Compared are the regular Theatrical Version (e.g. available on the German Blu-ray by StudioCanal or the UK Blu-ray by Arrow Video) and the Extended Version (German 2017 Black Edition Blu-ray box by Turbine)

Background Information on Clive Barker's HELLRAISER

There is not much to say about Clive Barker's Hellraiser, except it is a classic and a must-see for any horror fan. So far, so good but there is another issue that kept the fans busy: The Unrated Version of the sequel Hellbound - Hellraiser II, which thankfully is the most common version these days, revealed at least one (allegedly) censored scene in the original - thanks to the flashback at the beginning. Rated R in the US, which is also the version that was distributed internationally, the original lacks a few bloody details of Frank's face being torn apart in the finale - at least that is the case when compared to the flashback footage in the sequel.

According to the entry on e.g. wikipedia, at least 4 scenes were censored back in the days. In addition to the previously described scene, the first kill with the hammer, another one of Julia's kills (with a nude victim) and also Kristy reaching into Frank's body was allegedly more explicit. Barker also stated several scenes with sexual background had been considered critical, e.g. there were a few suggestive moments between Frank and Julia in the movie. Unfortunately, none of those have seen the light of day so far, not even as bonus on a Blu-ray/DVD release - except for Frank's face being shredded in the flashback of Hellbound - Hellraiser II that is.

The German Blu-ray (2017) of HELLRAISER

Certainly, the Hellraiser flicks had already been available on Blu-ray for a few years when Arrow Video released "The Scarlet Box" Blu-ray set in 2015 which is based on a new 2K restoration. Said UK release is highly superior to any other previous release. And this is exactly the master the German label Turbine used for their 2017 Blu-ray rerelease(s).

The main advantages of the Turbine Blu-ray box that were already communicated in advance:

New 2K restoration (though already available in the UK since 2015).
Hellraiser III - Hell on Earth is available as original Theatrical version and longer Unrated Version. Turbine corrected the framing here so there are no scenes with filming equipment visible on the sides as on the Arrow transfer.

But what makes the 2017 Blu-ray by Turbine, which was released on 12/18/2017 by the way, unique is a further characteristic that had only been announced vagely as a "surprise by Clive Barker himself". In an interview in the middle of December, Turbine employees emphasized that Clive Barker himself had green-lit the transfer used for the Blu-ray box set which leads right back to the mentioned surprise: The fact of the matter is that the infamous scene with Frank getting shredded appears to be uncensored now on the new German Blu-ray by Turbine. The footage has probably been taken from the flashback in the sequel. Either way, the additional close-up of Frank's head and also a few further frames of the brutal subsequent shot are now in the actual movie. The disc only contains this very version by the way - without any further explanation.

Any other (allegedly) censored scene is identically equal to the regular R-Rated / Theatrical Version which means there is no further additional footage. But still, this nice little alteration has been long overdue and fans worldwide will be thrilled to that footage in the actual movie. Compared to the Arrow release, the Turbine box contains additional bonus feautures (e.g. features from the old Anchor Bay DVD from the US). All that makes the Turbine highly recomendable for any fan worldwide.



Time index refers to
UK Blu-ray by Arrow / German Blu-ray by Turbine