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Summary: Mc.Duff is Wrong
Review: Our friend from Germany below me is wrong. Both Hellraiser and Hellbound: Hellraiser II are presented in their perfect forms in this wonderful set from Anchor Bay. HELLRAISER is rated "R" and was slightly edited for US theatrical release. There is no director's cut of this movie. Why? Director Clive Barker didn't feel a need to create one (as he did with LORD OF ILLUSIONS and wants to do with a future NIGHTBREED DVD). Thus, such a thing doesn't exist and won't ever exist. What you see is all there is as far as Hellraiser I is concerned. Hellraiser II is the expanded unrated version that we know and love from previous DVD/VHS releases. Thanks to director Tony Randell, we get back all of the gore -- and the "Kirsty's Room" scene -- that was cut from the US theatrical release. "What about the 'Surgeon Scene' that I saw on the back of the original US VHS release?" you may ask. It doesn't truly exist. That was a snapshot of a special F/X-heavy scene that never worked out. This scene was once incorporated into a bootleg LD... which never made much sense, as it wasn't a finished piece of film. Hellraiser II in this DVD contains all finished scenes.
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Summary: one of the two BIGGEST horror films of the 1980s
Review: out of the 1980s, the two BIGGEST horror films were "Nightmare on Elm Street" in 1984 and "Hellraiser" in 1987. With "Nightmare", Wes Craven took us into the world of dreams. With "Hellraiser" 1&2, Clive Barker took us straight into HELL. "Hellraiser" 1&2 could be viewed as one movie since they tie in so closely, so when i say "Hellraiser", i'm actually referring to both films. with the first film, clive barker gave us a story of family affairs and with it threw in demons from hell to punish certain individuals. he also brought us one of horror's biggest icons in "pinhead". right up there with "freddy", "jason", and "michael myers", "pinhead" has been established as a true horror icon. even though it may be a bit of an uneven movie, "Hellraiser" rose above the typical teenage slasher flick to bring out a TRUE HORROR film that doesn't insult one's intelligence. the second film basically picks up right where the original left off with the lead protagonist having to take a trip to HELL itself in order to rescue someone. neither of these films are reccommended for the weak of stomach nor the faint of heart. if you've NEVER seen a horror movie in your life, "Hellraiser" is a good start. After watching these two movies will make other horror films seem not so good after you've seen Clive Barker's vision of HELL. "Hellraiser" is a true horror masterpiece and shouldn't be overlooked at all...if you love horror. the body count may not be to the height of a "Friday the 13th" but that's not what these films are about at all. these movies aren't about "boo"-type scares that startle you or make you jump. no, what "Hellraiser" does is it disturbs you greatly with a sense of somewhat artistic beauty along the way. so it won't make you jump or scream, but it will make you somewhat queasy and will stick in your mind with certain disturbing images. that's what makes it a benchmark in horror. it may not be a pleasant place at all but it's one you'll dare to revisit- just never alone. on the DVD side of things. i wouldn't exactly call it a full-blown special edition but it's probably the most "special" special edition we'll see. the tin's nice and all, with the mini-posters, but someone could've done a better packaging job than this. just a cd case with both DVDs is the indication of laziness on anchor bay's part. the commentary tracks are nice as are the rest of the disc content. the picture has never been clearer and neither has the sound. a MUST-HAVE for any horror fan or especially "Hellraiser" fan.
Rating: 
Summary: Hmmm
Review: The first movie is awesome. The second recycles the first and is average. The third movie is slightly better than no 2 mostly because it goes and invents a new background. My advice? Watch the first one, ignore the others.
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Summary: regarding the version
Review: There has been dire warnings about which version of the movies contained in this limited edition release from Anchor Bay. Michael Felsher from Anchor Bay has informed me that Hellraiser is the R rated version released previously, but Hellbound is the same version that was released on the limited edition laser disc a few years back. So fans of this movie now have no excuse but to go out and buy this excellent double offering from one of the best DVD companies out there.
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Summary: Great movies...medocre extras
Review: These two movies deserve 5 stars....the package deserves 3. (An average of 4). You already know about the movies and the sweet suffering of pain and all that. Let me tell about the package. It's a little disappointing. First, it comes in this giant size tin. Inside the tin is NOT 2 individual keepcases (Which would have been preferable) but 1 CD jewel case with both DVDsin it. It does come with two cool 5 x 7 theatrical poster replicas and a 48 page booklet with behind the scenes. The DVD's do have some extras like trailers, commentary by Clive Barker and Ashley Laurence and writer Peter Atkins, widescreen and a featurette for each film. BUT no deleted scenes, which is very upsetting!!! They have them in the still gallery but why not have them in a deleted scenes format. That would have been great. All in all a good buy.
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Summary: Great movies but are we seeing all of them?
Review: This beautifully presented box set is a treat. Visually stunning the movies themselves do a great job of recreating the atmoshere of isolated dread that Clive Barker is so good at. My only issue with this edition is one of censorship. I have a strong feeling that there have been cuts made to the very end if the first movie. There was an "uncut" version of hellraiser on VHS floating around a few years back and that differed to the standard video edition. This DVD seems more like the trimmed version. I may be wrong but I have a strong suspicion about this one. Seeing as how this is not available in region 4 yet, this is as good as it gets so I've got no complaints and as I said, the presentation is sensational.
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Summary: Hellraiser 1 + Hellbound: Hellraiser 2 together= perfect DVD
Review: This has to be the best limited edition DVD collection ever! Too bad there is only 30,000 of them. Get this soon beofre this DVD is gonna go out of print (OOP). It has awesome special features and the booklet and the replica movie posters of both movies rock. The best way for Hellraiser 1 and 2 to be out together! Get it while it lasts!
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Summary: Hellraiser 1 + Hellbound: Hellraiser 2 together= perfect DVD
Review: This has to be the best limited edition DVD collection ever! Too bad there is only 30,000 of them. Get this soon beofre this DVD is gonna go out of print (OOP). It has awesome special features and the booklet and the replica movie posters of both movies rock. The best way for Hellraiser 1 and 2 to be out together! Get it while it lasts!
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Summary: A "Soul Tearing" Experience
Review: To be frank (pun intended), when I saw the first movie on LaserDisc, I was confused and uninterested...a typical reaction from a 13 yr old, I guess. It wasn't until I saw Hellbound two years later did I realize that I had lacked the maturity and attention span needed to enjoy the Hellraiser story. I realized there was so much more beyond the scope of low budget makeup and effects...there was a story being told, a story about the human condition, showing how insidious and evil humans truely can be. All of a sudden, I realized the cenobites were not really demons at all, it had been the humans! The cenobites were merely there to keep order and abide by the laws. A nice twist in my opinion. So, as soon as I heard there was a Limited Edition DVD release four years later I jumped at the opportunity. I wasn't dissapointed. Picture quality easily rivaled if not bettered that of the LaserDisc transfer. The 5.1 soundtrack was outstanding for the most part, with a few hisses here and there and modest use of LFE. I was glad to see that Anchor Bay included the "extended" version of Hellbound with scenes missing from the initial theatrical release and the subsequent VHS release. However, it's nothing new. The LaserDisc version of Hellbound had these scenes as well. What it did lack was something I had hoped for; The surgery scene and the Chatterer transformation scene. To their credit, I've heard those scenes were so terribly done that it was laughable. However, it still would have been a treat to see those long lost strips of celluloid. I doubt if they even exist anymore. The technical merit of this release is laudable. However, the decision to incase the DVDs in a 2 disc jewel case was a mistake. I would have liked keep cases so I could include them on my DVD shelf with the rest of my DVDs. Now, I have this awkward tin case in the middle of my collection. I did enjoy the booklet with the rare behind the scenes photos as well as the poster inserts. The Tin Box is quite neat but looks out of place. I really enjoyed the commentaries. They were insightful and sometimes humurous. The mini documentaries were also well done. All in all, a terrific effort and a great addition to my DVD collection...it's the jewel case that bugs me to no end. I might have to go and purchase the individual DVDs with the keep cases just so I can rest easy and then display the tin box somewhere else. Then again, that was the plan all along wasn't it Anchor Bay?
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Summary: 1 WORD DESCRIBES THIS LIMITED EDITION---UNBELIEVABLE!
Review: TO DATE, THIS IS THE BEST DVD THAT I OWN! I WAS AWESTRUCK AT HOW AWESOME THE SOUND IS AND THE ANAMORPHIC PICTURE TRANSFER. IT IS SUCH A COOL MOVIE AND IS LOADED WITH EXTRAS! PART 2 IS INCLUDED IN THIS LIMITED EDITION TIN BOX, AND IS NOT AVAILABLE OTHERWISE. ...SO GET IT WHILE ITS STILL IN PRINT. WHEN THIS SUCKER IS SOLD OUT....THAT'S IT... NO MORE! IT WILL BE OUT OF PRINT AND WORTH MUCH MORE THAN THE PRICE NOW, ESPECIALLY SINCE ITS BEING OFFERED HERE AT AMAZON AT A FRACTION OF THE COST IN THE STORES. A BUDDY OF MINE SAID HIS LOCAL STORE HAD 22 COPIES YESTERDAY FOR FULL RETAIL ($50)...THE NEXT DAY THEY WERE ALL SOLD...EACH AND EVERY ONE. IF YOU THINK ABOUT IT ITS A GREAT DEAL. YOURE GETTING 2 GREAT MOVIES AND LOTS OF EXTRAS WITH A VERY INTERESTING COMMENTARY ON BOTH MOVIES. SO JUST DIVIDE THE PRICE YOU PAY BY 2....NOW THAT'S A DEAL!
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