Lord of Illusions (1995)

Clive Barker's novels are unique to say the least, standing out in the vast library of horror novels over the years. There's really nothing like them, so it's only natural that Hollywood would want a piece of this and for many years, it seems like they just miss the point. Yes as expected, only Clive himself seems to ever make good film adaptations of his work (who knew?) and today is a great example 'Lord of Illusions'. This film could have easily fallen apart before the half-way mark without Barker behind the camera, as the many themes and story twists could have come off as hokey and while I will admit there's some 90's cheese in there for sure, this is still a frequently forgotten but top notch thriller you should go back to.

The story follows Detective Harry D'Amour as he begins a new assignment that begins to lead him down a dark path, with all roads pointing to a stage magician named Swann and a mysterious cult leader named Nix. The noir elements work well with in 'Lord of Illusions' and the film unfolds each secret bit by bit with the right amount of pacing and tension thrown in. As soon as the film begins, and we are taken back in time to show Nix and his people you are instantly invested and wondering just what's going on, and what's coming next. Scott Bakula does a decent job as Harry, though a little forgettable. He's your typical private eye character and mainly serves as a way to get the story rolling. I felt the film was truly about Swann & his wife as their story comes full circle by film's end and they have the main link to the villain Nix. I wouldn't say the D'Amour character is pointless though, but he's a sort of false protagonist despite what the marketing would have you think.

The film still retains a lot of the bizarre hyper-violence and sexual themes most commonly found in Barker's work, and for a 90's horror film it surprisingly doesn't hold back when it comes to the sex and gore. The special effects are hit or miss, as was typical back then. The practical and makeup effects from KNB are just as good as ever, but its the CGI effects that stand out pretty badly. In most scenes, the image will be grainy or blurry while the special effect will be more crisp aging the film a little. The score, conducted by Simon Boswell (Hardware) is really fitting, but a little standard for horror. It sounds excellent don't get me wrong, but it's also very typical for the genre and doesn't stand out enough to make it a score to listen to on its own.

'Lord of Illusions' is one of Barker's better efforts, but out of the one's he directs himself it's also flawed in many areas in comparison. The story tends to stagger a bit, the film's special effects are dated a bit, and I feel adding the Detective wasn't necessary but the film is one I do recommend if you've run out of 90's horror and haven't checked it out. If you have seen it, give it another go this Halloween season. Oh, and be sure to see the director's cut for the best experience.

4/5