Actors: David Dukes, Kelly Piper, Hugh O'Conor, Niall O'Brien, Donal McCann, Michael James Ford
Director: George Pavlou
Language: TBA
Subtitles: TBA
Region: Untested
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1
Number of Discs: 2
Rating: Not Rated
Orig. Release Date: 1986
Studio: Kino Lorber
Release Date: 3/28/2023
Run Time: 89 Min.
- Commentary features director George Pavlou.
- "Call Me Rawhead" (20:57, HD) catches up with Heinrich von Schellendorf, who was the man stuffed into the Rawhead Rex suit during filming. After spending the last three decades forgetting about his participation in the movie, the actor seems a little surprised to be questioned about "Rawhead Rex" once again. He covers the casting process, with the 19-year-old German teen discovered due to his size and bilingual abilities, soon subjected to the daily two-hour-long ritual of costume application, which he wore all the time, waiting to be used. There's talk of training at the hotel, shared with the members of U2, who befriended von Schellendorf as they prepared for a world tour. Memories of cast and crew are shared, including some candid tales of Dukes's unbreakable focus, and on-set struggles are recounted, including the infamous urination scene.
- "What the Devil Hath Wrought" (11:15, HD) is an interview with actor Ronan Wilmot, who's adamant that he took the "Rawhead Rex" gig strictly for employment purposes, but also shares his love for the script -- the scope of which didn't make it to the screen. Wilmot provides memories of co-stars and, again, the pee scene, and shares his amazement that "Rawhead Rex" has managed to hold on as a cult film after all these years.
- "Rawhead FX" (22:34, HD) collects Peter Mackenzie Litten (Creature Effects Artist), John Schroonraad (Creature Effects Artist), Gerry Johnson (Special Effects Supervisor), Sean Corcoran (Second Unit Cameraman), and Rosie Blackmore (Make-Up Artist). The creative team offers their individual perspectives on the "Rawhead Rex" shoot, with the common lament being the reality of limited funds to properly sell a horror extravaganza. Technical achievements are spotlighted, including the creation of the Rawhead Rex suit and an animatronic head to use for close-ups. There's also a mention of the design itself, with the team moving away from Barker's penis-inspired imagination, which enraged the author. Talk of location shooting and mild mishaps are interesting, but most enlightening is the revelation that a crew revolt took place, leaving Pavlou with little to no professionals to help piece together the feature's non-ending.
- "Rawhead Rising" (20:54, HD) is discussion of an aborted "Rawhead Rex" graphic novel adaptation from the late 1980s, with artist Stephen R. Bissette happily sharing his plans for the work, which included a more faithful rendering of Rawhead Rex's "rampaging phallus" design and slight storytelling changes. Bissette provides an overview of Barker's "Books of Blood" series and shares his love for the source material, which extends into analysis of the writing and the project's ultimate demise due to difficult business dealings and rights issues.
- Behind the Scenes Image Gallery (2:11) collects design drawings and on-set photographs, some revealing just how the animatronic head worked.
- Theatrical Trailer (1:05, HD)
Ireland will never be the same after Rawhead Rex, a particularly nasty demon, is released from his underground prison by an unwitting farmer. The film follows Rex's cross country rampage, while a man struggles to stop it.
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