Hellraiser: Scarlet Box

Clive Barker's original Hellraiser and the first two sequels (in a series that currently numbers nine installments, with another slated for 2017) are collected in this deluxe four-disc set. Horror novelist Barker directs Hellraiser (1987), which is adapted from his own 1986 novella "The Hellbound Heart," centering on a mysterious puzzle box that unleashes demons (known as the Cenobites) from another dimension who feed off the pain they inflict on humans. This low-budget horror flick is gruesome and dark and became a cult hit for the way it re-imagined demons and monsters, as well as its primal intersection of sex and horror. Hellbound: Hellraiser II (1988), written by Barker and directed by Tony Randel, follows Kirsty (Ashley Laurence), a teenage survivor of the first film, who is in an asylum run by a doctor determined to open the box for his own masochistic pleasure (a move that opens the gates to Hell). In Hellraiser III: Hell on Earth (1992), which is the least interesting of the trio, the head Cenobite Pinhead (Doug Bradley) unleashes his fellow Cenobites on Earth. While these are cult films, they are not necessarily horror classics, as they verge into the realms of sadomasochism. Newly remastered from 2k restorations for this Blu-ray set, extras include the alternate unrated version of Hellraiser III, audio commentaries, new and archival documentaries and interviews, Barker's early underground short films "Salomé" and "The Forbidden," and a 200-page hardbound book. A strong optional purchase. (S. Axmaker)