HELLRAISER [1987, Clive Barker] - RARE ALTERNATIVE CUT

This is an edited version of Hellraiser which exists to compensate for 4 issues with standard prints of the film:
* the overdubbing of American accents despite a British setting
* a rather lame monster which needlessly appears twice
* pacing which sets up the plot too slowly & has an unnecessarily drawn-out ending
* an over-reliance on certain "women in peril" clichés, even if only brief.
These have been dealt with by the careful removal of various shots. Also, musical pieces composed for the film, but ultimately unused have been inserted to add atmosphere at different points of tension.

The result of this is a film experience which works on the level of a gory psychological/fantasy thriller, instead of being an increasingly dated '80s monster movie. In terms of the characters, the cuts made do not undermine their understanding or expression, although they concentrate the story on the twisted relationship between the two murderous lovers.

Overall, this new version is 14 minutes shorter & presents a fresh take on a classic work. Two things which may be difficult for fans of the original to deal with is a switch to black & white done for its menacing aesthetic & imagining this as a stand-alone film. If access to the original footage were available, this cut would have incorporated British accents & the more S&M-orientated sex scene shot but disregarded at the studio's behest.

Please take the time to comment on this torrent so that others who are judging whether to download it can evaluate its worth.


Technical details:
Running time - 79m13s
Video format - MPEG-II (.mp4)
Video bitrate - 3079kbps
Audio bitrate - 96kbps (44.1kHz)
Aspect ratio - 16:9 (1280x720)
Frame rate - 23.9fps (progressive)


'Fair use' notice from original uploader: I claim no rights whatsoever over this work nor have I ever sought to financially exploit this material. It exists to comment on & criticise the original motion picture & the musical album from which it is wholly derived, as eluded to above & is an entirely unique presentation of both. It is intended that those downloading this material respect this & do not attempt to commercially gain from its existence. A direct request from a relevant copyright holder or authorised distributor to desist in seeding this bittorent will be immediately acted upon without the need for legal recourse.