Hellraiser Quartet Of Torment Limited Edition Blu Ray [Blu-ray]

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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 The Beauty of Suffering – brand new featurette exploring the Cenobites’ connection to goth, fetish cultures and Bdsm Lost in the Labyrinth – archival featurette featuring interviews with Barker, Randel, Keen, Atkins and others His brother Larry ( Andrew Robinson– Star Trek: Deep Space Nine) moves into what he believes is his empty house, with his wife Julia ( Clare Higgins– Ready Player One, The Convent), not realising she had an affair with Frank just before they were married. When Frank escapes from the Cenobites, Larry’s daughter Kirsty ( Ashley Laurence– Red, Pomegranate) is all that stands between them and their own personal hell.

The failures of Hellraiser III: Hell on Earth are often seen as the beginning of the end for the series, the start of a downward spiral that would produce terrible movies. However, Hellraiser IV: Bloodline, the fourth film, actually ends up being much better than its predecessor. This is perhaps due to the involvement of Barker, who returned to help produce the film. Hellraiser IV: Bloodline delves into the history of the series, providing an origin for the Lament Configuration (first named in this film), as well as continuing the story from the end scene from the previous movie, and acting as a final conclusion to the entire series. It does this by telling a story across three separate times in perhaps the boldest move in the series yet. The Beauty of Suffering – brand new featurette exploring the Cenobites’ connection to goth, fetish cultures and BDSM Under the Skin: Doug Bradley on Hellraiser III – archival interview with the iconic actor about his third appearance as ‘Pinhead’ A histrionic, hyperbolic quote it may be…but when it comes from the lips of one Stephen King (himself referencing it from a quote about, ironically, The Boss…Bruce Springsteen), it really shouldn’t be so easily dismissed as mere marketing fluff. The Pursuit of Possibilities – brand new 60-minute discussion between acclaimed horror authors Paula D. Ashe (We Are Here To Hurt Each Other) and Eric LaRocca (Everything the Dark Eats) celebrating the queerness of Hellraiser and the importance of Clive Barker as a ***** writer

Tim Burton Gives a Solid Update on ‘A Nightmare Before Christmas’ Sequel

Clive Barker is one of British horror’s most iconic figures. Being the man behind the works that would inspire Candyman, Gods and Monsters, Nightbreed, The Midnight Meat Train and most notably, Hellraiser. While my favourite of these is Candyman, one can’t help but find the success of Hellraiser fascinating. This time, we follow Terry Farrell’s Joey, a reporter who discovers the aftermath of a victim from the actions of the puzzle box. As she slowly uncovers more and more information about the box’s history and its connection to her father’s supposed death in Vietnam. On my first viewing of this film, I really disliked it and found it to be an unbearable drop in quality from those original two films, but after revisiting it all of these years later with a much greater appreciation for the horror genre, there’s some stuff to like here. Towards the latter half of the film, we’re introduced into the labyrinthian world of the Cenobites and in my opinion, I think this is where the franchise absolutely peaks with its ambition. While subsequent sequels have interesting concepts and ideas at times, none of them ever come close to offering such an original and twisted design that really gives audiences what they hope for out of a sequel. It’s big, it’s bold and feels fresh, even 35 years later which can’t be said for many films, particularly sequels! The visuals that accompany that last act are truly stunning, especially in these new UHD transfers that deliver an experience unlike any of the other films in the franchise.

Archival on-set interview with cast and crew – An archival 5 minute promotional piece with cast and crew interviews from Clive Barker, Ashley Laurence, Clare Higgins, Imogen Boorman and Kenneth Cranham. It’s a brief piece, but entertaining to see the crew hype up the ambitious sequel. 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) But the return of Barker to being a much more active participant in the fourth film, Hellraiser: Bloodline, promised much…an anthology structure across multiple timelines to explore the origins of the box (now wonderfully known as The Lament Configuration). Yet its strangled production and sadly typical studio interference gutted a lot of what could have been, leaving an interesting but hugely flawed curio that remains to this day the last Hellraiser film to see the inside of a cinema… Under the Skin: Doug Bradley on Hellraiser Iii - archival interview with the iconic actor about his third appearance as ‘Pinhead’

That Rat-Slice Sound - brand new appreciation of composer Christopher Young's scores for Hellraiser and Hellbound: Hellraiser Ii by Guy Adams

Power of Imagination – A brand new hour long discussion between film scholars Sorcha Ni Fhlainn & Karmel Kniprath talking about their appreciation for Hellraiser and the work of Barker. It’s a fantastic discussion, and hearing the pair talk about their love for Barker’s work, how they initially came across his written work prior to the film adaptations, the importance of Barker as a queer artist, his focus on strong, female characters and more is a great listen. A must watch extra. 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) Hell Was What They Wanted! - 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) – NEW (85 mins)Newly uncovered workprint version of the film, providing a fascinating insight into how it changed during post production – This workprint opens with the following information: “The following version of Hellraiser: Bloodline is a workprint with temporary music and sound effects. It was assembled sometime after Kevin Yagher’s departure from the film; even though his name is still listed as director in the opening credits, it is most emphatically not his director’s cut, which remains lost. This version, which has a different plot structure and some alternate material compared to the final ‘Alan Smithee’ cut, is presented from a timecode VHS, the best material available for this release.” Hellraiser: Quartet of Torment is a fantastic box set, which features the first four films from the magnificent Hellraiser franchise based on the stories of horror legend Clive Barker ( Nightbreed, Candyman).

An almost naked man, Frank sits cross legged holding a puzzle box. It is a dark room and he sits in a square of candles. Bob Keen’s effects work here is jaw-dropping, as previously mentioned and some of the transformation sequences in the film as we see Frank return to a more humanistic form are fantastic. Christopher Young’s now-iconic score really adds to the theatrical feel of the picture and Barker’s direction is fairly excellent for a newcomer to the genre. For most fans, myself included, this is one of the weakest entries in the Hellraiser series. Regardless of my thoughts on the film itself, it’s great to see it included for the first time on UHD and Blu-ray in the UK and compared to the prior Blu-ray releases in the States, this is a night and day difference. I’m glad it’s included for completionists and the inclusion of the workprint is neat, giving us a closer look at what could have been, but it’s an unfortunate film to end the collection on.Being Frank: Sean Chapman on Hellbound - archival interview about the actor's return to the role of Frank Cotton Power of Imagination - brand new 60-minute discussion about Hellraiser and the work of Clive Barker by film scholars Sorcha Ní Fhlainn (editor of Clive Barker: Dark Imaginer) and Karmel Kniprath First things first – the Leviathan documentary on the first two films that was included in the previous Scarlet Box and Trilogy set is NOT included here. Neither are the 30 min making of Hellraiser III and short films on the bonus disc of the set. However everything else is. And some… Power of Imagination – brand new 60-minute discussion about Hellraiser and the work of Clive Barker by film scholars Sorcha Ní Fhlainn (editor of Clive Barker: Dark Imaginer) and Karmel Kniprath