Plot
During a routine case in L.A., NY private investigator Harry D'Amour stumbles over members of a fanatic cult...
Release Year: 1995
Rating: 5.7/10 (6,193 voted)
Director:
Clive Barker
Stars: Scott Bakula, Kevin J. O'Connor, Joseph Latimore
Storyline During a routine case in L.A., NY private investigator Harry D'Amour stumbles over members of a fanatic cult, who are waiting for the resurrection of their leader Nix. 13 years ago Nix was calmed down by his best trainee Swann. In the meantime Swann is advanced to a populary illusionist like David Copperfield and is married to the charming Dorothea. She hires D'Amour to protect Swann against the evil cult members. Short time later Swann is killed by one of his own tricks and the occurrences are turning over. And it crackles between Dorothea and D'Amour...
Writers: Clive Barker, Clive Barker
Cast: Scott Bakula
-
Harry D'Amour
Kevin J. O'Connor
-
Philip Swann
Joseph Latimore
-
Caspar Quaid
Sheila Tousey
-
Jennifer Desiderio
Susan Traylor
-
Maureen Pimm
Ashley Tesoro
-
Young Dorothea
(as Ashley Lyn Cafagna)
Michael Angelo Stuno
-
Lead Male Cultist
Barbara Patrick
-
Lead Female Cultist
J. Trevor Edmond
-
Young Butterfield
(as Trevor Edmond)
Wayne Grace
-
Loomis
Mikey LeBeau
-
Exorcised Boy
Daniel von Bargen
-
Nix
Johnny Venocur
-
Tapert
(as Johnny Venokur)
Jordan Marder
-
Ray Miller
Barry Del Sherman
-
Butterfield
Trivia:
When casting for the film began, Clive Barker picked Famke Janssen's photo out of the hundreds of initial submissions and declared, "This is Dorothea." She remained the only choice, although the filmmakers auditioned dozens of actresses for the part.
Goofs:
Revealing mistakes:
When D'amour throws Nix down the hole at the end, you can see that the hole is not rock but burlap walled.
Quotes: Butterfield:
A lot of people believed in Nix. They haven't forgotten his promise. Ray Miller:
About...? Butterfield:
Death. Ray Miller:
What about death? Butterfield:
It's an illusion.
User Review
Barkers Best
Rating: 10/10
Title: Lord of Illusions (1995)
Director: Clive Barker
Cast: Scot Bakula, Franke Jensen, Kevin J. Oconnor
Review:
Clive Barkers takes us in deep into the world of magic and horror with
what in my opinion is his best film...Lord of Illusions.
The story is about this religious cult whos leader Nix promises his
followers eternal life. Swann, an ex member of the cult, gets cold feet
and decides he wants out of the cult of freaky people and decides to
eliminate the cult and its leader Nix. He manages to stop Nix and bury
him....but is he dead? Many years later after these events Swann has
become a David Copperfield type of magician winning big money. But
suddenly some people are after him and there's rumors that Nix...the
cult leader he laid to sleep might be returning for revenge on those
who restrained him. Swann included.
The good thing about this movie for me is that it takes us into this
world of magic, demons and religion in a very credible way. Barker
handles things properly in this film by taking us into fantastic
territory but with a touch of realism. As if it all could in fact be
true. Thats the feeling I got while watching this film. And ultimately
thats what makes the film so effectively creepy.
Nix is a great villain and I never for once felt I was watching some
actor playing a by the numbers villain just for the kicks of it. Daniel
Von Bergen as Nix delivers a great and evil performance. He uses anyone
and everyone, he is selfish in his quest for ultimate knowledge and
power over the supernatural and will do anything to have it. The guy is
pure evil...and when he is about to be re awakened you almost feel
sorry for the poor dopes who are doing it.
Another one of the movies assets is that it is done in the fashion of
an old detective flick, with Scott Bakulas character Harry D Amour as
the grounded on reality Detective who is constantly being confronted
with the fact that this world is filled with things that we know
nothing about. We see the film through Harrys eyes as he plunges
himself deeper into the world of magic and Illusion. This is a smart
lead character and cool thing about it is that you don't feel like its
a bunch of teenagers making mistake after mistake, this guy knows what
he is doing, he is a detective taking a full plunge into the dark world
of Nix's religious cult.
But by far the coolest thing about this movie is its story. Barker
carved up a fine spooky tale. Something to really scare you. The story
is complex, and keeps you interested all through out, like a good
mystery should. Not only that, but he directed the film with some real
style. The movie just looks beautiful in everyway. A really good
example of this is Swanns Illussion show in which he performs his "Last
Illusion". Great sets and music in those sequences. Speaking of the
music, as is the case in most of Barkers films, the music elevates
everything to another level of grandiosity. You get this feeling that
you are watching something epic and forbidden.
All in all, I would say that no doubt this is Barkers finest film to
date. Its got a great involving story, good performances a great and
memorable villain and a feeling of realism even though we are dealing
with magic and Illusions. Barker is a master at weaving fantastic and
dark fantasies, this my friends is his best one, go check it out!
Rating: 5 out of 5
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