Lord of Illusions

Being a massive Barker fan, I went into this movie years ago hoping for the delights and magic of The Breed. I was disappointed and a little dissatisfied however.

Fast forward to now and on viewing it a second time I realise why I felt this way. The first 2 Acts of LoI are pretty damned good and shows that Barker has improved on his cinematic skills over his first two films. All this falls apart in the last act which becomes death by monologue where the attempt to surpass endless pontificating of threat and power becomes underwhelming. In just becomes a confused, chasing mess, like Hellraiser crossed with Benny Hill. Simply put, it tries to outdo the first 2 thirds of the movie and fails terribly because it isn't a grandstand moment, but a series of disconnected lurches through a bad set. Think the end of Raiders of the Lost Ark, LoI is the anthesis, and the film is much weaker for it.

A shame that Barker could not have made another film as I think he was close to being a very good director indeed, as much as he was a writer. One could only imagine what he might have achieved...

Clive Barker, the writer and director, has not made one regrettable step in his career. Lord of Illusions is a phenominal film unlike anything ever seen. Barker is, without fail, the only truely original and visionary man working in an otherwise lackluster industry. His films are bold, original, breathtaking and oddly quite beautiful. Lord of Illusions does not disappoint. The slithering plot is engaging, dramatic, frightening and indeed morbid spinning a tale of a detective who has a lingering tie to the darkside. This is an adult nightmare and is not intended for younger audiances at all. It is intelligent, opulant, impressive and twisted. Georgeous and repulsive at the same time. Though Hellraiser and Nightbreed are wonderful in and of themselves, it is Lord of Illusions that is Clive's masterwork... that is until Tortured Souls comes out.

"There are two worlds of magic. One is the glittering domain of the illusionist. The other is a secret place, where magic is a terrifying reality. Here, men have the power of demons. And Death itself is an illusion."

Clive Barker's Lord of Illusions is a terrifying glimpse into another world in which few have traveled. Those who have been there, didn't like what Barker had to show them. I wasn't even impressed with it upon my first viewing. I simply forgot it, lumped it in with the other, countless horror films I've seen and will never see again. However, I recently rediscovered it...and was completely awestruck. The theatrical release did not do the film justice. It dropped priceless minutes of film and much need footage. I strongly urge you to seek out the uncut director's version on DVD format. This is a very big horror movie, and a hidden treasure at that; hidden under a brilliant detective story and surrounded by film noir. But I promise you there is a horror spectacle buried under there. It may be a little slow going at times...but all that build-up makes whatever happens all the more effective. Lord of Illusions is an unbelievably awesome, genre-twisting experience (and was never bastardized by a sequel). Everyone needs to take this journey again. Please Mr. Barker...make another film.

Dorothea: "What the f**k are you?"

Nix: "A man who wanted to be a God...and changed his mind."

If you liked the first two films of the series "Hellraiser" and appraised "Nightbreed",you will have a thankful surprise with 1995's "The Lord of Illusions", the last film that Barker directed ( he is currently re-writing his story "The Thief Of Always" for the screen), and that carries his characteristics and basic ideas. The film is morbid, violent and very frightening as well as "Hellraise" was, back in the eighties.It explores delicate themes as mysticism, demons and sects. One of the great qualities of Barker's last project is to dare, telling a tense and complex story in an imaginative and bloody way. The homosexual context of the work is evident, Clive Barker once again tried to join the concepts of pain, fear, horror, pleasure and meat, but he didn't obtain an excellent result as he achieved in "Hellraiser" . However, "The Lord of Illusions" is a more sophisticated film, with a tuned cast, formed by Scott Bakula and Famke Jansem,just to mention a few,and with an above-the-average production. The atmosphere, and the scenery, in this English movie-maker's filmography, is quite significant element, if in "Hellraiser" the atmosphere was dark and sordid, "The Lord of Illusions" is punctuated by clear, stunning and luminous sceneries, exalting the whole magic and madness' aspects. The story is very intricate, and it involves a rich and famous magician who sold his soul for the devil and who is now sorry, his temptress and reluctant wife and an ambitious detective who will find himself a prisoner in a tissue of murders, strange creatures and homosexuality.So, if you like Clive Barker's ideas, watch this film today!! "The Lord of Illusions" is rated R for strong violence, gore, language and sexuality and it runs 108 minutes.

Legendary Clive Barker skillfully combines the elements of detective story and horror into a mystery thriller that, although of mediocre quality, remains carved into memory. This is not a typical horror that will upset your stomach and raise the hair on your head, nor a thriller that will keep you on the edge of your seat, but a dark adventure that leaves an impression similar to reading Barker's books. The relatively well-known cast gives quite believable performances and there's just enough amount of demonic and gore scenes not to disappoint horror fans. I am satisfied.

7/10