This is How Movies Should Be Made

Admirable film.

The tone of this movie is interesting -- the stakes are both dramatic and high, but it's balanced with a lot of fun, tongue and cheek dialogue.

Great example of an old-fashioned, pure-at-heart escapist event movie that doesn't pretend to be anything that it's not and has boat loads of fun being its own ludicrous self.

Lord of Illusions (1995)** 1/2 (out of 4) A dark illusionist named Nix (Daniel von Bargen) is leading a cult of people but his "understudy" Swann (Kevin J. O'Connor) kills him and puts an end to his evil deeds. Or so he thinks. Flash-forward thirteen years and private detective Harry D'Amour (Scott Bakula) travels from New York to L.A. and soon finds himself caught up with Swann's wife (Famke Janssen) and trying to determine what's going on with this magic cult including Nix coming back from the dead.Clive Barker's LORD OF ILLUSIONS is a film that I really enjoyed on many levels but I think there was one major problem with it that I will get to in a bit. As far as the film goes, it's currently available in two versions. There's the original theatrical cut as well as the Director's Cut, which is what I watched since Barker has made it very clear that he prefers that the version people should judge the film on.What I enjoyed most about the picture was the film noir elements. Barker apparently really loved this D'Amour character and it's easy to see. This film is basically a mystery/detective film with horror elements thrown into it. I really thought the detective angle worked quite well and the story was good enough to hold your attention throughout most of the picture. I'd argue that the performances were also quite good with Bakula doing fine in the lead role. Von Bargen is exceptionally good as the villain and Janssen was great in the lead female role.The film offers up some good visual effects, great cinematography and pretty much on a technical level the film is very impressive. As I said, I really enjoyed the film as I watched it but at the same time I thought the 121-minute running time was a bit too long. After a while you start to wish the ending would come to get everything over with. I think the film loses its focus somewhat during the final third of the picture, although there's no question that the special effects get bumped up during the finale.

During a routine case in Los Angeles, New York private investigator Harry D'Amour (Scott Bakula) stumbles over members of a fanatic cult, who are waiting for the resurrection of their leader Nix.Even with popular films like this and "Nightbreed", Clive barker will always be known as the creator of "Hellraiser". I am sure that does not bother him much, especially so long as the checks keep coming in. But this movie shows he is more than just a guy who writes about torture and Hell.Is it magic? Illusion? Or something more? It seems like the perfect subject for a movie and to have a cult devoted to such things. While we know that magic is all a trick, what if it was more than that? What if it was a direct channel to the supernatural, something divine or evil?

Finally it's out there the full uncut or director's cut of Clive Barker's Lord Of Illusion. I remember have seen the theatrical cut years ago but now that it finally has it's Blu Ray release (so far only US region) I picked it up again to see the 121 minute version, the longest release, it even includes 3 minutes of deleted scene's so this release shows it all.Of course made in an era where horror was not done and horror was almost death this flick was overlooked and hated by a lot of geeks out there but have seen it in full glory I liked it somehow. You can easily spot that it was made by Barker just see the way men were dressed on stage, clearly a gay dressing. But what people made to turn their face away was the use of CGI. Back then when horror was outdated the effects used were laughable. And they still are if you look to this flick but luckily their are also on-camera tricks and effects. It never bored me and I did like the performances. Naturally, Nix (Daniel von Bargen) will remind you somehow to pinhead from the Hellraiser saga. The way he spoke and stands will ring a bell but hey, it's Clive Barker what do you expect?For the Kleenex boys there's also something to catch here and there but Famke Janssen who became famous shortly after as Jean Grey in the X-men franchise do go naked here and for so far i know it's her only flick you can spot her walking bear breasted. Worth picking up if you are a Clive Barker geek only watch out that the Blu Ray is coded to Region A as they did with Nightbreed (1990) which makes it even more collectible.Gore 1/5 Nudity 1/5 Effects 3/5 Story 3/5 Comedy 0/5

Liverpool born Clive Barker is a well-known name in fiction, and especially in horror. His novels have sold millions of copies all over the World and many of his stories have been adapted to the screen over the last three decades, one of those films was Lord of Illusions, based on the short story "The Last Illusion" from Barker's "Books of Blood Vol. 6", a compilation of stories from 1985.Directed by Clive himself, Lord of Illusions is a fantasy horror starring Scott Bakula (Quantum Leap), Kevin J. O'Connor and Famke Janssen (X-Men). This was the last film that Barker directed after previously stepping behind the camera for Nightbreed and Hellraiser. The director's cut of "Lord…" is, in Barker's words, the "definitive version of the film" while the theatrical cut does not represent his true vision. This release from 101 Films features the theatrical cut on Blu- ray as well as the director's cut, complete with director commentary, on DVD. This alone makes it worth picking up this version.The plot is very Barker-eqsue. It tells the story of Private Detective Harry D'Amour (Bakula) who happens upon a cult that is awaiting the resurrection of their "leader" Nix. Nix trained Philip Swann (O'Connor) in the art of magic and illusion, and Swann went on to become a success much-like a David Copperfield. Philips wife, Dorothea (Janssen), hires D'Amour to protect her husband from the impending rise of his former master, Nix, and his demented cult members. An "accident" with Swann leads to D'Amour investigating and discovering a world of magic he didn't know existed. A twisting and turning story of magic, deception and evil, Lord of Illusions is an intriguing and unusual film that plays in the fields of horror, fantasy and sci-fi.There are few films that deal with magic and illusionists, and even fewer that deal with it in the way that Lord of Illusions does. The director's cut is much better viewing than the theatrical version, the version I had always been familiar with until seeing this release. An absorbing premise, the film offers something very different and while it isn't flawless, it is still a very palatable and enjoyable experience that I will return to once again in the futureThe acting is hit and miss. They often feel trite and border on lethargic at times, but Bakula is charming as D'Amour, and Janssen, though much improved since her work here, offers a polite performance that doesn't really offend. I found O'Connor to be a little puerile at times and it made for some scenes that bordered on cringe worthy, but it wasn't enough to put me off watching.The story isn't Barker's best, and as a reader of plenty of his novels and short tales, I am surprised that he didn't adapt something better to the screen than this. The Damnation Game, Pig Blood Blues and The Body Politic all come to mind and were released before or around the same time as "The Last Illusion". Still, Barker saw fit to make this, and it isn't a bad movie, just not on the same level as Nightbreed and Hellraiser. Barker was a fine director too and it would be nice to see him try his hand at it once more, perhaps adapting a newer novel such as Mister B. Gone to film.101 Films have done a commendable job with this release. It looks the part, and the picture quality and sound on the Blu-ray is of a high quality for a film of this type. The extra DVD featuring the director's cut of the film as well as a directors commentary is a lovely addition and should be a big reason to buy this release.It's not brilliant, and it doesn't feature an iconic antagonist like Pinhead, but Lord of Illusions is still worth a watch, and the director's cut is just dandy.