Hellraiser Puzzle Box Blu-ray offers solid video and audio in this excellent Blu-ray release
Evil Julia helps her lover, Frank, come back to the mortal world from hell. Because Frank has
used the Lament Configuration box to taste pleasures outside the normal realm of human
sensation, freeing him from hell unleashes Pinhead and a menagerie of demons (cenobites)
back unto earth.
Talk about hardcore. Hellraiser is a simple tale that is devoured by its intensely graphic
and
often disturbing visuals. Certainly not a film for the timid, or even the casual Horror fan that
enjoys
tamer, more "audience-friendly" films like 1408 or The Eye,
Hellraiser is an unapologetic, nose-to-the-grindstone picture that features it all in
excruciating detail -- body parts strewn about; scary, grotesque creatures; and torture devices
used to
revolting and skin-tearing effect. Released at a time when the hack-and-slash Horror craze was
in
full swing, Hellraiser takes a radically different approach, guiding audiences down a path
of
unspeakable terror where pain and pleasure become one, where terror knows no bounds, and
where the macabre becomes an art form.
No worries, this puzzle box contains only optical discs, not a doorway to pain and suffering.
Frank (Sean Chapman) purchases a small puzzle box and through it summons the "Cenobites," a
group of badly disfigured travelers from another dimension where pleasure and pain are
indivisible. Franks's physical body is torn apart by the Cenobites and their hellish torture devices.
Meanwhile, his brother Larry (Andrew Robinson) and
his wife Julia (Clare Higgins) move into the old house where Frank summoned the Cenobites.
When Larry cuts his hand and bleeds on the attic floor, the blood begins to re-grow Frank's body.
He emerges an incomplete man with no flesh and asks Julia, his one-time lover, to obtain for him
fresh human blood so he may continue his revitalization and escape the Cenobites for good.
Julia, blinded by her passion, agrees, seducing men and luring them back to her home only to
murder them. As Frank regains his strength, Larry's daughter Kristy (Ashley Laurence) returns
to the home and begins to realize that something is amiss. It seems now only the dastardly
Cenobites, led by the imposing Pinhead (Doug Bradley) and mistakenly summoned by Kristy, can
stop Frank's re-emergence into this world.
Directed by Clive Barker, Hellraiser plays out as more than an average gore-fest. Behind
the blood and disturbing visuals is a rather simple tale, yet one that is often elegantly shot,
making
good use of shadows and the drab locations for maximum impact during the scenes of terror. To
the film's credit, it attempts to build a story around the gore, one that allows for the carnage to
work in a context where it may be as nasty as it wants without becoming detached from the film,
playing as gore for gore's sake. Hellraiser creates two worlds, each polar opposites. On
one
end of the spectrum is a seemingly normal family in a normal home. It's head, Larry, remains
oblivious to
his wife's infidelity and the wanton carnage that happens inside his own home. For as disturbing
as
the violence and the unnatural rebirth of a man may be, Hellraiser takes the terror a
step
further by introducing to the already split world a dimension of pain unlike anything
man has ever seen, a world populated by creatures that are vile, despicable, and single-minded in
their
pursuit of "pain as pleasure" and introducing new beings to their brand of suffering.
Hellraiser is a film of parallels, where increasing depravity and unconscionable misery
may be closer than anyone believes.
Hellraiser features a pair of good performances that elevate the film and the characters
therein. Andrew Robinson is excellent as Larry, an almost gleefully obtuse and unaware man
who sees the world as peachy and good, where no evil may befall him, his family, or his home.
As the film progresses, his role changes drastically, and Robinson effortlessly transforms himself
as required. Stealing the show, however, is Doug Bradley as the lead Cenobite, Pinhead,
in a role that is short on screen-time but high on drama and terror. Pinhead is a secondary
Horror character, not quite as well-known outside of genre aficionados as Jason, Freddy, and Michael Myers, but he's just
as -- if not more so -- disturbing, sinister, and terrifying. He combines the grace of Dracula with the frightening and
unnatural
stature of Frankenstein, a combination that lends to the character a very dark, troubling, and
horrific persona. Hellraiser is a film more about its themes than its characters and its
gore. However, the solid performances, not just from Robinson and Bradley but also from the
rest of the
primary cast, not to mention the well-done and hard-to-watch gore, come together to elevate
Hellraiser from the status of B-movie wannabe to serious Horror-as-art that combines
the best
elements of suspenseful terror and nasty gore very well.
Starz summons Hellraiser onto Blu-ray with a rather good 1080p transfer framed inside a
1.85:1 window. This is a transfer that isn't sparkly and crisp, but it captures the film's intended
look nicely. Detail is appreciably high; the many dreary, unkempt locales, from messy, bug-infested
kitchens and dusty attics to the finer details of a particularly nasty creature that roams the corridor
that leads to another dimension, this disc reveals about all the detail there is to be seen. The
transfer features a continuous and rather heavy layer of grain. Black levels are also strong, and
there are many dark corners and backgrounds throughout the film, each of which generally offer
deep, inky blacks, usually covered with a bit of grain, that adds to the dark, desperate, and fearful
themes of the film. Perhaps most importantly, viewers will see the grisly and horrific gore in all its
detail on this Blu-ray disc; there is plenty to be seen, more than most any other movie available on
the format. The reds of blood and puddles of fluids, flesh, and other bodily matter seen throughout
will please gore fans and churn the stomachs of those that are unprepared for what awaits in this
Blu-ray release of Hallraiser.
Hellraiser debuts on Blu-ray with a quality Dolby TrueHD 5.1 lossless soundtrack. The audio
is occasionally somewhat bland and uninteresting. Dialogue sequences sound slightly detached and
lacking in volume but not clarity. The music heard throughout the movie is pleasantly strong; it's
fairly clear, and oftentimes finds itself pouring out of the rear channels in addition to the front.
Hellraiser offers a fairly active 360-degree sound field. Chapter four features both bass and
the score taking on a louder, more aggressive tone as Frank's bloody shell rises from the
floorboards. The track enjoys many good directional effects, a brief scene of a train speeding across
the soundstage from left to right and a subsequent fluttering of birds heard from every corner of the
listening area makes for some of the more aggressive surround moments of the presentation. The
film's finale also offers a robust and hard-hitting sound presentation. Hellraiser makes for a
surprisingly engaging listen on Blu-ray.
Dubbed the "Lament Configuration Box Set," this release of Hellraiser offers little
incentive to purchase over the standard Blu-ray release. Housed in a cube measuring 5" per side,
the
packaging looks good and should satisfy hardcore Hellraiser fans. The box slides open
and closes firmly
enough. Inside are three discs: Hellraiser on Blu-ray and DVD and Hellbound:
Hellraiser II on DVD. The discs are placed in small plastic cut-outs inside the cube.
Unfortunately, no additional materials are to be found. There is no booklet, no figurine, no cards,
nothing other than plastic and three discs.
The Blu-ray release of Hellraiser contains all the bonus materials as found on the
single-disc release. First up is a
commentary track with Writer/Director Clive Barker and Actress Ashley Laurence, moderated by
Screenwriter Peter Atkins. This track is several years old and recycled from previous releases, but
it's nevertheless a good and worthwhile listen. Barker is interesting and engaging, reminiscing on
the making of the film and offering insights into his feelings towards it, both from then and now.
They discuss the intensity of the gore, the importance of delivering the goods early in the film,
the
traits of the characters and the performances of the actors, and more. This is a
well-above-average
track that is a worthwhile listen. Fast Film Facts is a pop-up trivia track, the tidbits often
reflecting thoughts expressed in the commentary track, making this an ideal feature to watch in
conjunction with the commentary. Also included are three 480p trailers -- an R-rated U.S. trailer
(1:29), a G-rated U.S. trailer (1:34), and an international trailer (3:28) -- and four 480p TV
spots.
Next are five featurettes. Mr. Cotton, I Presume? -- An Interview With Star Andrew
Robinson (480p, 16:13) features the star reminiscing on his career, Hellraiser, and
the
character he portrayed, looking at what makes for an effective portrayal of a villain. Actress
From Hell -- An Interview With Star Ashley Laurence (480p, 11:58) is a charming piece as
the actress recounts her Hellraiser experience, beginning with her earning of the role and
reaction to the caliber of the script and moving through to the quality of the final picture.
Hellcomposer -- An Interview With Composer Christopher Young (480p, 18:19) is a piece
where the composer looks back on his influences pre-Hellraiser and moving on to look at
his work for the film and respect for Clive Barker. Hellraiser: Resurrection (480p, 24:25)
primarily features an interesting and extended look at the film's many special effects with
interviews with plenty of cast and crew and concluding with an examination of the film's staying
power. Under the Skin: Doug Bradley on 'Hellraiser' (480p, 12:32) showcases the actor
sharing his thoughts on the famed Horror icon, Pinhead, and the film itself. Concluding this set of
extras is BD-Live (Blu-ray profile 2.0) functionality and four still galleries -- Behind the
Scenes, Make-up & SFX Photos, Promotional Material, and
Storyboards.
The bonus discs -- the DVD editions of the first two Hellraiser films -- each contain
various supplements. The DVD version of Hellraiser features most of the extras
provided on the Blu-ray, including the commentary track, the five featurettes, the trailers and
T.V. spots, and the still
galleries. The disc also adds DVD-ROM content, allowing viewers to read both the first and final
drafts of the script in PDF format. The Hellbound: Hellraiser II DVD features a
commentary track with Director Tony Randel, Writer Peter Atkins, and Actor Ashley Laurence.
The disc also contains seven standard-definition featurettes: The Soul Patrol (22:10),
Outside the Box (15:07), The Doctor is In (13:32), Lost in the
Labyrinth (17:04), Under the Skin: Doug Bradley on HELLBOUND: HELLRAISER II
(10:55), On-Set Interview With Clive Barker (3:16), and On-Set Interviews With
Cast and Crew (4:38). Concluding the extras are four trailers, two TV spots, and a poster
and still gallery.
Hellraiser is often vile, repulsive, and disgusting, a banner film for gore even for the
Horror-crazed
1980s. As such, it is something of a cult film; it never enjoyed the mainstream success of some
of
the decades more well-known franchises, but it's not for lack of a decent story or disturbing
visuals.
Perhaps Hellraiser was just too much for general audiences, but among Horror
afficonados,
the film remains a popular and perhaps even quintessential film because of its relentless,
grotesque,
and unapologetic visuals that transcend simple gore and veer towards a macabre form of
cinematic
art. Technically, Hellraiser has never looked or sounded better for home viewing.
However, this "Lament
Configuration Box Set" release is somewhat disappointing. Unlike the Heathers Tin, this
release contains no bonuses outside the two additional DVD discs. The plastic housing looks good
and opens and closes easily enough, but the lack of additional material is severely disappointing.
Hellraiser -- and its sequel included here on DVD -- are not films for the timid, but fans
should
rest
assured that this release does them justice, the first film in high definition and the second in
standard definition. Had this boxed set contained the second film in high definition, it would
come easily recommended, but considering that and the lack of tactile bonuses, it makes more
sense to
buy the Hellraiser Blu-ray
single
alongside the Hellbound: Hellraiser II 20th Anniversary DVD, currently $14.99 on
Amazon.com.
In an early announcement to retailers, Anchor Bay Home Entertainment has revealed that they will bring the 'Hellraiser Puzzle Box' to Blu-ray on April 21st, day-and-date with the Blu-ray release of 'Hellraiser'. The three-disc box will feature the Blu-ray release ...
