Several years ago, Arrow Video released The Scarlet Box, which collected the first three Hellraiser films. A bit later, they re-released Hellraiser and Hellbound: Hellraiser II individually, but not Hellraiser III: Hell on Earth, which was kind of a disappointment because I missed out on grabbing the boxed set (which had since gone out of print) and the third one was always one of my guilty pleasures.
Now Arrow’s got a new boxed set available, Hellraiser: Quartet of Torment, which features great looking 4K restorations of the first four films…I’m guessing either they don’t own the rights to the entire series, or because these four were actually given a theatrical release. And that’s fine because everything after Hellraiser III was a dumpster fire anyway. If you don’t believe me, just pop in Hellraiser: Bloodline.
But this set is more than a repackaging of The Scarlet Box with Hellraiser: Bloodline thrown in to make die-hards double dip. In addition to a bevy of archival bonus features, it includes a lot of new supplements. Most of them are retrospective discussions regarding Hellraiser’s cultural impact, as well as original author (and director) Clive Barker’s importance to the genre. Even the fourth poo-poo platter has a new audio commentary.
As for the films themselves…
The original Hellraiser was unique for its time. Author Clive Barker was still a relatively new kid on the block, but even as a first-time director, no one was better-qualified to put his lurid imagination on the big screen. Considering the relatively low budget, the film is atmospheric and stylish, with gruesomely imaginative make-up effects and violence. Three decades later, the film holds up remarkably well, only a few wonky visual effects disrupting the overall tone. Though Pinhead (Doug Bradley) is a horror icon today, he and his Cenobites don’t actually have all that much screen time in this one. However, Claire Higgins as Julia and Sean Chapman/Oliver Smith as her lover, Frank, make a wonderfully contemptible pair of antagonists.
I might be in the minority on this, but I always felt Hellbound: Hellraiser II was a better film. Gorier and more disturbing than Hellraiser, this one pushes into the realm of dark fantasy rather than pure horror. Ambitious and visually imaginative, Hellbound eschews the claustrophobic atmosphere of the original to finally show us a concept of Hell that was previously only hinted at. The film also features the most twisted villain in the entire franchise: Dr. Channard (Kenneth Cranham), whose detached sadism makes Frank Cotton look a poster boy for empathy. But the most intriguing aspect of the film is Pinhead’s backstory. Revealing without being over-explanatory, we’re provided just enough knowledge about his past to add a surprising touch of poignancy to the climax.
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| E.T. phone Hell. |
After Hellraiser III, the Law of Diminishing Returns dealt the franchise a savage blow from which it wouldn’t recover (at least until that interesting reboot a few years ago). Hellraiser: Bloodline is a drab, depressing dung heap with a dull story, bland characters and cheap visual effects. Hell, even Pinhead looks bored in this one. The whole thing reeks of post-production tampering, resulting in a choppy narrative with hamfisted editing. The fact that part of it takes place in space (a bad sign for any horror sequel) and was directed by Alan Smithee (a pseudonym used by directors who want their name left off the credits) tells you all you need to know. On the plus side, the disc will make a decent coaster in my mancave.
Still, this is a good overall collection. The restorations and newly added bonus features make Quartet of Torment a better set than The Scarlet Box. For this writer, it’s another chance to grab Hellraiser III on Blu-ray (unfortunately, it’s still unavailable separately). For others, three horror classics and a drink coaster is a pretty good deal.
EXTRA KIBBLES
NOTE: Free Kittens Movie Guide was provided with promo discs for review purposes. Physical supplemental material included with the final product (booklets, artwork, inserts, etc) were not available for review.
HELLRAISER
POWER OF IMAGINATION - This is a new hour-long conversation/appreciation by Sorcha Ni Fhlainn and Karmel Kniprath.
2 VIDEO ESSAYS - Unboxing Hellraiser, by author Alexandra Benedict; Flesh is a Trap, by author Guy Adams.
THE PURSUIT OF POSSIBILITIES - Another new hour-long conversation between authors Pula D. Ashe & Eric LaRocca, who discuss the queer aspects of Hellraiser, as well as Clive Barker’s influence on the queer community.
3 AUDIO COMMENTARIES - 1 (NEW) By historian Stephen Jones and critic/author Kim Newman; 2) By writer-director Clive Barker; 3) By Clive Barker and actor Ashley Laurance.
EPK INTERVIEWS - These aren’t new, but have never been available on home video before. Featuring Clive Barker, actors Ashley Laurence, Clare Higgens & Andrew Robinson, RX artist Bob Keene. Also includes a new intro by Stephen Jones & Kim Newman.
INTERVIEWS - Individual archival interviews featuring actors Sean Chapman & Doug Bradley, musician Stephen Thrower (who worked on the unused Hellraiser score).
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DRAFT SCREENPLAYS
HELLBOUND: HELLRAISER II
HELL WAS WHAT THEY WANTED - A new 80-minute appreciation/discussion by authors Daniel Lea & Kit Power.
THAT RAT SLICE SOUND - A new video essay about Christopher Young’s score for both films by author Guy Adams.
3 AUDIO COMMENTARIES - 1 (NEW) By historian Stephen Jones and critic/author Kim Newman; 2) By director Tony Randell and writer Peter Atkins; 3) By director Tony Randell, writer Peter Atkins and actor Ashley Laurence.
INTERVIEWS - Individual archival interviews featuring actors Sean Chapman & Doug Bradley, author Clive Barker.
MORE INTERVIEWS - A collection of interviews with Clive Barker, director Tony Randell, FX artist Bob Keen, writer Peter Atkins and som of the cast.
BEHIND-THE-SCENES FOOTAGE
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HELLRAISER III: HELL ON EARTH
THEATRICAL AND UNRATED VERSIONS - Unrated version features scenes not remastered or in the same aspect ratio.
3 AUDIO COMMENTARIES - 1 (NEW) By historian Stephen Jones and critic/author Kim Newman; 2) By director Anthony Hickox and actor Doug Bradley; 3) By writer Peter Atkins.
INTERVIEWS - Individual interviews featuring actors Paula Marshall and Doug Bradley, director Anthony Hickox.
EPK INTERVIEWS - These aren’t new, but have never been available on home video before. Featuring Clive Barker and Doug Bradley.
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HELLRAISER: BLOODLINE
WORKPRINT VERSION - Apparently, this was closer to what original director Kevin Yagher had in mind.
THE BEAUTY OF SUFFERING - A new documentary about Hellraiser’s impact on the BDSM and fetish culture, as discussed by some of its practitioners.
AUDIO COMMENTARY - 1 (NEW) By historian Stephen Jones and critic/author Kim Newman.
ARCHIVAL DOCUMENTARIES - Hellraiser: Evolutions features several directors who discuss the entire franchise, many of them who directed some of the films; Books of Blood and Beyond: The Literary Works of Clive Barker is an appreciation of Barker’s work by author David Gatwalk.
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EASTER EGG
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