Customer Reviews

Hellraiser / Hellbound: Hellraiser II - Limited Edition Tin

5 star:		(14)
4 star:		(10)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I've allways been a fan of Clive Barker's Masterpiece "Hellraiser" and its awsome sequel. Both are featured on this great DVD Box Set and after almost 15 years of age, "Hellraiser" has lost not a bit of its gothic art, frightening horror and gory cruelty.

But I'm a little bit disappointed by the technally realisation of this DVD. Both Movies are presented in there theatrical ratio of 1.85:1 and in full frame. "Hellbound" ist in the widescreen mode exactly the same as in the full frame presentation, but matted with black bars. "Hellraiser" appears to be the 1.66:1 version also matted with black bars to show the 1.85:1 format. Compared to Anchor Bays "Halloween" Box, this is a leap back in the production of exclusive DVDs.

Never the less, "Hellraiser" is always worth buying and if it was just for the bonus material like the commentary of Clive Barker, Peter Atkins, Ashley Lawrence etc. The Movies are still great classics and a creepy way to enjoy an gloomy autum's evening. Let's just hope the next Anchor Bay DVD Box is a bit more like "Halloween".

_For years I was at a loss to explain why I watched the entire Hellraiser series. As a general rule, I avoid horror movies and slasher flicks. Yet, I made it a point to watch this entire series- more than once.

_Then it hit me. All of these movies have a "message." Under all the gore is one central message: "Do not let your flesh murder your spirit." Think about it, every character that is butchered and torn to bits has pretty well deserved it- it was their weakness and ambition that led them to it. Otherwise the Box would have held no fascination for them.... A spiritually centered being , such as a saint or a shaman, can laugh as he is being flayed by demons (or Cenobites.)

_"Pinhead" ,you see, is a spiritual teacher- if you give too much importance to worldly matters and the flesh, then you deserve what you get....

I've had this limited tin-set of the first 2 Hellraiser movies for about 6 months now. I've watched both DVD's several times and am very impressed with the quality. The widescreen transfer is excellent, the sound is phenomenal in THX. The extras are well done also, i liked the bonus full-length audio commentary tracks for both movies. The only thing that could have been added were the extra "Bonus Interviews" that were on the Collector's Edition VHS editions that came out a few years ago. I'm keeping those VHS copies just for that, and although it would have been nice to have them on DVD as well this is still a very solid, professional boxset. Any Hellraiser fan would be pleased and it is well worth the money to get this great boxset.

HELLRAISER: A typical, naive husband and his sexual unsatisfied wife move into a lonely old house that has the misfortune of containing the shredded remains of his soon-to-be-resurrected evil brother. Clever, well plotted and genuinely disturbing. Directing debut for horror novelist Clive Barker, and still remains to be his undisputed masterpiece. HELLRAISER II: Takes off hours later where the original finished. The sole survivor of the family massacre Kirsty (Ashley Laurence) finds herself in a mental hospital run by an occult-obsessed psychiatrist with a determination to open the gates to hell and the whole nightmare starts all over again. Not too bad a film as far as sequels go. Definatelly a work of art compared to the following chapters. Only this film was butchered by the MPAA on its theatrical release and lost a lot of its well deserved respect. THE DVD: Both films are THX certified which delivers clear enough picture and a beautifully haunting 5.1 Dolby track, and are presented in their original 1.85:1 widescreen format and a 4:3 fullscreen presentation. Both DVDs feature the original theatrical trailer, a picture gallery, a commentary track and a doco on each film. Both documentaries are entertaining and informative, but the one for Hellraier, "Resurrection", is much longer and more enjoyable than the one for Hellraiser II, "Lost in the Labryinth". The only letdown of this wonderful treatment is the absence of a Deleted Scenes section, especially for Hellraiser II. The two infamous scenes of Pinhead and the Female cenobite dressed as doctors, and chatterer going through the process of his face undergoing disgusting changes are scenes that every fan is howling to see which is a real let down. Both discs come packaged in a limited edition tin which is a definate must for any cult horror collector. This edition also contains a 48 page booklet with rare, behind the scenes pictures from Hellraiser which is always delightfully ugly to look at. The only downside of the packaging is the way the discs were packaged. They are both in a standard 2-CD case which is terriblly unsatisfactory. But apart from one or two issues, its a fair enough edition which will be a well treasured collector's item in the near-future.

When I first read about the release of the Hellraiser/Hellbound: Hellraiser II - Special Edition I was very happy. I love the original movie and the sequel, I even would die to see DIRECTOR'S CUTS for the third and fourth part. And that's the point...

I WANT TO GET MY HANDS ON DIRECTOR'S CUTS!

But the problem with this Hellraiser release is that it might be the same lousy version they put in the limited LaserDisc Box which I bought for over $100 years ago. Will they ever learn? Who wants such highly CUT versions of the best horror movies of all times? I can't believe that people give this release 5 stars. Does anybody ever heard Clive Barker's Commentary? He comments on every scene the MPAA forced him to cut out of the movie. Why can't we get an UNRATED release with all scenes?

Hellraiser 2 will hopefully be UNCUT but it won't be the Director's Cut which was released on LaserDisc a few years ago.

Be very carefull with this release...

Don't get me wrong. I would give 6 stars not if it would be possible but if AnchorBay would release the correct versions of the movies.

Mc.Duff from Germany

out of the 1980s, the two BIGGEST horror films were "Nightmare on Elm Street" in 1984 and "Hellraiser" in 1987. With "Nightmare", Wes Craven took us into the world of dreams. With "Hellraiser" 1&2, Clive Barker took us straight into HELL. "Hellraiser" 1&2 could be viewed as one movie since they tie in so closely, so when i say "Hellraiser", i'm actually referring to both films. with the first film, clive barker gave us a story of family affairs and with it threw in demons from hell to punish certain individuals. he also brought us one of horror's biggest icons in "pinhead". right up there with "freddy", "jason", and "michael myers", "pinhead" has been established as a true horror icon. even though it may be a bit of an uneven movie, "Hellraiser" rose above the typical teenage slasher flick to bring out a TRUE HORROR film that doesn't insult one's intelligence. the second film basically picks up right where the original left off with the lead protagonist having to take a trip to HELL itself in order to rescue someone. neither of these films are reccommended for the weak of stomach nor the faint of heart. if you've NEVER seen a horror movie in your life, "Hellraiser" is a good start. After watching these two movies will make other horror films seem not so good after you've seen Clive Barker's vision of HELL. "Hellraiser" is a true horror masterpiece and shouldn't be overlooked at all...if you love horror. the body count may not be to the height of a "Friday the 13th" but that's not what these films are about at all. these movies aren't about "boo"-type scares that startle you or make you jump. no, what "Hellraiser" does is it disturbs you greatly with a sense of somewhat artistic beauty along the way. so it won't make you jump or scream, but it will make you somewhat queasy and will stick in your mind with certain disturbing images. that's what makes it a benchmark in horror. it may not be a pleasant place at all but it's one you'll dare to revisit- just never alone. on the DVD side of things. i wouldn't exactly call it a full-blown special edition but it's probably the most "special" special edition we'll see. the tin's nice and all, with the mini-posters, but someone could've done a better packaging job than this. just a cd case with both DVDs is the indication of laziness on anchor bay's part. the commentary tracks are nice as are the rest of the disc content. the picture has never been clearer and neither has the sound. a MUST-HAVE for any horror fan or especially "Hellraiser" fan.

TO DATE, THIS IS THE BEST DVD THAT I OWN! I WAS AWESTRUCK AT HOW AWESOME THE SOUND IS AND THE ANAMORPHIC PICTURE TRANSFER. IT IS SUCH A COOL MOVIE AND IS LOADED WITH EXTRAS! PART 2 IS INCLUDED IN THIS LIMITED EDITION TIN BOX, AND IS NOT AVAILABLE OTHERWISE. ...SO GET IT WHILE ITS STILL IN PRINT. WHEN THIS SUCKER IS SOLD OUT....THAT'S IT... NO MORE! IT WILL BE OUT OF PRINT AND WORTH MUCH MORE THAN THE PRICE NOW, ESPECIALLY SINCE ITS BEING OFFERED HERE AT AMAZON AT A FRACTION OF THE COST IN THE STORES. A BUDDY OF MINE SAID HIS LOCAL STORE HAD 22 COPIES YESTERDAY FOR FULL RETAIL ($50)...THE NEXT DAY THEY WERE ALL SOLD...EACH AND EVERY ONE. IF YOU THINK ABOUT IT ITS A GREAT DEAL. YOURE GETTING 2 GREAT MOVIES AND LOTS OF EXTRAS WITH A VERY INTERESTING COMMENTARY ON BOTH MOVIES. SO JUST DIVIDE THE PRICE YOU PAY BY 2....NOW THAT'S A DEAL!

These two movies deserve 5 stars....the package deserves 3. (An average of 4). You already know about the movies and the sweet suffering of pain and all that. Let me tell about the package. It's a little disappointing. First, it comes in this giant size tin. Inside the tin is NOT 2 individual keepcases (Which would have been preferable) but 1 CD jewel case with both DVDsin it. It does come with two cool 5 x 7 theatrical poster replicas and a 48 page booklet with behind the scenes. The DVD's do have some extras like trailers, commentary by Clive Barker and Ashley Laurence and writer Peter Atkins, widescreen and a featurette for each film. BUT no deleted scenes, which is very upsetting!!! They have them in the still gallery but why not have them in a deleted scenes format. That would have been great. All in all a good buy.

A modern horror classic in its own right, Hellraiser makes for a great night with popcorn and friends. The movie basically focuses on a device (a small rubbix cube box) which acts as a portal for good old pin head, a bad guy that basically kills people in the most gruesome ways. The movie has a flavor of 80's horror films which can never be replicated in the sea of CGI and computer special effects that exists nowadays. This Limited Tin set includes both the first and second installments on this great series for double the mayhem. As a collector's item it is a great purchase. As a horror classic you basically owe it to yourself to experience it if you haven't already. This is the perfect chance. Highly recommended.

These two films are arguebaly the best in the series and considered to be classic 80's horror films. Clive Barker has created a world of horror that was very creative it has a very dark and creepy atmosphere and unlike the later sequals in the series it has a ton of gore and violence (make sure that you get the unrated editions). Hellraiser part 1 and 2 should be watched back to back but only if you have a strong stomach as both films continue the narrative storyline and are both very enjoyable to watch and are both horror/gore masterpieces.

The first film introduces us to Pinhead and the other demons from hell called cenobites that are summoned by the lament configuration box, the story is about a man brought partially back to life by the blood of his brother. He befriends his sister in-law who agrees to supply the blood he requires to live, the sister in-law helps Frank by seducing some strangers into the house and then killing them but he is still haunted by the evil forces which held him captive in death, for Kristy Cotten its like a living nightmare when she finds out the truth and now she must stop her uncle Frank before its too late. The films subtext is about how far a person can go when they're looking for the ultimate pain and pleasure, it seems like the true villians are Frank and his sister in-law. You might recognise actor Andrew Robinson as Kristy's father he was the psychotic killer in Dirty Harry and in this film he gives yet another great performance.

The second film Hellraiser: Hellbound continues the story when Kristy is kept at a hospital after the traumatic incident at the end of the first film with her father's skinned corpse and the demonic cenobites still fresh in her memory. Doctor Channard re-opens the channel between the dimensions and once again Kristy is propelled into their horrifying world. The second film does a brilliant job of following up some plot threads that were left during the first film and its obvious that the budget looks slightly bigger, the mental hospital or asylum setting was great it later turns into a maze from hell where each character gets tormented by reliving a dark secret or past that they regret doing. Theres even more gore than the first film and so its not recommended for those who have a weak stomach, in one particular scene where a mental patient takes a razor blade and starts cutting and mutilating himself while screaming "GET THEM OF ME!!!" will make you turn away in disgust cause it is very gory you have been warned. The series after these two films deffinetely headed towards a different direction with Hellraiser 3:Hell on earth Pinhead became more of a main character who said these cheesy one liners and started to look like a Freddy Krueger villian, I still liked it but it wasn't the same anymore and after that the series was no longer scary or gory with dissapointed horror fans and Clive Barker who I read in an interview somewhere he said that he hated the series especially what they did with Inferno and wanted to disown them. Overall I highly recommend these films to horror fans and its a great way to introduce someone who hasn't seen any gory horror films before, these films will get them started.