Hellraiser

Having made his reputation as one of the most prolific and gifted horror writers of his generation (prompting Stephen King to call him “the future of horror”), Clive Barker made a natural transition to movies with his audacious 1987 directorial debut Hellraiser, which not only served up a chilling tale of devilish originality, but also introduced new icons of horror that have since become as popular among contemporary genre connoisseurs as Frankenstein's monster and the Wolfman. Foremost among these frightful visions is the sadomasochistic demon affectionately named Pinhead (so named because his pale, bald head is a geometric pincushion and symbol of eternal pain). Pinhead (Doug Bradley) is the leader of the Cenobites, agents of evil who appear only when someone successfully “solves” the exotic puzzle box called the Lamont Configuration—a mysterious device that opens the door to Hell. The puzzle's latest victim is Frank (Sean Chapman), who now lives in a gelatinous skeletal state in an upstairs room of the British home just purchased by his half-brother (Andrew Robinson), who has recently married one of Frank's former lovers (Clare Higgins). The latter is recruited to supply the cannibalistic Frank with fresh victims, enabling him to reconstitute his own flesh. But will Frank succeed in restoring himself completely? Many won't have the stomach for Hellraiser, which has since spawned a number of interesting but inferior sequels, but there is no denying that the film has become a semi-classic of modern horror. Making its debut on Blu-ray, Hellraiser boasts a solid transfer, along with a bevy of extras previously available on earlier DVD releases, including an audio commentary with Barker and actress Ashley Laurence, five featurettes (a retrospective look at the film focusing on special effects, as well as interviews with actors Bradley, Laurence, Robinson, and composer Christopher Young), various galleries (behind-the-scenes, publicity, storyboards), and DVD-ROM accessible versions of the screenplay. Exclusive to the Blu-ray release are a “Fast Film Facts” pop-up trivia track, and the BD-Live function. Recommended. (J. Shannon)