That time has come yet again; its October and Arrow wants to scare you silly with their re-release of Hellraiser: Quartet of Torment — the first four Hellraiser films on 4K for the first time in North America. Now, this is important to distinguish because Arrow did release this set with the exact same art and features originally in the U.K., but now it’s available on Region 1! While the quality of the movies (the films themselves, not transfers) range in quality, there is one thing that is absolutely necessary to point out — Arrow never misses. Every single thing from the transfers to the bonus features (my God, the sights they will show you) is remarkable, and if you’re a fan of behind-the-scenes, alternative cuts, or even Hellraiser films themselves, this is an absolute must have in any collection.
While breaking down each film is an entire process in of itself, this boxset includes the first four Hellraisers (only the first of which changed the horror landscape, in my opinion, and proves why Clive Barker (Hellraiser; Nightbreed) was one of the greatest horror masterminds of all time) and packs a punch across the board. While the three sequels try to build upon the characters and world Barker created, none of them even manage to scrape the surface of his genius, and Bloodline (the fourth film) has had so much controversy around it that it’s a mismatched Frankenstein-ed version of what the director Kevin Yagher originally wanted.
If you’ve never seen Hellraiser before, then we can dive into the plot of the first one just to give audiences a taste of all the sights Pinhead wants to show you. The movie focuses on Frank (Sean Chapman) who is bored with life on Earth, essentially, and cannot fathom any further enjoyment from it. He finds a puzzle box that simply will change his life when he meets the Cenobites, including Pinhead (Doug Bradley) and his associate, Chatterer (Nicholas Vince). His soul is on the line and he manages to escape from the alternate dimension back to Earth, but at the cost of his skin, physical form, and sanity to an extent. Frank’s former lover Julia (Clare Higgins) finds the remains of Frank who then instructs her to kill for him so he can become whole again and truly escape the Cenobites who are determined to keep him at any and all costs.
HELLRAISER: QUARTET OF TORMENT packshot. Photo courtesy of MVD Entertainment Group/Arrow Video.
While the sequels continue to focus on the Cenobites and Julia, they truly do range in quality. Hellbound: Hellraiser II is arguably the worst amongst the four, truly what feels like a cash grab, while Hellraiser III: Hell on Earth takes a little too long to get going, but that third act is some of the most chaotic, cheesy, ridiculous fun that could possibly be had. Hellraiser: Bloodline is a mess — and the reasoning is truly its own story. The short of it is that original director, Kevin Yagher (Hellraiser: Bloodline), was asked to do so many reshoots and rework the film that he stepped away and (uncredited) Joe Chappelle (Phantoms) did the reshoots, but the movie was so torn apart and recut that Yagher demanded his name be removed from it and the infamous Alan Smithee pseudonym was placed on the film.
Let’s get into the meat of this Arrow release. Again, it’s the exact same as the U.K. release from almost a year ago to the date except for the Region A Blu-ray discs. There are two slipcovers to choose from for the set (and a standalone of just Hellraiser) with one being Pinhead and one being the Chatterer. Included on all of the films are 4K restorations from the original negatives, Dolby vision (HDR10), lossless stereo and 5.1 audio, and subtitles. Additionally, there is Ages of Desire, a 200-page hardback book with new writings from Clive Barker and archivists Phil and Sarah Stokes, as well as limited edition layered packaging featuring new artwork. Truly, these sets are astoundingly gorgeous, and if you’re a fan of this franchise, this is the easiest no-brainer to purchase.
First and foremost, the restorations on this 4K set are some the best Arrow has ever done. For films that are 30+ years, the restorations of Hellraiser 1–3 are simply sublime. Even if the quality of the films falters between each installment, the quality of transfer gets only better and more impressive. Each film looks absolutely remarkable without diluting the original film or altering the coloring that was presented originally off their print runs. This is, without a doubt, the best way to see these movies. Now comes the conversation about Hellraiser: Bloodline; the workprint. There’re two versions of the workprint, the one that Arrow could completely restore and the one that is missing music and VFX in spots. The completed restoration that abruptly ends that is restored from a timestamped VHS screener is a testament to the care and love Arrow puts into their releases. They restored a 28-year-old VHS screener which didn’t get mold and wasn’t completely damaged, and managed to bring it back to life and make it look the best it arguably ever can. This was something the studio was given by Yagher (though he denies it) and was asked to not be shown. This is the closest to Yagher’s original vision of the film. It ends abruptly but logically, and is truly the only way to see what Hellraiser: Bloodline should’ve been. There is something special about being able to see a workprint, and it almost never looks as good as this restoration. So if you get this wonderful set, make sure to watch the workprint for your first rewatch (or even first time watch) of Hellraiser: Bloodline to see why this set is undeniably one of the best Arrow box set releases.
Hellraiser: Quartet of Torment Special Features:
Hellraiser:
- Brand new audio commentary featuring genre historian (and unit publicist of Hellraiser) Stephen Jones with author and film critic Kim Newman
- Archival audio commentary with writer/director Clive Barker and actor Ashley Laurence, moderated by Peter Atkins
- Archival audio commentary with writer/director Clive Barker
- Power of Imagination – brand new 60-minute discussion about Hellraiser and the work of Clive Barker by film scholars Sorcha Ni Fhlainn (editor of Clive Barker: Dark Imaginer) and Karmel Kniprath
- Unboxing Hellraiser – brand new visual essay celebrating the Lament Configuration by genre author Alexandra Benedict (The Beauty of Murder)
- “The Pursuit of Possibilities” – brand new 60-minute discussion between acclaimed horror authors Paula D. Ashe and Eric LaRocca celebrating the queerness of Hellraiser and the importance of Clive Barker as a queer writer
- “Flesh is a Trap” – brand new visual essay exploring body horror and transcendence in the work of Clive Barker by genre author Guy Adams (The World House)
- Newly uncovered extended EPK interviews with Clive Barker and stars Andrew Robinson, Clare Higgins, Ashley Laurence, and effects artist Bob Keen, shot during the making of Hellraiser, with a new introduction by Stephen Jones and Kim Newman
- Original 1987 Electronic Press Kit
- “Being Frank: Sean Chapman on Hellraiser” – archival interview with the actor
- “Under the Skin: Doug Bradley on Hellraiser” – archival interview with the iconic actor about his first appearance as ‘Pinhead’
- “Soundtrack Hell: The Story of the Abandoned Coil Score” – archival interview with Coil member Stephen Thrower
- Trailers and TV spots
- Image gallery
- Draft screenplays
Hellbound: Hellraiser II
- Brand new audio commentary featuring Stephen Jones and Kim Newman
- Archival audio commentary with director Tony Randel, writer Peter Atkins and actor Ashley Laurence
- Audio commentary with director Tony Randel and writer Peter Atkins
- Hell Was What They Wanted! – brand new 80-minute appreciation of Hellbound, the Hellraiser mythos and the work of Clive Barker by horror authors George Daniel Lea (Born in Blood) and Kit Power (The Finite)
- That Rat-Slice Sound – brand new appreciation of composer Christopher Young’s scores for Hellraiser and Hellbound: Hellraiser II by Guy Adams
- Archival on-set interview with Clive Barker
- Archival on-set interview with cast and crew
- Behind the scenes footage
- Being Frank: Sean Chapman on Hellbound – archival interview about the actor’s return to the role of Frank Cotton
- Under the Skin: Doug Bradley on Hellbound – archival interview with the iconic actor about his second appearance as ‘Pinhead’
- Lost in the Labyrinth – archival featurette featuring interviews with Barker, Randel, Keen, Atkins and others
- Trailers and TV spots
- Image gallery
Hellraiser III: Hell on Earth
- Alternative Unrated version (contains standard definition inserts)
- Brand new audio commentary featuring Stephen Jones and Kim Newman
- Archival audio commentary with screenwriter Peter Atkins (Theatrical Cut only)
- Archival audio commentary with director Anthony Hickox and actor Doug Bradley (Unrated Version only)
- Previously unseen extended EPK featuring interviews with Clive Barker and Doug Bradley
- FX dailies
- “Time with Terri” – archival interview with actor Paula Marshall
- “Raising Hell on Earth” – archival interview with director Anthony Hickox
- “Under the Skin: Doug Bradley on Hellraiser III” – archival interview with the iconic actor about his third appearance as “Pinhead”
- Theatrical trailer
- Image gallery
Hellraiser: Bloodline
- Brand new audio commentary featuring screenwriter Peter Atkins, with Stephen Jones and Kim Newman
- “The Beauty of Suffering” – brand new featurette exploring the Cenobites’ connection to goth, fetish cultures and BDSM
- Newly uncovered workprint version of the film, providing a fascinating insight into how it changed during post production
- “Hellraiser Evolutions” – archival documentary on the evolution of the franchise and its enduring legacy, featuring interviews with Scott Derrickson, Rick Bota and Stuart Gordon among others
- “Books of Blood and Beyond: The Literary Works of Clive Barker” – archival appreciation by horror author David Gatwalk of Barker’s written work, from The Books of Blood to The Scarlet Gospels
- Theatrical trailer
- Image gallery
- Easter egg
Available on 4K UHD and Blu-ray October 22nd, 2024.
For more information, head to the official Arrow Video Hellraiser: Quartet of Torment Collection webpage.
To purchase, head to the official MVD Entertainment Group Hellraiser: Quartet of Torment Collection webpage.
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Categories: Films To Watch, Home Release, Recommendation
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