HORROR DOUBLE FEATURE

What is better for a horror aficionado than one HELLRAISER movie? Two HELLRAISER movies in the same package, for a surprisingly reasonable price. Never mind special features, DVD extras, and all that jazz; what we've got here is a (pardon the pun) "stripped to the bone" double feature which showcases the only two really good films in this entire franchise.HELLRAISER is the story of Frank Cotton (Sean Chapman), a degenerate hedonist who, having run out of illicit pleasures, purchases the so-called "Lament Configuration," a beautiful but spooky-looking puzzle box said to open the gates of "heaven or hell" when correctly solved. Frank is so debauched, so jaded and burned out, that he no longer cares which, provided he can go "beyond the limits" of pleasure or pain as he knows them. Unfortunately for Frank, he gets precisely what he wants at the hands, or rather the hooks, of four demonic beings called the Cenobites, only to discover, too late, that he doesn't want it. Exit Frank to the sound of screams. Enter Frank's nice-guy brother Larry (Andrew Robinson) and his unhappy, scheming second wife Julia (Claire Higgins), who move into the old family homestead Frank occupied before he solved the box. Unbenknownst to Larry, Julia had an affair with Frank long ago, and still lusts after his memory, so when Larry cuts himself moving in, and the blood re-animates the scattered remains of Frank beneath the floorboards, Julia readily agrees to supply him (Frank) with more blood so he can complete his regeneration and run off with her. To do this, of course, she'll have to murder a number of people, but she's so completely under Frank's spell she doesn't much care. The fly in the ointment is Larry's plucky daughter Kirsty (Ashley Lawrence), who loves her dad and distrusts Julia. When Kirsty discovers Frank is still alive (albeit without his skin), she opens the box and strikes a bargain to deliver him back to the Cenobites, who, let's face it, aren't the most trustworthy folks to deal with. Bloody hell ensues, culminating in a climax as gory as it is satisfying.Writer-director Clive Barker views HELLRAISER (based on his novella "The Hellbound Heart") as a love story first, and he's right, but the real love in the movie is not between Frank and Julia, but between Kirsty and her well-meaning dad, who is the complete innocent caught between horrible millstones. As for the Cenobites, forget it. A more awe-inspiring and mesmerizing gang of villains you will not find anywhere, though I must say Frank Cotton remains one of the most disgustingly evil characters in the history of cinema -- that rare baddie who has absolutely no redeeming qualities at all, yet remains oddly charismatic. And the soundtrack, by Christopher Young, is one of the best film scores I've ever heard. While not a perfect movie, HELLRAISER is a damned good one, a classic to stand the test of time.The sequel, HELLBOUND is not anywhere near as good taken on the whole, but at its best it approaches and even occasionally exceeds its progenitor. It begins with Ashley incarcerated in a mental institution since, of course, nobody buys her story about cursed puzzle boxes and leather-clad demons. Unfortunately for her, the hospital is run by the sinister Dr. Chennard (Kenneth Cranham), who is obsessed with the legend of the Cenobites and uses his influence to obtain the bloody mattress upon which Julia met her fate in the first film. Through methods too disgusting to recount here, he resurrects Julia and uses a traumatized mental patient who is a savant with puzzles (Imogen Boorman) to "safely" open the Lament Configuration, whereupon he begins a tour of Hell with the ever-scheming Julia as his guide. At the same time, Ashley is contacted by the "ghost" of her father, who pleads with her to rescue him from that same Hell. Ever the devoted daughter, Ashley, uniting with a sympathetic doctor (William Hope, of "Aliens" fame), does just exactly that, and confronts her old foes, the Cenobites, on their own turf. As usual, there is a tangle of different motives at work, lubricated by blood and gore, as well as an unwelcome appearance by the loathsome (yet charismatic) Frank Cotton. More bloody hell ensues, spilling out into the "real world" before the "puzzle" is finally solved.I saw HELLBOUND in the theater when it was released, and the scanty audience was extremely confused by the melange of tones in the storytelling. Working from a story by Clive Barker, director Tony Randel labors mightily to recapture the gory yet hi-concept feeling of the first film, and there are moments when he succeeds brilliantly, aided, once again, by a towering score from Christopher Young, and some terrific production design. Unfortunately, the film is hamstrung by the absence of Andrew Robinson, who was low-balled by the studio and refused to reprise his role as Larry Cotton, thus gutting the most poignant part of Barker's original script (which I have read). In addition, the latter portion of the film degenerates into a somewhat incomprehensible mess, at times slipping into a pastiche of slasher horror movies as Chennard takes over from the Cenobites as the movie's principal villain. All in all, HELLBOUND is a glorious and gory mess of a movie, far superior as individual parts rather than a whole, and for all of its flaws, it is infinitely better than any of the innumerable and often unwatchable sequels that followed.So, my advice is to buy this double feature. Light some candles. Get on your knees. Open the box. And go to hell.

Pinhead says buy it, you don't have eternity to know the bazaar pleasures of Clive Barker.

Not a particularly great transfer but watchable. Hellraiser itself was Goofy yet entertaining if not a little disturbing. Very, very dated. Let's be honest though watching Andrew Robinson not buried under 11 lb of latex as Garak the Tailor on DS9 was wonderful.

Nice set. Transfered well. Descent sound qualities. Not a lot of extras though. But for the price a great value

I love movies and physical media in general and this was a great deal and delivered quickly and safely. I'll definitely be buying again.

Great picture, clear, and crisp. Great price.

Love the series and price was decent

Truly classic horror films. The makeup and effects are the best of the horror genre, particularly in the second film. Pinhead is my favorite character and the reason why I didn’t give this 5 stars is because I wish there were more appearances by the Cenobites.

A pesar que Hellraiser es un clásico y que esta edición acompaña la segunda parte (la segunda mejor de la saga), debido a que las películas comparten el disco, la imagen y sonido se comprometen un poco. Las películas no cuentan con material adicional o subtítulos.

Classic horror newly defined at the time by the master Clive Barker himself based on his Books of Blood stories. A different twist for the genre that will be immediately unsettling for the uninitiated. They hold up pretty well considering the age, the effects were top-notch at the time and it shows. Sit back and enjoy but don't get too comfortable, there's more where this came from.

Hellraiser is Clive Barker's dark, daring, and macabre adaptation of his own novella, "Books of Blood." It is not your average horror movie; it's provocative and shocking in a way that its peers in the genre simply aren't. Its themes of desire, sin, ego, and death are dealt with in a very nuanced and refined manner. The fact that it's so slow and deliberate really works in its favour. By the time its arch villains appear in the third act, they are truly chilling. The Cenobites are without a doubt the aristocrats of horror movie monsters, and Pinhead is the dark Prince. What a presence! Whereas most other horror villains are dumb, monosyllabic brutes, Pinhead is an intellectual. And he is all the more terrifying because of it. Hellraiser is a great horror movie, and a fine movie in general. 4 stars.Now for part 2. If Hellraiser is the measured, subtle, and intellectual slow- burn horror film, then it's sequel, Hellbound, is pure, high octane spectacle. Operating on what must have been a budget many times more than the original film, it is a visual feast. It's like a fever dream. There are so many visually arresting scenes, that it's hard to remember them all. Sure, it lacks the original's great storytelling and structure, but you'll be smiling so much at the flat-out insane imagery that you'll hardly have time to care. It really is one of the craziest horror sequels of all time. Vastly underrated, in my opinion. Again, 4 stars.As for this Blu Ray release, well, you get Blu Ray quality for sure. Excellent sound and picture on both films. Hellbound is definitely eye popping compared to the old DVD version I had. But no extras aside from a couple of trailers on either film. So take that into account when purchasing. If you're looking for extras, you'll have to wait for another release.

El "casi" es, obviamente, porque no tiene subtítulos de ningún tipo, no otro idioma mas que el original, Inglés, pero como todo fan, que las busca hasta el fin del mundo, tenerlas es una bendición. Así que si se te da el inglés, y eres fan del género, es un recomendado en extremo.

Had to wait a while for this but was delivered when they said. These movies will always be a go to horror movie to watch. Just wish it also included Hell on Earth. I love the first 4 movies but this DVD has the first two to give me my Pinhead fix.