Rating summary

Movie		3.0
Video		0.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		5.0
Overall		3.5

Hellraiser III: Hell on Earth 4K Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Jeffrey Kauffman November 3, 2023

Note: This version of this film is available as part of Arrow's Hellraiser: Quartet of Torment 4K collection.

The problem with those pesky portals to other dimensions is that there's evidently no way to keep them permanently closed, which may be why Arrow is revisiting the Hellraiser franchise just a few years after it brought out the rather extravagantly packaged Hellraiser: The Scarlet Box. The good news is, while Arrow can almost always be counted for rather luxe packaging one way or the other, they've seen fit to offer fans new 4K restorations of the first four films (note that the aforementioned Scarlet Box only offered the original triptych), as well as at least some new supplements augmenting previously produced bonus features, though not all of the legacy supplements from The Scarlet Box have made it over to these releases, for those keeping track. Maybe sometimes it's a good thing when a multidimensional portal won't stay closed.

Those interested can find several reviews of the various Hellraiser films on the site, but for purposes of this particular review I'll point those interested to my own Hellraiser III: Hell on Earth Blu-ray review of The Scarlet Box version, since that provides the chance to compare screenshots and see how supplements stack up between the releases.

Hellraiser III: Hell on Earth 4K Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Note: Screenshots are sourced from Arrow's standalone 1080 release. This set does not include 1080 discs.

Hellraiser III: Hell on Earth is presented on Blu-ray courtesy of Arrow Video with an AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 1.85:1. Arrow provides the same hardback book for both its 4K UHD and 1080 releases, and it contains the following information on this latest restoration:

Hellraiser III: Hell on Earth is presented in its original aspect ratio of 1.85:1 with stereo 2.0 and 5.1 sound. The original 35mm negative was scanned and restored in 4K resolution at Silver Salt Restoration, London. Sections of a 35mm interpositive were also sourced for sections removed from the negative. The film was graded in SDR, HDR10 and Dolby Vision by Silver Salt Restoration, London.

This is another 4K UHD presentation where one's tolerance for at times really chunky yellow grain may play into overall appreciation for the effort. I mentioned that Arrow's new 1080 release actually tended to offer more generally consistent levels of density, clarity and grain structure than the first two films, but exactly as with the 4K UHD versions of those first two films, the increased resolution of this format can't help but point out some pretty wide spikes in grain thickness, which can almost be a masking element to fine detail in some scenes. As with the first two films, some of these issues don't seem related to lighting, and for just one example, pay attention to any of the many interior scenes with Jo and Terry, many of which are similarly lit, but which can show markedly different levels of grain resolution. HDR and/or Dolby Vision may not have quite as much to "play with" in this film, but there are some noticeable new highlights in both the World War I material as well even "picayune" aspects like the blues surrounding the "trapped" Pinhead. As is also mentioned in my review of Arrow's 1080 release of this film, while they've preserved their once controversial 1.85:1 framing (see my original 1080 review for details), it does look to me like some adjustments have been made to eliminate some of the "problem spots" from the previous release.

Hellraiser III: Hell on Earth 4K Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Arrow's older 1080 release sported only an LPCM 2.0 track, and as with the other previously released outings, Arrow has replaced that this time with a DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 track, but also included a DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 option. The surround mix nicely opens up any number of effects, and some of the "jumbled" quality I mentioned in the crowded club scenes on the older 1080 version have some noticeable new spaciousness now. Scoring wafts through the side and rear channels, and some of the "alternate dimension" material also offers some good discrete channelization of individual effects, notably in some of the battle scenes. Dialogue is rendered cleanly and clearly throughout. Optional English subtitles are available.

Hellraiser III: Hell on Earth 4K Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Note: I've tried my best to identify supplements new to this edition with an asterisk (*), but with so much to go through and the added challenge of Arrow having authored or titled things differently for this release, I may have missed something.

• Unrated Version (HD; 1:36:21) comes with this information:

  The unrated version of Hellraiser III: Hell on Earth presented on this disc contains standard definition 1.33:1 ratio inserts from the best available source.

• Commentaries

  Commentary with critics Stephen Jones and Kim Newman (2023)*

  Commentary with Peter Atkins (2015)

  Commentary with Anthony Hickox and Doug Bradley (2004)

• Behind the Scenes

  Electronic Press Kit* (HD; 12:15) offers more extended EPK footage recently discovered by publicist Stephen Jones. This has timecode captions and was obviously sourced from an older tape.

  
  

  FX Dailies (HD; 23:49)

• Archival Special Features

  Time With Terri (HD; 14:53) is the previously released interview with Paula Marshall.

  
  

  Raising Hell on Earth: Anthony Hickox Interview (HD; 13:59)

  
  

  Under the Skin: Doug Bradley on Hellraiser III: Hell on Earth (HD; 13:46)

• Theatrical Trailer (HD; 1:52)


• Image Gallery (HD)

Hellraiser III: Hell on Earth 4K Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Hellraiser III: Hell on Earth is a pretty major step down from the first two Hellraiser films, but it has occasional moments of decent angst, even if its attempts to give Pinhead more than mere pins to think about ultimately don't pay many dividends. Arrow looks like it addressed some of the concerns of its first 1080 release with regard to the framing, and they've added a DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track as well. Supplements are outstanding.