from the song "The Roof Is on Fire" by Rock Master Scott & the Dynamic Three, yet sung considerably slower...
" by The Bloodhound GangThe Bloodhound GangThe Bloodhound Gang may be a reference to:*The Bloodhound Gang , a segment on the program 3-2-1 Contact*The Bloodhound Gang, a band that took its name from the TV show segment...
, the protagonist claims if he'll go to hell he hopes he will "burn well". He then lists the people with whom he'll spent his days: John F. KennedyJohn F. KennedyJohn Fitzgerald "Jack" Kennedy , often referred to by his initials JFK, was the 35th President of the United States, serving from 1961 until his assassination in 1963....
, Marvin GayeMarvin GayeMarvin Pentz Gay, Jr. , better known by his stage name Marvin Gaye, was an American singer-songwriter and musician with a three-octave vocal range....
, Martha RayeMartha RayeMartha Raye was an American comic actress and standards singer who performed in movies, and later on television....
, Lawrence WelkLawrence WelkLawrence Welk was an American musician, accordionist, bandleader, and television impresario, who hosted The Lawrence Welk Show from 1955 to 1982...
, Kurt CobainKurt CobainKurt Donald Cobain was an American singer-songwriter, musician and artist, best known as the lead singer and guitarist of the grunge band Nirvana...
, KojakKojakKojak is an American television series starring Telly Savalas as the title character, bald New York City Police Department Detective Lieutenant Theo Kojak. It aired from October 24, 1973, to March 18, 1978, on CBS. It took the time slot of the popular Cannon series, which was moved one hour earlier...
, Mark TwainMark TwainSamuel Langhorne Clemens , better known by his pen name Mark Twain, was an American author and humorist...
, Jimi HendrixJimi HendrixJames Marshall "Jimi" Hendrix was an American guitarist and singer-songwriter...
and Emmanuel LewisEmmanuel LewisEmmanuel Lewis is an American actor, best known for playing the title character in the 1980s television sitcom Webster. He is tall. Lewis graduated from Midwood High School in 1989 and then Clark Atlanta University in 1997...
, "because he is the antichristAntichristThe term or title antichrist, in Christian theology, refers to a leader who fulfills Biblical prophecies concerning an adversary of Christ, while resembling him in a deceptive manner...
." - The All American Rejects's radio single "Gives You HellGives You Hell7" Vinyl Picture Disc*Side A: "Gives You Hell" *Side B: "On the Floor" -Music video:The main music video for the single, was directed by Marc Webb. Lead vocalist Tyson Ritter plays the dual roles of a traditional family man and his rowdy next-door neighbor who fronts a noisy garage band, which...
" from their 2008 album When the World Comes DownWhen the World Comes DownWhen the World Comes Down is the third studio album by American rock band The All-American Rejects, released on December 16, 2008. It was produced by Eric Valentine who has recorded with the likes of Maroon 5. When the World Comes Down was the band's first album that was recorded mostly using tape...
. - "Green Hell", a song by The Misfits, later covered by metalHeavy metal musicHeavy metal is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the Midlands of the United Kingdom and the United States...
band MetallicaMetallicaMetallica is an American heavy metal band from Los Angeles, California. Formed in 1981 when James Hetfield responded to an advertisement that drummer Lars Ulrich had posted in a local newspaper. The current line-up features long-time lead guitarist Kirk Hammett and bassist Robert Trujillo ...
for their 1998 album Garage, Inc.. - "Heaven and HellHeaven and Hell (Black Sabbath song)"Heaven and Hell" is the title track to Black Sabbath's ninth studio album, Heaven and Hell. It was written mainly by Tony Iommi, but as with almost all Black Sabbath albums, credit is given to the entire band. The lyrics were written entirely by then-newcomer Ronnie James Dio...
" by Black SabbathBlack SabbathBlack Sabbath are an English heavy metal band, formed in Aston, Birmingham in 1969 by Ozzy Osbourne , Tony Iommi , Geezer Butler , and Bill Ward . The band has since experienced multiple line-up changes, with Tony Iommi the only constant presence in the band through the years. A total of 22... - The jazz band Squirrel Nut ZippersSquirrel Nut ZippersThe Squirrel Nut Zippers are a band formed in 1993 in Chapel Hill, North Carolina by James "Jimbo" Mathus , Katharine Whalen , Chris Phillips on drums, Don Raleigh on bass and sideman Ken Mosher....
' song, "Hell", describes a general depiction of Hell. The song has been featured on various film soundtracks and commercials for films/television shows. - Disturbed has a b-side track titled "Hell", was originally for their third album Ten Thousand FistsTen Thousand FistsTen Thousand Fists is the third studio album by American heavy metal band Disturbed. It was released on September 20, 2005 and became Disturbed's second consecutive #1 debut on the Billboard 200 in the United States, shipping around 239,000 copies in its opening week. It has been certified Platinum...
, but was released on one of the StrickenStricken (song)"Stricken" is a song by American rock band Disturbed. The song was released on July 25, 2005 as the second single from their third studio album Ten Thousand Fists. "Stricken" was certified gold in the United States by the Recording Industry Association of America on August 18, 2008 for selling...
singles. Its theme represents the meaning of hell, revenge, etc. - AC/DCAC/DCAC/DC are an Australian rock band, formed in 1973 by brothers Malcolm and Angus Young. Commonly classified as hard rock, they are considered pioneers of heavy metal, though they themselves have always classified their music as simply "rock and roll"...
uses the word hell in "Hell Ain't a Bad Place to Be", "Hells BellsHells Bells (song)"Hells Bells" is the first track of Australian hard rock band AC/DC's album Back in Black. It is the first song on their comeback album after the death of vocalist Bon Scott, introducing his successor Brian Johnson....
", "Highway to HellHighway to Hell (song)"Highway to Hell" is the opening track of AC/DC's 1979 album Highway to Hell and the twelfth track on AC/DC Live. It was initially released as a single in 1979....
", "JailbreakJailbreak (AC/DC song)"Jailbreak" is a song by Australian hard rock band AC/DC. It is the ninth and final track of their third Australian album Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap, released in September 1976...
" - "It Snows in HellIt Snows In Hell"It Snows in Hell" is a power ballad from the Finnish heavy metal band Lordi's album The Arockalypse. The single was released in a standard jewel case, and in digipack by the Finnish Posti-company. For the single release Lordi produced a new version which contains softer vocals which would...
", a song by FinnishFinlandFinland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
hard rockHard rockHard rock is a loosely defined genre of rock music which has its earliest roots in mid-1960s garage rock, blues rock and psychedelic rock...
band LordiLordiLordi is a Finnish hard rock/heavy metal band, formed in 1996 by the band's lead singer, songwriter and costume-designer, Mr. Lordi. The band is known for wearing monster masks and using pyrotechnics during concerts...
. - The JamThe JamThe Jam were an English punk rock/New Wave/mod revival band active during the late 1970s and early 1980s. They were formed in Woking, Surrey. While they shared the "angry young men" outlook and fast tempos of their punk rock contemporaries, The Jam wore smartly tailored suits rather than ripped...
released the song "Private Hell" on their album Beat SurrenderBeat Surrender"Beat Surrender" was The Jam's final single released on 26 November 1982.It became the band's fourth #1 UK single for two weeks in December 1982. The 7" was backed by the B-side "Shopping"...
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Radio
- Bleak Expectations BBC Radio 4BBC Radio 4BBC Radio 4 is a British domestic radio station, operated and owned by the BBC, that broadcasts a wide variety of spoken-word programmes, including news, drama, comedy, science and history. It replaced the BBC Home Service in 1967. The station controller is currently Gwyneth Williams, and the...
series spoofs Dante's Inferno in the 2nd episode of the fourth series. The underworld is a place for all souls before they are assigned to their respective heavens or hells. - The radio show Coast to Coast AMCoast to Coast AMCoast to Coast AM is a North American late-night syndicated radio talk show that deals with a variety of topics, but most frequently ones that relate to either the paranormal or conspiracy theories. It was created by Art Bell and is distributed by Premiere Radio Networks. The program currently...
has circulated a sound recording which is said to feature the screaming of people suffering in hell, supposedly recorded by Russian engineers drilling into the ground in Siberia, although it is a hoaxHoaxA hoax is a deliberately fabricated falsehood made to masquerade as truth. It is distinguishable from errors in observation or judgment, or rumors, urban legends, pseudosciences or April Fools' Day events that are passed along in good faith by believers or as jokes.-Definition:The British...
known as the Well to Hell hoaxWell to hell hoaxThe "Well to Hell" is a putative borehole in Russia which was purportedly drilled so deep that it broke through to hell. This urban legend has been circulating on the Internet since at least 1997...
. http://www.angelfire.com/mo/reTableoftheRemnant/Hellsound.htmlhttp://www.truthorfiction.com/rumors/d/drilltohellfacts.htm - The BBC Radio 4BBC Radio 4BBC Radio 4 is a British domestic radio station, operated and owned by the BBC, that broadcasts a wide variety of spoken-word programmes, including news, drama, comedy, science and history. It replaced the BBC Home Service in 1967. The station controller is currently Gwyneth Williams, and the...
comedy series Old Harry's GameOld Harry's GameOld Harry's Game is a UK radio comedy written and directed by Andy Hamilton, who also plays the cynical, world-weary Satan. "Old Harry" is one of many names for the devil...
is set in Hell. It was written by Andy HamiltonAndy HamiltonAndrew Neil Hamilton is a British comedian, game show panellist, television director, comedy screenwriter and radio dramatist.-Early life:...
who also stars as SatanSatanSatan , "the opposer", is the title of various entities, both human and divine, who challenge the faith of humans in the Hebrew Bible...
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Television
- In the BuffyverseBuffyverseThe Buffyverse, also known as the Whedonverse or Slayerverse , is the shared fictional universe in which the TV series Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel are set. This term, originally coined by fans of the TV series, has since been used in the titles of published works, and adopted by Joss...
, there are several places in the world, that are natural gateways between the Underworld and the world of Mortals. One of these Hellmouths is located directly under the library of the Sunnydale High School. However, instead of there being one "hell", there are hundreds of hell dimensions, in which demons are the dominant lifeform and non-demon life, if there's any, is subject to great torture. - A 2008 television ad-campaign for Capital OneCapital OneCapital One Financial Corp. is a U.S.-based bank holding company specializing in credit cards, home loans, auto loans, banking and savings products...
credit cards features a Hell that has been 'frozen over' because customers are able to get spending bonuses without restrictions. The ads depict SatanSatanSatan , "the opposer", is the title of various entities, both human and divine, who challenge the faith of humans in the Hebrew Bible...
and his minions in a comical manner. - In Doctor WhoDoctor WhoDoctor Who is a British science fiction television programme produced by the BBC. The programme depicts the adventures of a time-travelling humanoid alien known as the Doctor who explores the universe in a sentient time machine called the TARDIS that flies through time and space, whose exterior...
, the 10th Doctor comes across a being which identifies itself as 'the Beast', resembles popular interpretations of the Devil, and makes numerous references to Hell. In a later episode, "Hell" is said to be a synonymSynonymSynonyms are different words with almost identical or similar meanings. Words that are synonyms are said to be synonymous, and the state of being a synonym is called synonymy. The word comes from Ancient Greek syn and onoma . The words car and automobile are synonyms...
for The Void, the coordinates of which are all sixes666Year 666 was a common year starting on Thursday of the Julian calendar. The denomination 666 for this year has been used since the early medieval period, when the Anno Domini calendar era became the prevalent method in Europe for naming years.- Europe :* Chertsey Abbey is founded.* Barking Abbey...
The Void is nothingness, the place between Universes. - In the science-fiction show LexxLexxLexx is a science fantasy television series that follows the adventures of a group of mismatched individuals aboard the organic space craft Lexx. They travel through two universes and encounter planets including a parody of the Earth....
, Heaven and Hell are depicted as two joined planets situated in the darkest part of the Dark Zone. The hell planet is known as Planet FireFire (LEXX)In the sci-fi television series LEXX, the fictional planet "Fire" is the afterlife for all evil souls, and the location for much of Season 3. It shares a tight mutual orbit and an atmosphere with the Planet Water, which is the afterlife for all good souls...
to its inhabitants. When a human who has made "bad choices" dies in the Lexx universe, their life essence is taken to the core of Fire. They are eternally reincarnated to suffer on the planet's surface. Hell is depicted as an endless burning desert, with distant towers dedicated to various types of punishment. The inhabitants have no memories of their resurrections or past lives, and exist in an ongoing cycle of suffering and death. - The SopranosThe SopranosThe Sopranos is an American television drama series created by David Chase that revolves around the New Jersey-based Italian-American mobster Tony Soprano and the difficulties he faces as he tries to balance the often conflicting requirements of his home life and the criminal organization he heads...
offers several interpretations of hell, including Christopher MoltisantiChristopher MoltisantiChristopher "Chris" Moltisanti, played by Michael Imperioli, is a fictional character on the HBO TV series The Sopranos. He was Tony Soprano's protégé and a Capo in the Soprano crime family.-Biography:...
's description (in "From Where to Eternity") and Carlo Gervasi's summary (in "Chasing ItChasing It"Chasing It" is the eighty-first episode of the HBO television series The Sopranos. It is the fourth episode of the second half of the show's sixth season, the sixteenth episode of the season overall. It was written by executive producer Matthew Weiner and was directed by Tim Van Patten...
)" of hell as portrayed in the Twilight ZoneTwilight zone-Television series and spinoffs:*The Twilight Zone, the anthology television series and its franchise:**The Twilight Zone , the 1959–1964 original television series***Twilight Zone: The Movie, a 1983 film based on the original series...
episode, "A Nice Place to VisitA Nice Place to Visit"A Nice Place to Visit" is an episode of the American Television anthology series The Twilight Zone first aired on CBS on April 15, 1960. The title comes from the saying, "A nice place to visit, but I wouldn't want to live there."...
". - In the satirical puppet show Spitting ImageSpitting ImageSpitting Image is a British satirical puppet show that aired on the ITV network from 1984 to 1996. It was produced by Spitting Image Productions for Central Television. The series was nominated for 10 BAFTA Awards, winning one for editing in 1989....
, hell is depicted as a fiery inferno containing people like Hitler and various Russian leaders. A later sketch set in the future depicts John PrescottJohn PrescottJohn Leslie Prescott, Baron Prescott is a British politician who was Deputy Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1997 to 2007. Born in Prestatyn, Wales, he represented Hull East as the Labour Member of Parliament from 1970 to 2010...
going to hell to find it contains Ronald ReaganRonald ReaganRonald Wilson Reagan was the 40th President of the United States , the 33rd Governor of California and, prior to that, a radio, film and television actor....
and Margaret ThatcherMargaret ThatcherMargaret Hilda Thatcher, Baroness Thatcher, was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1979 to 1990...
. The devil treats Prescott nicely, unable to think of any form of torment he hasn't already been through whilst alive. - The SupernaturalSupernatural (TV series)Supernatural is an American supernatural and horror television series created by Eric Kripke, which debuted on September 13, 2005 on The WB, and is now part of The CW's lineup. Starring Jared Padalecki as Sam Winchester and Jensen Ackles as Dean Winchester, the series follows the brothers as they...
television series mentions Hell many times as the place that demons originated. Dean Winchester, one of the main characters, has been sent to Hell once but was later rescued by the angel, Castiel. And Sam Winchester, one of the main characters, has been in Lucifer's Cage, but somehow escaped with no known reason. - The "ReaperReaperA reaper is a person or machine that reaps crops at harvest, when they are ripe.-Hand reaping:Hand reaping is done by various means, including plucking the ears of grains directly by hand, cutting the grain stalks with a sickle, cutting them with a scythe, or with a later type of scythe called a...
" television series has the main character Sam as a bounty hunter for the devil who must send escaped souls back to hell. Entrances to hell are places that are "hell on Earth" such as the DMV and a storage center were multiple murder victims are hidden.