Arrow Heads — Arrow Video humbly describes themselves as merely a “Distributor of classic, world, cult and horror cinema on DVD & Blu-ray.” But we film geeks know them as the Britain-based bastion of the brutal and bizarre, boasting gorgeous Blu-ray releases with high quality artwork and packaging and bursting with extras, often of their own making. This column is devoted to discussing their weird and wonderful output.
For those that thought Scream Factory had possibly beaten Arrow at their own game with last year’s release of their Halloween box, Arrow has quietly been stepping up dropping some pretty impressive definitive editions of genre classics. This year saw the release of one of their best yet, The Hellraiser Scarlet Box. This set features not only the first three Hellraiser films all sporting new 2K restorations, but a plethora of special features accompanied by a 200-page hardback book.
Hellraiser as a franchise, with its gothic horror roots, was a welcome reprieve from the Slashers that were synonymous with horror in the ‘80s. Hellraiser was a more cerebral take on the genre thanks to Clive Barker, who had written two films for director George Pavlou (Rawhead Rex, Underworld) and was looking to do something a bit less schlocky for his first feature length film.
The first film, released in 1987, was both written and directed by Clive Barker, and was an adaptation of his novella The Hellbound Heart. Re-watching Hellraiser now it feels more like a twisted love story with its weighty dialog and situations as Larry moves into his brother Frank’s abandoned house with his wife Julia (Clare Higgins). Frank and Julia had an affair soon after her marriage, and when she finds the talking skeletal remains of her ex-lover in the attic, she gives Frank the blood sacrifices he needs to bridge the gap between Hell and earth. This sacrifice comes in the form of a steady stream of lusty men Julia seduces and leads to their death in the attic.
Larry’s daughter Kirsty (Ashley Laurence) gets caught up in Frank and Julia’s plan when she accidentally summons the demons or “Cenobites” who imprisoned Frank. After she solved the puzzle box portal known as the Lament Configuration, Kirsty barters a deal where her soul would be spared if she leads them back to the escaped Frank.
The first Hellraiser film was a thing of beauty with its unrelenting gore, solid performances, and unnerving undercurrents of Christianity and sadomasochism. The film gave horror fans a new boogeyman in Doug Bradley, who played the iconic Pinhead that found his match in Ashley Laurence’s Kirsty. The film presents an interesting dynamic for films at the time, since both Julia and Kirsty are far from helpless and do more to drive the plot than there male counterparts. Hellraiser still stands as a great horror film thanks to its gruesome practical effects and solid performances that gave the material the reverence it deserved.
The second film had Clive handing off the reigns to Tony Randel, a New World production exec with whom he worked on the first film. Released a little more than a year after the first, Hellbound: Hellraiser II suffered a bit thanks to budgetary cuts as New World Pictures was at the brink of bankruptcy. The film picks up soon after the first film, with Kirsty in a mental institution after recounting the events of the first film to the police. We soon find The Channard Institute where Kirsty is kept is simply a front for a doctor obsessed with unlocking the secret of the Lament Configuration stocked with those he intends to use for his quest.
After hearing Kirsty’s story and coming into possession of the mattress where Julia died, Doctor Channard begins the ritual to bring her back from the dead in the hopes she will show him the way to Hell to fulfill his dark desires. Julia, looking for revenge on Frank, who left her for dead in the previous film, assists the doctor in opening the portal to Hell as Kirsty once again finds her way into Julia’s path. This time thanks to visions Kirsty believes her father is trapped in Hell and she can release him.
Hellraiser II was a worthy successor and took the franchise into an interesting place dealing with more of the mythology of the Lament Configuration and showing those that seek it out. The film once again pits Ashley Laurence against Clare Higgins as Julia is the one resurrected this time. The film also delves deeper into the backstory of the Cenobites, which also became a recurring theme throughout the series as we find they were all once humans brought to their stations by their obsession with the puzzle box. As we see the Doctor ascend to their ranks, quickly turning on his brethren, we see that no one is safe in this world.
Once New World was no more, Dimension picked up the property to release Hellraiser III: Hell on Earth almost four years later. The film, directed by Anthony Hickox (Waxwork, Waxwork 2), had Dimension realizing the popularity of Pinhead and put the Cenobite front and center. It was originally rumored Julia was going to take his place as the leader of the Cenobites at the end of the second film, but Clare Higgins was looking to leave the series. After Dimension picked up the franchise, it suffered a steep decline in quality with each release. That being said, Hellraiser III: Hell on Earth is definitely the strongest of the Dimension offerings and neatly ties up Kirsty’s story.
Hellraiser III follows Pinhead as he is trapped in the Pillar of Souls with the Lament Configuration. Purchased by an eccentric club owner, the Cenobite this time looks to be freed from the pillar and unleashed upon Earth to rebuild his Cenobite army. It’s then up to reporter Joey Summerskill (Terry Farrell), assisted by the spirit of Captain Elliot Spencer, to unlock the secrets of Pinhead’s past, which maybe the only thing that can send him back to Hell.
Sadly, Hellraiser III: Hell on Earth suffers from the same campiness of most ‘90s Dimension sequels. While the story here with the Pinhead fighting with his id was an interesting take, it’s the acting and the Cenobite designs that border on parody, which hurt this film the most. While the film does have its moments, it’s a far cry from the first and second films, which, coupled with some of the more direct-to-video trappings, was a sad sign of the things to come. That being the case, of the films in the series, these are definitely the most consistent quality and story-wise.
Each film comes on its own disc and is paired with a commentary and various docs and featurettes. If you’re like me and already own the muddy Image Entertainment set, you’re going to definitely notice quite a jump in quality thanks to the 2k restorations of all three films. Arrow has kept the DNR to a minimum, giving us three very film-like transfers that maintain the film grain with a good contrast and detail throughout. Both Hellraiser 1 and 2 sport new Lossless DTS-HD MA 5.1 tracks that makes effective use of the sound field to help with crafting the creepy atmosphere, while Hellraiser 3 comes with an adequate Lossless DTS-HD MA 2.0 track.
The set also comes with a bonus disc that is exclusive to this set featuring The Clive Barker Legacy. The disc contains Barker’s first two shorts, Salomé and The Forbidden, that are great for the completest, and a documentary on “The Literary Works of Clive Barker.” The disc also contains Hellraiser Evolutions, a documentary on the franchise that feels like the cliff notes version of the Leviathan doc also contained here. Leviathan seems to be the source for most of interviews on the set, which isn’t a bad thing; it’s just that they couldn’t get access to the man himself. Except for a commentary on the first disc and a few archival interviews, Clive Barker is surprisingly absent from the set.
Another limited edition exclusive on the Scarlet Box is The Damnation Games, a 200-page hardback book with new writing on Hellraiser and the Barker universe. This book is just gorgeous; the pages are filled with amazing artwork, interviews, and materials from the Barker archive. It’s definitely a comprehensive little tome, even containing the press kit for each film. Coupled with the extra disc on the set it definitely throws the set into must-have territory for any serious fans of the franchise.
The Hellraiser Scarlet Box is a set worthy of these amazing films. The love and care that went into every detail is what sets this apart, not only when watching the restored transfers, but in the set’s presentation with its included book and artwork that delve into almost every aspect of production. This exhaustive look at these films, with interviews, documentaries, and featurettes, does its best to balance Barker’s lack of presence by illustrating how his ideas that birthed the series continued to drive it. The Scarlet Box is as definitive as any fan could possibly want, with enough special features to keep fans culling through its special features for weeks.
A special note for collectors – This set will soon be out of print in the US – Arrow has stated they are about 70% sold out. What this means is once it’s gone, its gone. To illustrate that more clearly, when the first UK run of the set ran out before the US set was announced, the set was sometimes going for over $200-$300 via resellers. So if you want to own this set, I would suggest picking it up NOW.
The Package
The Arrow Video release of The Scarlet Box includes:
- Brand new 2K restorations of Hellraiser, Hellbound: Hellraiser II, and Hellraiser III: Hell on Earth
- Uncompressed PCM Stereo 2.0 and Lossless DTS-HD MA 5.1 sound for Hellraiser and Hellbound: Hellraiser II
- Lossless DTS-HD MA 2.0 sound for Hellraiser III: Hell on Earth
- English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing for all three films
- Limited Edition bonus disc
- Exclusive 200-page hardback book with new writing from Clive Barker archivists Phil and Sarah Stokes
- 20-page booklet featuring never-before-seen original Hellraiser concept art
- Limited Edition packaging with new artwork from Gilles Vranckx
- Set of 5 exclusive art cards
- Fold-out reversible poster
DISC 1 — HELLRAISER
- Brand new 2K restoration approved by director of photography Robin Vidgeon
- Audio commentary with writer/director Clive Barker
- Audio commentary with Barker and actress Ashley Laurence
- Leviathan: The Story of Hellraiser — brand new version of the definitive documentary on the making of Hellraiser, featuring interviews with key cast and crew members
- Being Frank: Sean Chapman on Hellraiser — actor Sean Chapman talks candidly about playing the character of Frank Cotton in Barker’s original
- Soundtrack Hell: The Story of the Abandoned Coil Score — Coil member Stephen Thrower on the Hellraiser score that almost was
- Hellraiser: Resurrection — vintage featurette including interviews with Clive Barker, actors Doug Bradley and Ashley Laurence, special make-up effects artist Bob Keen, and others
- Under the Skin: Doug Bradley on Hellraiser
- Original EPK featuring on-set interviews with cast and crew
- Draft Screenplays [BD-ROM content]
- Trailers and TV Spots
- Image Gallery
DISC 2 — HELLBOUND: HELLRAISER II
- Brand new 2K restoration approved by director of photography Robin Vidgeon
- Audio Commentary with director Tony Randel and writer Peter Atkins
- Audio Commentary with Randel, Atkins and actress Ashley Laurence
- Leviathan: The Story of Hellbound: Hellraiser II — brand new version of the definitive documentary on the making of Hellbound, featuring interviews with key cast and crew members
- Being Frank: Sean Chapman on Hellbound — actor Sean Chapman talks about reprising the role of Frank Cotton in the first Hellraiser sequel
- Surgeon Scene — the home video world premiere of this legendary, never before-seen excised sequence from Hellbound, sourced from a VHS workprint
- Lost in the Labyrinth — vintage featurette including interviews with Barker, Randel, Keen, Atkins and others
- Under the Skin: Doug Bradley on Hellbound: Hellraiser II
- On-set interview with Clive Barker
- On-set interviews with cast and crew
- Behind-the-Scenes Footage
- Rare and unseen storyboards
- Draft Screenplay [BD-ROM content]
- Trailers and TV Spots
- Image Gallery
DISC 3 — HELLRAISER III: HELL ON EARTH
- Brand new 2K restoration of the Original Theatrical Version [93 mins]
- Alternate Unrated Version [97 mins]
- Brand new audio commentary with writer Peter Atkins
- Audio commentary with director Anthony Hickox and Doug Bradley
- Hell on Earth: The Story of Hellraiser III — making-of documentary featuring interviews with Atkins, Keen and actor Ken Carpenter
- Terri’s Tales — brand new interview with actress Paula Marshall
- Under the Skin: Doug Bradley on Hellraiser III: Hell on Earth
- Raising Hell on Earth — archival interview with Hickox
- On-set interviews with Barker and Bradley
- Never-before-seen Hellraiser III SFX dailies
- Theatrical Trailer
- Image Gallery
- Hellraiser III comic book adaptation [Disc gallery]
DISC 4 — THE CLIVE BARKER LEGACY — LIMITED EDITION EXCLUSIVE
- Clive Barker short films Salomé and The Forbidden
- Books of Blood & Beyond: The Literary Works of Clive Barker — horror author David Gatward provides a tour through Barker’s written work, from the first Books of Blood to the recent The Scarlet Gospels
- Hellraiser: Evolutions — a brand new documentary looking at the evolution of the hit horror franchise and its enduring legacy, featuring interviews with Scott Derrickson (director, Hellraiser: Inferno), Rick Bota (director, Hellraiser: Hellseeker, Deader and Hellworld), Stuart Gordon (director, Re-Animator, From Beyond) and others
- The Hellraiser Chronicles: A Question of Faith — short film
200-PAGE BOOK — ‘DAMNATION GAMES’ — LIMITED EDITION EXCLUSIVE
- Exclusive 200-page hardback book with new writing on Hellraiser and the Barker universe from Barker archivists Phil and Sarah Stokes — including chapters looking at Barker’s early work, the genesis and production of the first 3 films in the Hellraiser series and much more, all illustrated with stills and rare material from the Barker archive