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Hellraiser Trilogy Blu-Ray Review

Hellraiser boxset

Hellraiser Trilogy Blu-Ray Review

Directors: Clive BarkerTony RandelAnthony Hickox

Cast: Doug BradleyAshley LaurenceClaire HigginsSean ChapmanSimon BamfordNicholas Vince 

Certificate: 18

Running Time: 330 minutes

Special Features: Documentaries, featurettes, cast and crew audio commentaries, image galleries, trailers and draft screenplays.

Who knew that one short story could produce such a cinematic legacy? Well that’s exactly what happened when English horror author Clive Barker penned the dark and disturbing tale The Hellbound Heart. The story was first published in 1986 and would go on to become the source material for the movie Hellraiser, which Barker also directed. The novella and film focusses on a mystical puzzle box known as the Lament Configuration and the horror it wreaks on the people unfortunate to come across it.

Hellraiser performed well and was granted a sequel which picked up right where the first film ended. It in turn was granted another film though this time the events only connection was the puzzle box. The franchise would go on to spawn another six films, meaning that in total there are nine Hellraiser films in existence. Sadly for the series it is only the first two that hold any merit with the third film being passable. With that it mind it comes as no surprise that when Arrow Films decided to release a special box set relating to the series they decided to stick at just the first three.

In Hellraiser we are introduced to the Cenobites, a group of extreme sadomasochists, intent on achieving extreme pleasure though extreme pain. The Cenobites, headed up by Pinhead (a role that is now intrinsically linked to actor Doug Bradley), are trying to track down Frank, one of their victims who managed to escape. Frank is helped in his escape by his ex-lover and sister-in-law Julia (Claire Higgins) who goes around seducing and murdering random men in order to grant Frank a new body. Once free Frank then sets his lustful eyes on his niece Kirsty, a young women who teams up with Pinhead to send Frank back to his hedonistic hell.

It’s an atmospheric, bloody, and very British affair that will chill you to the bone, trust me, some sequences have haunted me for years. Hellraiser is a cerebral and visceral delight; a true horror cult classic that deserves a much wider audience.

Hellraiser Trilogy Blu-Ray Review

Hellraiser Trilogy Blu-Ray Review

Next we move onto Hellraiser II: Hellbound, where the story catches up with Kirsty on the same night that the events of the first film ended. Given all that she has seen and experienced she is unsurprisingly taken to an asylum for analysis. Whilst there she finds herself pursued by the Cenobites and ventures into the realm of the box in a mission to free her father who may, or may not, have been claimed by Pinhead.

Whilst the sequel is strong enough, especially within the horror-sequel market, it doesn’t hold the same spark. It seems to follow the formula of Alien and Aliens – the first is slow and tense, the second all-out action and carnage – it even shares a cast member with Aliens (William Hope). The further Kirsty tumbles down the rabbit-hole/puzzle box, the more confusing everything becomes.

By the third film, Hellraiser III: Hell on Earth, we’ve lost touch with Kirsty, Julia, Frank et al, and instead follow Pinhead’s journey back to life. Night club owner J.P uncovers an intricately carved pillar (that holds more than a passing resemblance to Pinhead) and begins feeding people to it (as you do). Pinhead manages to break free of his confines and ventures out into the world where, as the title suggests, he tries to unleash Hell on Earth, creating a whole heap of new and deadly Cenobites for his cause.

The third instalment has a sad smell of disappointment, and whilst as visually dark as its predecessors, lacks substance and coherency.

The Hellraiser Trilogy box set is a must-buy product for fans of the series and horror films in general. Granted, the third film is a let down compared to the first two but it is watchable (something that cannot be said of most films that followed) and things are meant to come in threes. Not only that, but each film has been painstakingly restored in 2K making for a much clearer picture that brings the trilogy bang up to date.

A lot of time and effort has gone into the production of this trilogy and each disc is stuffed full of special features. In addition to the newly restored 2K versions the set includes a plethora of goodness that will take an eternity to work through. For Hellraiser we have audio commentaries with Clive Barker and Ashley Laurence as well as Leviathan: The Story of Hellraiser, an in-depth documentary, complete with cast and crew interviews, that explores the creation of the film. There’s also an interesting interview with Sean Chapman who talks frankly (pardon the pun) about playing the darkly devious Frank. Then there’s a special make-up effects featurette, a look at the score that almost was, as well as the usual trailers and image galleries. You even get a draft screenplay via BD-ROM content. Both Hellraiser II and III contain similar content; see, I told you it was jam-packed with delights.

The Hellraiser Triology boxset has such sights to show you, buy it now.

The Hellraiser Trilogy is yours to own on Blu-Ray from Monday 25th January. 

Kat Hughes is a UK born film critic and interviewer who has a passion for horror films. An editor for THN, Kat is also a Rotten Tomatoes Approved Critic. She has bylines with Ghouls Magazine, Arrow Video, Film Stories, Certified Forgotten and FILMHOUNDS and has had essays published in home entertainment releases by Vinegar Syndrome and Second Sight. When not writing about horror, Kat hosts micro podcast Movies with Mummy along with her five-year-old daughter.

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