Hellrasier Limited Edition Box Set DVD Review
Hellrasier Limited Edition Box Set DVD Review
When Pinhead said "We have such things to show you," he wasn't kidding - and neither is Anchor Bay!
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With the advent of Blu-ray and up-converting DVD players all the studios and manufacturers are scrambling to fill the demand for better picture, sound, and overall quality. Gone are the days when the average consumer would settle for their favorite movie in any old shape. (Perhaps one of the few recession-proof jobs is that of film-restorer.)
Anchor Bay has been a leader in satisfying horror fans' Blu-ray lust, as well as enticing us with intriguing collectible packaging and attractive boxed sets that look more like objets d'art than a mere DVD. Such is the case with the box set replica of the Lament Configuration puzzle cube (5" x 5" x 5") and featuring Clive Barker's Hellraiser (1987), Hellbound: Hellraiser II (1988). (It's close to the U.K. Lament Configuration, but slightly different.)
On April 21, 2009, you will be able to see all the sights Pinhead promised, and much more. There are a lot of truly amazing featurettes for the diehard fans, but what about the movies themselves?
Perhaps not surprisingly — lovingly overseen by the author of the source story, Clive Barker — they hold up. Horror.com's recent review of Hellraiser II - 20th Anniversary bears this out, but it'd been many, many years since I'd seen the original Hellraiser all the way through.
A gothic family saga with wickedly strong S&M overtones, this 1987 release is a horror movie like no other. Directed and written by Barker, the narrative follows Kirsty (Ashley Laurence), the teenage daughter of limp Larry (Andrew Robinson) and slave to strident stepmom Julia (Clare Higgins). Everything's not perfect within the walls of the old homestead, but life definitely take a turn for the worse when once-missing wayward Uncle Frank (Sean Chapman) returns. He brings a few fiendish friends with him, thanks to a hellish Rubik's Cube (couldn't resist the 80s jab… actually, the box design is inspired by ancient Chinese puzzle cartons) and the family implodes.
Uncle Frank is a withered shadow of his former self, and he needs vital gore to not only replenish his almost-lost life, but to keep his cruel Cenobite masters — led by Doug Bradley as Pinhead, although he has no name in the film — at bay so he can escape their everlasting clutches. Frank enlists the help of duplicitous Julia, with whom he once had a torrid affair. The seductive redhead brings him victim after victim, spilling their blood herself with the crack of a hammer. But before Frank can be fully restored, Kirsty intervenes. Caught between the real world, her Uncle's afterlife ambition, and the Cenobites' dangerous purgatory, it's up to the young girl to save herself from pure, unmitigated evil.
While the story is quite suspenseful and intense, Hellraiser's real strength is in its unique, heretofore novel visuals. The humanistic Cenobites are dressed to the nines in black leather and metal spikes augmented with surgical implements. They are, as they say, "Demons to some… angels to others." There's also the iconic puzzle box, which is seen for the very first time in living color in the movie (it's beautifully described in Barker's novella, The Hellbound Heart — plus, there is a wealth of info at good old Wikipedia). The cinematography, production designs and sets are awe-inspiring, and while they may look a bit naïve to today's up-and-coming horror aficionado, the practical effects lend an organic aura of authenticity to the gooey, gunky death scenes.
When it comes to the Blu-ray, you might be dubious… I was. After all, you'd think only new movies would be worth the effort, right? That's not the case here: Anchor Bay made sure all the i's were dotted and the t's crossed before proclaiming improved quality.
HELLRAISER 20th Anniversary DVD:
- Anamorphic Widescreen (1.85:1)
- Dolby Digital 5.1 and Dolby Surround 2.0
- R-rated version
- ‘Mr. Cotton, I Presume?’ – An Interview with Star Andrew Robinson
- Actress From Hell – An Interview with Star Ashley Laurence
- Hellcomposer – An Interview with Composer Christopher Young
- Hellraiser: Resurrection
- Under The Skin – Doug Bradley on Hellraiser
- Audio Commentary with Writer/Director Clive Barker and Star Ashley Laurence, moderated by Screenwriter Peter Atkins
- Domestic and International Trailers
- TV Spots
- Still Galleries – Behind The Scenes, Make-Up & SFX Photos, Promotional Materials, Storyboards
- First Draft and Final Draft Screenplays (DVD-ROM)
HELLRAISER II 20th Anniversary DVD:
- Anamorphic Widescreen (1.85:1)
- Dolby Digital 5.1 and Dolby Surround 2.0
- Unrated version
- Audio commentary with director Tony Randel, screenwriter Peter Atkins and actor Ashley Laurence
- Theatrical Trailers (4) and TV Spots (2)
- “The Soul Patrol” featurette – NEW interviews with Cenobite actors
- “Outside the Box” featurette – NEW interview with director Tony Randel
- “The Doctor is In” featurette – NEW interview with Kenneth Cranham
- “Under the Skin” featurette -- Doug Bradley on Hellbound: Hellraiser II
- “Lost in the Labyrinth” featurette
- On-set interview with Clive Barker
- On-set interviews with cast and crew
- Poster and stills gallery
HELLRAISER Blu-ray:
- Anamorphic Widescreen (1.85:1) -- MPEG-4 AVC / 50 BD
- Dolby TrueHD 5.1
- R-rated version
- ‘Mr. Cotton, I Presume?’ – An Interview with Star Andrew Robinson
- Actress From Hell – An Interview with Star Ashley Laurence
- Hellcomposer – An Interview with Composer Christopher Young
- Hellraiser: Resurrection
- Under The Skin – Doug Bradley on Hellraiser
- Audio Commentary with Writer/Director Clive Barker and Star Ashley Laurence, moderated by Screenwriter Peter Atkins
- Domestic and International Trailers
- TV Spots
- Still Galleries – Behind The Scenes, Make-Up & SFX Photos, Promotional Materials, Storyboards
- First Draft and Final Draft Screenplays (DVD-ROM)
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Reviewed by Staci Layne Wilson