Arrow Video, out now

 

After he’s framed for a serial killer’s murders, Aaron Boone seeks refuge in Midian, a community for monsters, unaware of his own origins.

Arrow’s UK Blu-ray premiere of Clive Barker’s 1990 directorial follow-up to Hellraiser (based on his 1988 short novel, Cabal) comes with an impressive array of features in readiness for Halloween viewing. Boasting both the theatrical and 18 minutes longer directors cut, you can choose which to enjoy.

Sadly there’s no Cabal Cut, though that longest of versions includes some footage of a lesser quality, and if you’re looking for quality then the director’s cut should tick your boxes, transferred directly from the original camera negative. The theatrical cut certainly suffers from its truncated running time, making it harder to follow what’s going on. The movie is an ambitious one, helped by a great turn from director David Cronenberg as Boone’s psychiatrist Dr Decker. Even with its extended cut there’s a bit too much going on – an abundance of ideas that don’t fully develop – but it feels disingenuous criticising a film for having too many ideas.

There’s audio commentaries on the theatrical cut by critics Adrian J Smith and David Flint, as well as writer/director Barker and restoration producer Mark Alan Miller, the latter two also providing a filmed introduction. There’s new video interviews with critics Kat Ellinger and Kim Newman, editor Mark Goldblatt, actor Nicholas Vince and second unit director Andy Armstrong, and a detailed 72-minute ‘making of’ documentary with contributions by the main cast.

I particularly enjoyed the Making Monsters documentary on the creature designs by Bob Keen. Add to this a Monster Prosthetics Masterclass, a look at concept work by legendary artist Ralph McQuarrie, footage from various production tests, extended/deleted scenes, set photos and stills, and you have a comprehensive set.

Verdict: A compromised but impressive movie gets the VIP treatment with crisp transfers and some monstrously good extras. As character Narcisse says: ‘It’s Shangri-La on dope. We love it.’ 9/10

Nick Joy

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