Reviews (122)

Why Hellraiser is a classic horror film
I love this!The first Hellraiser is such a well done movie!It's one of the best in the series,and you can't have a sequel without an original. Original is the key word here. This movie is one of a kind,Clive Barker wrote it origanaly as a novel(the Hellbound heart) before transforming it into a script and then directing it. Now might I say that this is a definate must for gorehounds everywhere,let's take a look-see, shall we? We've got Frank's skinned corpse thumping around up stairs,skinning rats, and ready to mangulate the unsespecting men whom Julia lures upstairs.Then there's the Cenobites, the demons summoned by the box.And of corse we can't forget the classic in Hellraiser: When Frank gets ripped to pecies by chains with hooks on the ends.The first one set this off and they've been doing it ever sence.I myself am not a true gorehound,but those of you who are go for it. Hellraiser has got seven sequals so far. I can reconise the first one as a classic in the horror movie feild,it's really quite a masterpeice when I think about it. So all in all really great movie,if you're thinking of getting it I say go for it,I know I will,just as long as you've got the stomach for it. This was Deathgirl, telling you why Hellraiser is a classic horror film,It'll tear your soul apart.

Hooks, Chains, Cenobites, And Thou...
The vast majority of mid to late 80s horror movies are pretty lame. HELLRAISER is one of the rare exceptions. Rather than following the same dull old formula, Clive Barker singlehandedly reinvents the horror film for a frustrated and jaded audience. He uses sheer darkness and evil to enhance a sense of utter doom. Frank is a sado-masochist with a thirst for unlocking the secrets of hell (the ultimate experience of pain and pleasure merged). He attains the Lamont Configuration (a puzzle box which is actually a transdimensional gate), unleashing the cenobites (pinhead and his fellow demons), who torture and tear Frank apart. Some time later, Julia (Clare Higgins) and her family move into Frank's abandoned house. Julia had had an affair with Frank, who is her husband Larry's brother. Frank is resurrected when a drop of blood soaks into the attic floorboards, revitalizing a piece the cenobites missed. As he grows, he needs more blood and flesh to sustain his re-emerging form. Julia grudgingly agrees to help Frank by luring men home with her for sex. Instead, they are hit in the head and attacked by a grotesque, cannibalistic Frank, who takes what he requires, leaving only a shriveled carcass behind. Julia's daugher Kirsty (Ashley Laurence) gets a hold of Frank's puzzle box and inadvertently gates in the cenobites. They are ready to take her with them into hell, until she tells them that she can deliver uncle Frank into their clutches. The rest is a gruesome fearfest! There are moments of real terror in HELLRAISER that make 99% of the rest of the genre look ridiculous by comparison. A uniquely chilling story became a terrifying movie that only Barker could pull off. Highly recommended...

Clive Barker's Hellraiser
Clive Barker's Hellraiser is a classic among horror films. In a way it started a new real of horror films focusing on the pain and misery hell is, along with the inhabitants
of hell.

This is not the first time, the issue of hell has been brought into a horror movie zombies movies use the theme of hell being unleashed in their plot. Lucio Fulci in his movie ''The Beyond'' is another movie that uses that theme well.

Made in 1987, the film is still a pretty good flick to watch during this time of year.
The plot of the film is probably a little hard to swallow, but onscreen it sure worked.
Julia Cotton (Claire Higgins) is having an affair with the brother of her husband Larry Cotton (Andrew Robinson). Apparently Frank (the brother of Larry is killed (played by Sean Chapman), but through the gates of hell is resurrected as a monster. That is because Claire opens up the pandora's box (puzzle box) which opens up the gates of hell. In order to gain his human form , Frank must absord literally the skin and tissue of his victims.

Yes ''Hellraiser'' and it's sequels contain graphic violence and thus if you are not a fan of horror you probably be better of passing it of. That's not to say that ''Hellraiser'' craze isn't good, their are good movies, and they have inspired
other newer movies to up the ante as far as scaryness and violence is concerned.

Clive Barker's special effects for hellraising were crude but effective. The thing about Clive Barker's ''Hellraiser'' movies is that unlike other cheap sequels to horror hits like
''Halloween'', each sequel ''Hellraiser'' gets better and better, loading more special effects, gore, and suspense.

Eventually Claire and the newly formed Frank now then sets their sites on killing everyone in their house including Kirsty Cotton (Ashley Laurence) and Larry Cotton.

However a monster from hell named Pinhead (Douglas Bradley) is thriving to inflict his pain of hell into others and so now now Kirsty and Larry have quite a few problems in front of them. They got this evil maniac Frank and now this monster known as a cenobite , Pinhead who wants to get out of hell and cause mayhem.

''Hellraiser'' is a good horror flick. It's use of the macabre, suspense and phsycial attack on the senses with its graphic theme made it stand out from other horror flicks. It's probably the series has lasted so long up to the new ''Hellraiser: Hellseeker'' sequel.

This will be short but sweet.....
Ok, I will try to keep this brief. Hellraiser is incredible for it's originality in story line; leaving behind the god/satan area of evil and just going straight an other worldly group of creatures that teach that there is no difference between pleasure and pain- there is only sensation. That is not a topic that most horror flicks venture(although that point is not as explored in the movie as in the novella).

Plus, any movie that has a character say,"Jesus wept" just as he is about to be torn apart by hooks (and yes that line was improvised) gets major brownie points in my book.

HELLRAISER !!!!!!!!!
Hellraiser is way better than candyman, i loved it.
I was'nt going to watch it at first because i had watched the third one before and dind'nt think much to it.
When i watched it i loved it and now i am wanting to watch the 2nd one but people have told me that it is very boring so i will consider watching it. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Hellraiser
Having made his reputation as one of the most prolific and gifted horror writers of his generation (prompting Stephen King to call him "the future of horror"), Clive Barker made a natural transition to movies with this audacious directorial debut from 1987. Not only did Barker serve up a chilling tale of devilish originality, he also introduced new icons of horror that since have become as popular among genre connoisseurs as Frankenstein's monster and the Wolfman. Foremost among these frightful visions is the sadomasochistic demon affectionately named Pinhead (so named because his pale, bald head is a geometric pincushion and a symbol of eternal pain). Pinhead is the leader of the Cenobites, agents of evil who appear only when someone successfully "solves" the exotic puzzle box called the Lamont Configuration--a mysterious device that opens the door to Hell. The puzzle's latest victim is Frank (Sean Chapman), who now lives in a gelatinous skeletal state in an upstairs room of the British home just purchased by his newlywed half-brother (Andrew Robinson, best known as the villain from Dirty Harry), who has married one of Frank's former lovers (Claire Higgins). The latter is recruited to supply the cannibalistic Frank with fresh victims, enabling him to reconstitute his own flesh--but will Frank succeed in restoring himself completely? Will Pinhead continue to demonstrate the flesh-ripping pleasures of absolute agony? Your reaction to this description should tell you if you've got the stomach for Barker's film, which has since spawned a number of interesting but inferior sequels. It's definitely not for everyone, but there's no denying that it's become a semiclassic of modern horror. --Jeff Shannon

Hellbound: Hellraiser II
Definitely not one for the weak of stomach, Hellbound: Hellraiser IItakes up where the first Hellraiser left off, piling on the gore to nearcamp levels. Luckily, the 1988 sequel retains enough of British horror-meisterClive Barker's macabre wit--like the original, it's based on a Barker story--tosave it from the schlock-heap. Hospitalized following her last misadventure,Kirsty (Ashley Laurence) implores authorities to destroy a bloody bed at the carnage scene, but the enigmatic Dr. Channard (Kenneth Cranham) brings an addled patient there and unleashes a dread Cenobite instead. As if that's notbad enough, Kirsty's getting distress calls from her father, who begs her to rescue him from Hell. When she journeys through Hell's dark labyrinths with a mute puzzle solver, however, Kirsty only finds the evil Pinhead (Doug Bradley) and other bizarro creatures, plus her nasty former stepmother and lascivious Uncle Frank. Much maniacal laughter and skin shedding later, the newfound compadres unlock the puzzle box again to safety. Hellbound isn't genius, but it does have flair, which goes a long way toward offsetting Laurence's leaden acting and occasionally over the top gore. --Diane Garrett ... Read more

Reviews (25)

Two great horror movies get a well deserved DVD treatment
HELLRAISER: A typical, naive husband and his sexual unsatisfied wife move into a lonely old house that has the misfortune of containing the shredded remains of his soon-to-be-resurrected evil brother. Clever, well plotted and genuinely disturbing. Directing debut for horror novelist Clive Barker, and still remains to be his undisputed masterpiece. HELLRAISER II: Takes off hours later where the original finished. The sole survivor of the family massacre Kirsty (Ashley Laurence) finds herself in a mental hospital run by an occult-obsessed psychiatrist with a determination to open the gates to hell and the whole nightmare starts all over again. Not too bad a film as far as sequels go. Definatelly a work of art compared to the following chapters. Only this film was butchered by the MPAA on its theatrical release and lost a lot of its well deserved respect. THE DVD: Both films are THX certified which delivers clear enough picture and a beautifully haunting 5.1 Dolby track, and are presented in their original 1.85:1 widescreen format and a 4:3 fullscreen presentation. Both DVDs feature the original theatrical trailer, a picture gallery, a commentary track and a doco on each film. Both documentaries are entertaining and informative, but the one for Hellraier, "Resurrection", is much longer and more enjoyable than the one for Hellraiser II, "Lost in the Labryinth". The only letdown of this wonderful treatment is the absence of a Deleted Scenes section, especially for Hellraiser II. The two infamous scenes of Pinhead and the Female cenobite dressed as doctors, and chatterer going through the process of his face undergoing disgusting changes are scenes that every fan is howling to see which is a real let down. Both discs come packaged in a limited edition tin which is a definate must for any cult horror collector. This edition also contains a 48 page booklet with rare, behind the scenes pictures from Hellraiser which is always delightfully ugly to look at. The only downside of the packaging is the way the discs were packaged. They are both in a standard 2-CD case which is terriblly unsatisfactory. But apart from one or two issues, its a fair enough edition which will be a well treasured collector's item in the near-future.

It's different kinds of horror movies
In 1987 and '88, "Hellraiser" 1 and 2 were released, and these are certainly the best of the series. You can watch the two back to back and it seemlessly flows as one story. The over all story line is one family's fight against the Centobites, S and M demons from hell (it's not as corny as it sounds, trust me), and their nominal leader being Pinhead. There are a lot of issues floating around these movies; betrayal, lies, secrets, murder, audultry, the cheif among them the pleasure of pain (YIKES!). These movies have a lot of torture scenes, hooked chains clawing away flesh (those still make my skin crawl just thinking about them), the blood flows like a river, skinned corpes are walking around, and sex is taken to a whole new low. Clive Barker has some kind of warped mind, God bless him. Hell itelf is a vast maze where you must re-live your past misdeeds over and over, an interesting concept. The emotional center of the movie is Ashley, and her nemisis step-mother, Julia. The two are so different, yet they end up doing the exact same thing, the both end up betraying someone to achieve their own means. These films are very, very gory (I recomend finding the unrated versions), and so those with weak stomachs may want to find something else. But there is also a very interesting moral; curiosity kills the cat, if the cat is lucky.

Hellraiser 1 & 2 tin boxset
I've had this limited tin-set of the first 2 Hellraiser movies for about 6 months now. I've watched both DVD's several times and am very impressed with the quality. The widescreen transfer is excellent, the sound is phenomenal in THX. The extras are well done also, i liked the bonus full-length audio commentary tracks for both movies. The only thing that could have been added were the extra "Bonus Interviews" that were on the Collector's Edition VHS editions that came out a few years ago. I'm keeping those VHS copies just for that, and although it would have been nice to have them on DVD as well this is still a very solid, professional boxset. Any Hellraiser fan would be pleased and it is well worth the money to get this great boxset.

Great movies but are we seeing all of them?
This beautifully presented box set is a treat. Visually stunning the movies themselves do a great job of recreating the atmoshere of isolated dread that Clive Barker is so good at. My only issue with this edition is one of censorship. I have a strong feeling that there have been cuts made to the very end if the first movie. There was an "uncut" version of hellraiser on VHS floating around a few years back and that differed to the standard video edition. This DVD seems more like the trimmed version. I may be wrong but I have a strong suspicion about this one. Seeing as how this is not available in region 4 yet, this is as good as it gets so I've got no complaints and as I said, the presentation is sensational.

Hmmm
The first movie is awesome. The second recycles the first and is average. The third movie is slightly better than no 2 mostly because it goes and invents a new background. My advice? Watch the first one, ignore the others. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Having made his reputation as one of the most prolific and gifted horror writers of his generation (prompting Stephen King to call him "the future of horror"), Clive Barker made a natural transition to movies with this audacious directorial debut from 1987. Not only did Barker serve up a chilling tale of devilish originality, he also introduced new icons of horror that since have become as popular among genre connoisseurs as Frankenstein's monster and the Wolfman. Foremost among these frightful visions is the sadomasochistic demon affectionately named Pinhead (so named because his pale, bald head is a geometric pincushion and a symbol of eternal pain). Pinhead is the leader of the Cenobites, agents of evil who appear only when someone successfully "solves" the exotic puzzle box called the Lamont Configuration--a mysterious device that opens the door to Hell. The puzzle's latest victim is Frank (Sean Chapman), who now lives in a gelatinous skeletal state in an upstairs room of the British home just purchased by his newlywed half-brother (Andrew Robinson, best known as the villain from Dirty Harry), who has married one of Frank's former lovers (Claire Higgins). The latter is recruited to supply the cannibalistic Frank with fresh victims, enabling him to reconstitute his own flesh--but will Frank succeed in restoring himself completely? Will Pinhead continue to demonstrate the flesh-ripping pleasures of absolute agony? Your reaction to this description should tell you if you've got the stomach for Barker's film, which has since spawned a number of interesting but inferior sequels. It's definitely not for everyone, but there's no denying that it's become a semiclassic of modern horror. --Jeff Shannon ... Read more

Reviews (122)

Why Hellraiser is a classic horror film
I love this!The first Hellraiser is such a well done movie!It's one of the best in the series,and you can't have a sequel without an original. Original is the key word here. This movie is one of a kind,Clive Barker wrote it origanaly as a novel(the Hellbound heart) before transforming it into a script and then directing it. Now might I say that this is a definate must for gorehounds everywhere,let's take a look-see, shall we? We've got Frank's skinned corpse thumping around up stairs,skinning rats, and ready to mangulate the unsespecting men whom Julia lures upstairs.Then there's the Cenobites, the demons summoned by the box.And of corse we can't forget the classic in Hellraiser: When Frank gets ripped to pecies by chains with hooks on the ends.The first one set this off and they've been doing it ever sence.I myself am not a true gorehound,but those of you who are go for it. Hellraiser has got seven sequals so far. I can reconise the first one as a classic in the horror movie feild,it's really quite a masterpeice when I think about it. So all in all really great movie,if you're thinking of getting it I say go for it,I know I will,just as long as you've got the stomach for it. This was Deathgirl, telling you why Hellraiser is a classic horror film,It'll tear your soul apart.

Hooks, Chains, Cenobites, And Thou...
The vast majority of mid to late 80s horror movies are pretty lame. HELLRAISER is one of the rare exceptions. Rather than following the same dull old formula, Clive Barker singlehandedly reinvents the horror film for a frustrated and jaded audience. He uses sheer darkness and evil to enhance a sense of utter doom. Frank is a sado-masochist with a thirst for unlocking the secrets of hell (the ultimate experience of pain and pleasure merged). He attains the Lamont Configuration (a puzzle box which is actually a transdimensional gate), unleashing the cenobites (pinhead and his fellow demons), who torture and tear Frank apart. Some time later, Julia (Clare Higgins) and her family move into Frank's abandoned house. Julia had had an affair with Frank, who is her husband Larry's brother. Frank is resurrected when a drop of blood soaks into the attic floorboards, revitalizing a piece the cenobites missed. As he grows, he needs more blood and flesh to sustain his re-emerging form. Julia grudgingly agrees to help Frank by luring men home with her for sex. Instead, they are hit in the head and attacked by a grotesque, cannibalistic Frank, who takes what he requires, leaving only a shriveled carcass behind. Julia's daugher Kirsty (Ashley Laurence) gets a hold of Frank's puzzle box and inadvertently gates in the cenobites. They are ready to take her with them into hell, until she tells them that she can deliver uncle Frank into their clutches. The rest is a gruesome fearfest! There are moments of real terror in HELLRAISER that make 99% of the rest of the genre look ridiculous by comparison. A uniquely chilling story became a terrifying movie that only Barker could pull off. Highly recommended...

Clive Barker's Hellraiser
Clive Barker's Hellraiser is a classic among horror films. In a way it started a new real of horror films focusing on the pain and misery hell is, along with the inhabitants
of hell.

This is not the first time, the issue of hell has been brought into a horror movie zombies movies use the theme of hell being unleashed in their plot. Lucio Fulci in his movie ''The Beyond'' is another movie that uses that theme well.

Made in 1987, the film is still a pretty good flick to watch during this time of year.
The plot of the film is probably a little hard to swallow, but onscreen it sure worked.
Julia Cotton (Claire Higgins) is having an affair with the brother of her husband Larry Cotton (Andrew Robinson). Apparently Frank (the brother of Larry is killed (played by Sean Chapman), but through the gates of hell is resurrected as a monster. That is because Claire opens up the pandora's box (puzzle box) which opens up the gates of hell. In order to gain his human form , Frank must absord literally the skin and tissue of his victims.

Yes ''Hellraiser'' and it's sequels contain graphic violence and thus if you are not a fan of horror you probably be better of passing it of. That's not to say that ''Hellraiser'' craze isn't good, their are good movies, and they have inspired
other newer movies to up the ante as far as scaryness and violence is concerned.

Clive Barker's special effects for hellraising were crude but effective. The thing about Clive Barker's ''Hellraiser'' movies is that unlike other cheap sequels to horror hits like
''Halloween'', each sequel ''Hellraiser'' gets better and better, loading more special effects, gore, and suspense.

Eventually Claire and the newly formed Frank now then sets their sites on killing everyone in their house including Kirsty Cotton (Ashley Laurence) and Larry Cotton.

However a monster from hell named Pinhead (Douglas Bradley) is thriving to inflict his pain of hell into others and so now now Kirsty and Larry have quite a few problems in front of them. They got this evil maniac Frank and now this monster known as a cenobite , Pinhead who wants to get out of hell and cause mayhem.

''Hellraiser'' is a good horror flick. It's use of the macabre, suspense and phsycial attack on the senses with its graphic theme made it stand out from other horror flicks. It's probably the series has lasted so long up to the new ''Hellraiser: Hellseeker'' sequel.

This will be short but sweet.....
Ok, I will try to keep this brief. Hellraiser is incredible for it's originality in story line; leaving behind the god/satan area of evil and just going straight an other worldly group of creatures that teach that there is no difference between pleasure and pain- there is only sensation. That is not a topic that most horror flicks venture(although that point is not as explored in the movie as in the novella).

Plus, any movie that has a character say,"Jesus wept" just as he is about to be torn apart by hooks (and yes that line was improvised) gets major brownie points in my book.

HELLRAISER !!!!!!!!!
Hellraiser is way better than candyman, i loved it.
I was'nt going to watch it at first because i had watched the third one before and dind'nt think much to it.
When i watched it i loved it and now i am wanting to watch the 2nd one but people have told me that it is very boring so i will consider watching it. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Groundbreaking environmental-espionage shocker Edge of Darkness (1985) begins routinely enough but then ratchets the suspense to levels that would have turned Hitchcock himself green with envy. Emma Craven (Joanne Whalley in her first staring role) is a young environmental activist killed in mysterious circumstances. Emma's father Ron Craven (Bob Peck in a star-making performance) will not be silenced and, as a police detective, is uniquely positioned to pursue his own unofficial investigation. He moves from grief to a determination to find the truth, all the while advised and/or comforted by Emma, but is she a ghost or a manifestation of his haunted psyche? Craven digs deeper, uncovering labyrinthine conspiracy in the nuclear industry and, as the body count rises, encounters the garrulous CIA agent Darius Jedburgh (a superb Joe Don Baker) with a mysterious agenda of his own. Accompanied by a haunting musical score by Michael Kamen and Eric Clapton, Edge of Darkness builds on the legacy of Tinker Tailor, Soldier, Spy and Smiley's People to become quite simply the best television thriller ever. --Gary S. Dalkin ... Read more

Reviews (21)

Time of the preacher.
Probably the finest television drama series ever, 'Edge of Darkness' was 1985 made flesh - nuclear paranoia in a world gone mad. Apart from the faces, not much has dated, and even if the threat of nuclear annihilation seems less newsworthy, it's still an excellent, taut thriller. Bleak and brilliant, it starts with a seemingly random murder, and ends with the world on the brink of apocalpyse.

Everything works, and works well - the clever, non-linear direction is never annoying, the writing is intelligent, everything progresses with brutal, cold logic, and it all seems so much more serious, more 'real' than other television dramas of the time (with the possible exception of the early 'Taggart'). The acting is superb - Joe Don Baker's character may be a stereotype, but he makes it work, and the late Bob Peck is almost disturbingly intense. It's a shame that, for most people, he will be remembered as the unfortunate trapper from 'Jurassic Park' (or the narrator of countless nature documentaries).

It remains with you when its over, the music is excellent, and key images (nuclear trains at the dead of night, driving rain on the motorway, a room full of telephones, a field of umbrellas, and little black flowers) haunt you forever.

Edgy and paranoiac (aliens and paranormal not incl.)
"Get it while it's hot!" With those words, (and two bars of plutonium in his hands) yankee actor Joe Don Baker became one of the immortals of British television in this series which set the tone for edgy, paranoiac television years before the X-Files. In this dark mini-series, Baker played free-lance CIA operative Darius Jedberg whose cowboy swagger and country can-do attitude has guaranteed him a role in every new James Bond flick. The real star and hero is late actor Bob Peck as Yorkshire policeman Ronny Craven whose understated yet wrenching performance of a man coming apart provides a more subtle energy than Baker’s over-the top performance (see the box – the still of Peck with a gun in one hand and a teddy-bear in the other sums it up). When Craven’s radical-environmentalist daughter is brutally gunned down, Craven follows clues that lead him to suspect sinister nuclear-age industrialists. Seeking to uncover proof of a covert program to generate weapons-grade plutonium, and thinking that Craven’s daughter had been on the verge of uncovering the conspiracy when murdered, Jedburg hooks up with the british police officer who has slowly begun to disintegrate with grief. Prodded but also steered by Thatcher-government functionaries with their own agendas, Peck and Baker form an uneasy alliance on collision course with a nuclear-age vionary.

A superb work, with a pefectly edgy score by Eric Clapton. I first caught the series in the late 80’s on PBS while Thatcher was still in office, and environmentalism was still something only radical lefties worried about. There’s a pretty heavy allegory against nuclear energy – best typified by how Craven’s slow disintegration begins to mirror that of some raw and toxic isotope, radiating bits of itself away as it diminshes in halfs over a slow period of time. But the story also excels because it rises above metaphors – the black flower that is meant to symbolize mother Earth’s revenge against the human infestation that has soiled the world isn’t a symbol at all, Jedberg says – he’s seen it in the killing fields of Afghanistan. Though the story is centered on Craven, the Yorkshire cop plays straightman to Jedberg’s fall guy, with the two trading words about the end of the world, the environment and the lyrics to Willie Nelson songs. I had to watch this on UHF with crummy reception (snow, doubled images and all) but you can catch it pristine. Get this tape.

Televisions finest hour ¿ or longer.
A true sin is that "Edge of Darkness" is unavailable on DVD, but you can get all of Adam Sandler's movies. No justice in the world.

Bob Peck & Joe Don Baker get to do the best work of their careers in this in-depth wonder of a mini-series. Others have covered the bases on the plot, so I won't rehash it here.

Suffice it to say it is long overdue to get this gem out in the US. An apparently terrible copy is available in the UK (bad video & bad sound), so I'd call for someone to work on this as a labour of love.

I know you would get an appreciative audience.

Masterpiece........
Firstly let me point out that there is a DVD version of EOD, several actually. The best version is the latest released this year which is a wonderful transfer and includes a documentary on the film, Magnox and has clips of interviews and award ceremonies and discussions on the series. It is on region 2 DVD and is available from amazon uk. I too remember watching this masterpiece unfold when it was originally screened here in the uk. I was only 14 at the time and British television was still producing some wonderful stuff. Even so I knew this was something extra special. It must have planted a seed in my subconscious. Incredibly in 2003 it has lost none of its power and seems just as prescient now as ever. The callous disregard for the individual by corporations, the 'great game' played out between competing security agencies, the conspiracy of silence in the media. The ecology movement. The collusion of government with the malign constituents in our society. Ostensibly though this is still the 'little man's story' and what a central performance from the late great Bob Peck. His personal disintegration is harrowing to behold as he tries to unravel the mystery. Joe don Baker, what can you say about his performance. He is utterly compelling as the old school agency man fighting to keep his head above water. His verbal sparing matches with 'arts council' funded MI5's Ian McNeice and Charles Kay (also superb) are very very funny. Oh the script, what a script. Troy Kennedy Martin the writer provided the most consistently brilliant screenplay for television ever written. Martin Campbell the director sculpts it all into an entity that supplants the TV media. The DVD I saw previously to EOD was Leone's masterwork Once upon a time in America and I can honestly say EOD which bares many similarities is right up there alongside it. I don't think I could give this production a better accolade.

Criminally overlooked
I have lost count of the number of times I have watched Edge of Darkness, and still seen something new and haunting in its ramifications for our current age. In this deeply disturbing film series the devil is most defintely in its Cold War detail, and Troy Kennedy Martin's script uncovers many of those very real demons that lurk in the international trade of nuclear technology and weapons grade plutonium, the most dangerous material in the world, and which is still clouded in mystery. It is also a mythic story of hope for the future, as Bob Peck's character finds his allies in the strangest of places, even as his enemies are everywhere.The fact that this series has still not come out on DVD is truly amazing, and if I believed in conspiracy theories i might even be suspicious! Who knows! Roll on E of D 2!! We need to be told, now more than ever... ... Read more