Hellraiser 20th anniversary edition review

The full frame option has been dropped this time around, which is excellent news. I was pleased to find a very clean source print, as well as razor sharp black levels, which are vital to a film like this. I also thought the colors looked rich and bright, without any smears or bleeds and flesh tones were natural as well. This disc sports the same Dolby Digital 5. I was glad to find that the surrounds were not forced into use, which means the audio retains a rather natural sound.

Sometimes these remixes pressure surround use and the mix suffers, but that is not the case with this one. The musical score is very good and sounds even better in this mix, which allows it to wander through the surround channels. I also detected some subtle surround use at times to enhance the atmosphere, but that much in the end. You can also choose a 2. This is an informative track and has few pauses, which means plenty of behind the scenes info, anecdotes, and stories can be found within the running time.

Grain is noticeable throughout the runtime - sometimes overly so - but the black levels maintain a reasonable depth. The colors are muted and the contrast mid-level, but the film generally still holds up. Score: 6 out of 10 Languages and Audio The audio works well here - with lightening crashing and the film's memorable score sweeping in and out of its more horrific sequences. The dialogue seems a bit canned at times and the clarity oscillates from scene to scene. Of course, this is an older film, created before the 5.

Score: 6 out of 10 Extras and Packaging Anchor Bay has seemingly made an entire label out of milking the cash-cow dry with these double and triple-dips, using a few scattershot extras to lure consumers back into the dip. The interviews with Bradley, Robinson and Laurence are newly-filmed and surprisingly honest.

However, the star of the show is, indeed, the star of the show - Doug Bradley, whose short conversation is insightful through and through. The "Resurrection" featurette is another carry-over, but is, again, a well-produced if obviously dated behind-the-scenes documentary. The layers of the film's text and subtext - as well as the origins and technicalities - are all fully explored for the first-time viewer.

The Bottom Line Overall, this set is a satisfactory entry-point into this classic horror film, but those fans who have sat through previous DVD releases probably won't find enough here to justify a second trip to the house that Pinhead built. Was this article informative? YES NO. In This Article. MPAA: R. Release Date. What did you think? Have you seen Hellraiser ? As far as sequels go, it does a very respectable job.

Score: 7 out of 10 Video and Presentation It doesn't appear as if they've given Hellbound the full polish of a new transfer, but the film has certainly cleaned up nicely. The grain is present, but minimal, and the artifcating is less of a problem than one remembers. The film is inherently muted, so the color tends toward grey-tones and one-note compositions. This sequel certainly boasted higher production values, but the effects-heavy shots suffer the most here — the epic, matted shots of Hell, or the awkwardly shifting Leviathan.

Overall, it's a fine transfer, but definitely not perfect. Score: 7 out of 10 Languages and Audio Between the amazing scores by Christopher Young, the above-average use of sound from front to rear, and a really solid Dolby 5. You'd be hard pressed to find films from this period with these production values graced with such a nice audio presentation.

Blast it and scare the Hell out of your friends. Absent, of course, is Barker himself with the exception of a three-minute on-set interview. The present-day looks back include a number of amusing anecdotes about the cast's reaction to the film's violence and extensive make-up, as well as some interesting musings from Randel about learning to direct and his current view of the film.

There's very little that's groundbreaking here, and while the interviews are interesting, there simply isn't enough punch to the content to make it truly worthwhile.

Certainly, this is the version to own, but if you already have one of the past versions, there's very little reason to re-invest. Score: 7 out of Was this article informative? YES NO. In This Article. An anniversary double dip to DVD.