‘RawHead Rex’ 4K UHD Blu-Ray Review – Clive Barker Adaptation Is Guilty Pleasure Incarnate

He’s pure evil… pure power… pure terror! RawHead Rex is a demon, alive for millennia, trapped in the depths of hell, and waiting for release. He is held by an ancient seal, imprisoned for centuries in a barren field near the hamlet of Rathmore, Ireland. In time, this gruesome legacy has been forgotten, dismissed as an odd pre-Christian myth until Tom Garron (Donal McCann) decides to plow the field his ancestors knew better than to disturb. The seal is broken and an unspeakable evil is unleashed – on a rampage of blood and lust. Howard Hallenbeck (David Dukes), an American historian on a working vacation with his family, discovers on the stained glass windows of a local church a series of scenes illustrating the reign of terror of RawHead Rex, but the one piece of glass depicting the defeat of the monster is missing. RawHead Rex is on the loose, and he is insatiable as Howard desperately races against time for a way to stop the vicious monster. Directed by George Pavlou (Transmutations) with a screenplay by horror legend Clive Barker (Hellraiser, Candyman, Nightbreed, Lord of Illusions).

For thoughts on RawHead Rex, please check out our discussion on The Video Attic: 

[youtube https://youtu.be/29CHE2dwxcA?t=417]

Video Quality

RawHead Rex debuts on 4K UHD Blu-Ray courtesy of Kino Classics with a top notch 2160p/Dolby Vision transfer derived from a 4K scan of the Original Camera Negative. This release does come with a Blu-Ray disc which is derived from a 2017 master from a 4K scan of the Original Camera Negative. This was a movie that was never expected to have a rich second life until some boutique labels started showing it some love on Blu-Ray a few years back, but even with that in mind no one ever thought this would make the jump to 4K UHD. We are glad it happened, though, because judging from a cursory glance at the Blu-Ray, you will find there are some substantial improvements with the 4K UHD Blu-Ray. 

This transfer really wows as it gets as close to perfection as we might hope with practically nothing in the way of softness or fluctuation. The Dolby Vision/HDR provides very natural, deep colors throughout the relatively drab palette which gets the most out of the clothing, production design and lighting choices. Black levels are tremendously deep and allow the image to maintain a notable amount of depth and detail in the darker environments. Highlights are brighter with more stability while avoiding instances of blooming. 

The natural film grain remains intact while always resolving naturally and mostly free of swarming. The optical effects can lead to a slight downturn in quality, but even these moments are handled better on the 4K UHD. Print damage has been cleaned up immensely with not much at all present to muck up the viewing experience. You are treated to so much texture and detail within the transfer which makes the world and central monster feel alive. Skin tones are flawless, and the clarity of the transfer gives you a rich amount of facial detail. Kino Classics allows the film to look the best it ever has. 

Audio Quality

The 4K UHD Blu-Ray presents the movie with both a DTS-HD 5.1 and 2.0 Master Audio lossless track that accomplished everything that is asked of it without issue. Both of these tracks are formidable when it comes to bringing this nightmare to life. The surround channels provide some added texture to the world as each location reveals distinct sonic details that flesh things out. Directionality of the sound is rendered with precision throughout with no careless placement. The low end really packs a punch in certain moments of terror. The score establishes the appropriate mood which radiates out with pleasing fidelity. Dialogue comes through clearly and plays well with competing elements. If you stick with the original 2.0 mix, the experience remains just as robust as you would hope. This audio presentation is very good all around. There are optional English subtitles provided. 

Special Features

• Audio Commentary: Director George Pavlou delivers a decently informative commentary track moderated by Author Stephen Thrower in which he discusses various aspects of the production including the development of and ideas behind different scenes, the brutal shooting conditions, the visual aesthetic of the film, the background of the various cast members, the challenges that were faced and much more that makes for an enjoyable listen. 

• Call Me Rawhead – Interview with Actor Heinrich von Bünau: A 21-minute conversation with the actor who plays Rawhead Rex in which he discusses his journey to landing the title role, getting fitted to the suit, his character’s origins, memories from the production and working with the director, tricks to how they filmed certain scenes and more.  

• Growing Pains (The Children of Rawhead) – Interview with Actors Hugh O’Conor and Cora Venus Lunny: A 14-minute interview with the children from the film in which they discuss getting involved with the film, sticking with the accents after filming, first reactions to seeing the monster, their memories and relationship to the material and more. 

• What The Devil Hath Wrought – Interview with Actor Ronan Wilmot: An 11-minute piece with the performer in which he discusses how he landed his part in the film, his impression of director George Pavlou, the most memorable days of shooting, the practical special effects and more. 

• Rawk ‘n’ Roll (The Rex Sessions) – Interview with Composer Colin Towns: A 16-minute exploration of the score with the composer in which he discusses getting into film scoring, his start on The Haunting of Julia, working with dialogue, enhancing the special effects with music, the act of recording the score and more. 

• Rawhead FX (A Cock and Bull Story) – Interview with Crew Members Peter Mackenzie Litten, Gerry Johnston, Rosie Blackmore, John Schoonraad & Sean Corcoran: A nearly 23-minute series of interviews with the minds behind the special effects, the makeup, the molds and more that brought the titular creature to life. There are some really great insights into the evolution of the design and more. 

• Rawhead Rising – Interview with Artist Stephen R. Bissette: A 21-minute featurette with the artist in which he discusses his work, the work of Clive Barker, elements that are lost in translation to the screen, the design of Rawhead Rex, the graphic novel and more. 

• Behind The Scenes – Image Gallery: A two-minute gallery of concept art is provided. 

• Theatrical Trailer: There is a minute-long restricted trailer provided for Rawhead Rex.

Final Thoughts

RawHead Rex is not a good movie, but it is one that can deliver some great cheesy fun if you are in the right mood for what it offers. We are glad that Clive Barker used this as inspiration to have more control over his work after this, as there is much more that could have been done with this story. That being said, if you are looking for ridiculous looking monsters, sexual symbolism and just a general sense of unhinged ambition, this is the movie to watch with a group of friends. Kino Classics has given this one a 4K UHD Blu-Ray upgrade with a stunning A/V presentation and some top notch legacy special features. Recommended 

RawHead Rex is currently available to purchase on 4K UHD Blu-Ray.

Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the 4K UHD Blu-Ray.

Disclaimer: Kino Classics has supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.