If you’re a Hellraiser franchise fan who was somewhat disappointed with 1996’s Hellraiser: Bloodline, Arrow Video has such sights to show you. The British based boutique home video label will be including a previously unreleased, early workprint version of Bloodline in their upcoming Hellraiser: Quartet Of Torment 4K box set.
For the unfamiliar, Hellraiser: Bloodline was the victim of some big league studio tampering prior to its release. It was director special effects artist Kevin Yeager’s feature directorial debut but ran into conflict with the studio Miramax. Ultimately, the studio’s demands pushed the film too far away from Yeager’s vision, so he walked away from the production, insisting on the pseudonymous Alan Smithee directorial credit. After he left, the studio oversaw a number of reshoots and ultimately trimmed twenty-five minutes from the film.
Bloodline has been fairly divisive among Hellraiser fans, though there has been a strong interest in the version of the film that Yeager was attempting to make. While the disc set’s producer noted on social media that this workprint is not “a Yeager cut,” it probably closer approximates what the director may have had in mind for his version of the story.
The Hellraiser: Quartet Of Torment is due out on October 23 and will include 4K restorations of the first four Hellraiser films made from the original camera negatives, archival and new audio commentaries and a new 200 page book on the history of the franchise.
We're tickled pink to bring these films back, *and* in 4K, *AND* with Bloodline to boot! The workprint (*not* a Yagher cut, alas) which has an alternate score and some deleted scenes is a very interesting watch; will be interesting to see which version of the film people prefer! https://t.co/EfJyCtlaEj
— James Flower (@jamesflowerfilm) July 28, 2023
