Hellraiser normally isn’t my kind of horror movie but still, had plenty of entertainment value even if the plot itself was a bit of a mess at times and the Cenobites, which were interesting designs, didn’t have nearly enough screen time.
Hellraiser
(1987)
Genre(s): Horror, Fantasy
Arrow Video | R – 93 min. – $39.95 | September 24, 2019
Date Published: 09/21/2019 | Author: The Movieman
|
|
|||||||||||
Arrow Video provided me with a free copy of the Blu-ray I reviewed in this Blog Post.
The opinions I share are my own.
THE MOVIE — 3.75/5 |
|
Plot Synopsis: Sexual deviant Frank (SEAN CHAPMAN) inadvertently opens a portal to hell when he tinkers with a box he bought while abroad. The act unleashes gruesome beings called Cenobites, who tear Frank’s body apart. When Frank’s brother (ANDREW ROBINSON) and his wife, Julia (CLARE HIGGINS), move into Frank’s old house, they accidentally bring what is left of Frank back to life. Frank then convinces Julia, his one-time lover, to lure men back to the house so he can use their blood to reconstruct himself.
Quick Hit Review: Hellraiser is probably one of the lesser of the horror franchises from the 80s behind Halloween (yes, I know that came out in 1978), Friday the 13th and Nightmare on Elm Street. This is a movie I’ve seen a few times over the years and while it’s hardly a perfect horror film with a clunky set-up, it’s still a lot of fun as the make-up and effects work perhaps is a bit on the cheesy side yet kind of still holds up in a strange way. The acting is nothing special, though I did like both Clare Higgins and Ashley Laurence, not to mention Doug Bradley in the role of “Lead Cenobite”, who would later be called Pinhead. Kind fascinating that character was accidentally propelled into being a horror icon as he was only a minor part of the film, though based on his design and overall look, not hard to see why he resonated with horror fans.
Hellraiser, written and directed by Clive Barker based on his novella, isn’t a favorite of mine, as mentioned I lean more toward the more reality based slasher (like Halloween and F13) than the supernatural variety, but still found this to be entertaining as a whole. |
SPECIAL FEATURES – 5.0/5 |
|
This single-disc release comes housed in a clear HD keep case and the cover artwork is reversible revealing the original poster art. Audio Commentaries:
Both of these tracks are pretty informative though as I do prefer commentaries with more than one participant, the second commentary flows a little better. Leviathan: The Story of Hellraiser (1:29:17) is a lengthy and thorough documentary on the history of the franchise, its origins, production and more. Includes interviews with members of the cast and crew, plus behind-the-scenes footage and photos. Being Frank: Sean Chapman on Hellraiser (26:24) – The actor discusses his work on the film, from how he got into acting, getting the role to working with Clive Barker. Soundtrack Hell (18:11) – Former “Coil” band member Stephen Thrower talks about the abandoned Hellraiser score. Hellraiser: Resurrection (24:26) – This is an older featurette from 2000 that includes interviews with Barker, Doug Bradley and Ashley Laurence and others. Under the Skin: Doug Bradley on Hellraiser (12:31) – The actor talks about portraying an iconic character like Pinhead. The release also includes the Original EPK (5:58) featurette, Theatrical Trailer (1:37), Red Band Theatrical Trailer (1:36), International Trailer (3:27), 4 TV Spots (TRT 2:11) and an Image Gallery. |
VIDEO – 5.0/5 |
| Arrow Video releases Hellraiser presented in its original 1.85 widescreen aspect ratio and given a 1080p high-definition transfer. Presumably this is the same disc that was included in the “Scarlet Box” set from 2016 (although the back cover states it is a new 2K restoration) that included the first three movies. In any case, this does look tremendous in high-def, detail is incredibly sharp throughout and the natural film grain and noise has been retained. Colors meanwhile looked great though some shots looked washed out, but I believe that how it was originals hot by Clive Barker. |
AUDIO – 4.5/5 |
| The movie includes a PCM 2.0 or DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track, with the former being the default option. I did test the disc out with the PCM track before watching the remainder of the film using the DTS-HD MA option. Either one did sound great, the horrific scenes provided the most depth, being able to hear every sequish of Uncle Frank’s bloody body was especially gross. |
OVERALL – 4.0/5 |
|
Hellraiser normally isn’t my kind of horror movie but still, had plenty of entertainment value even if the plot itself was a bit of a mess at times and the Cenobites, which were interesting designs, didn’t have nearly enough screen time. This Blu-ray from Arrow Video offers up impressive audio and video transfers alongside some well produced bonus material. |
Check out some more 1080p screen caps by going to page 2. Please note, these do contain spoilers.