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Plot:
Horror maestro Clive Barker directed and wrote this gruesome tale of modern-day sorcery set in the world of professional magic. When a top magician dies during his act, Los Angeles psychic investigato...( read more 
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Recent Reviews
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MCT:June 22, 2008You know when you're watching a film by Clive Barker, that you're in good-hands. When I saw this film was floored by an oddly-believable tale of magic, both ancient and modern. It's interesting to note that Mr. Barker is well-versed in occult-lore, and that when you view his films he's trying to mess with your head on several-levels at-once. Magic is real, we do it every day, but it's seldom-acknowledged. When we think-of-something--an action, or a wish--and we externalize-it into-reality, we have done something that is magical. Animals are also capable of this, but none-so-well as human-beings. Technology is also an externalization of the human-mind (and body), and stems from a scientific-tradition that began with alchemy. In the mystery-traditions, an initiate would be immersed in a symbolic-environment, just as advertising does today for darker-aims! We live illusion every-single-day. If-only it wasn't dead in pustulent-Hollywood.
The battle-between the flesh and this world is eternal, and Clive Barker throws us into the midst of this battle. The film begins in-flashback to a cult-compound that looks a disturbingly-similar mix between the Branch Davidian one in Waco, and Spahn Ranch in Death Valley (once-populated by the Manson Family). This is the story of the birth of a religion, and where-else do they usually begin? The desert, of-course. But Barker takes-it-further, and we get what could be taken as an inversion of the Christian-myth of Jesus. Nix is the messianic-figure, who tells his disciples, "Fire spoke to me and said--NIX, you are the chosen-one, the Puritan." Unlike Christ's meeting with Satan in the desert, Nix succumbs-to-temptation, and his hatred for the material-world. Has he met-with darkness, or fire-itself, an elemental-force? Barker let's US decide throughout what we are seeing-and-hearing--yes, he's playing-with us. Maybe this isn't an inversion of Christianity, after-all...
But, Nix is betrayed in the opening-prologue by his chosen-one, Swann. 13-years pass, and Swann is an incredibly-successful stage-magician, using the skills taught him by Nix. He has a consort in Dorothea, and in a direct-reference to Gnosticism, a wizard's assistant in Valentin. Being our cinematic eyes-and-ears, we are introduced to the Detective Harry D'Amour, a gumshoe with a penchant for the unknown in the occult-underworld. We get-treated to some great film-noir moments thanks to Barker's genius-take on the P.I. character, and it blends with horror effectively. A lot of credit has to go to Scott Bakula for his performance as D'Amour, it's a tightrope-role that requires a subtle-approach, with a little humor and cynicism. He's our surrogate, and his disbelief is crucial to our accepting the realities of this story, a tall-order! I believe Barker and his collaborators succeeded in-spades.
Interestingly, Clive makes a wonderful-homage to Orson Welles (himself an illusionist of high-caliber) in the early murder-scene of the fortune-teller. It's shot in the very-same Venice locations as Welles' "Touch of Evil" (1958), a noir-classic. In some-respects, this film also resembles Welles' "Mr. Arkadian", with a detective searching a man's past as the central-narrative--this was also copied by Alan Parker and his writers on "Angel Heart" (1986), another classic of horror. Barker also references Mario Bava's "Black Sunday" (1960) with the tale of a resurrected-witch/wizard, and the mask that punctures Nix's face into a ghastly-visage.
By the end of the film, it's clear that Nix has come to destroy the world, and we are shown realities we'd rather forget. In-a-sense, there are many criticisms of ALL world religions here, even esoteric-ones. Barker condemns the notion that it is the world that corrupts, and that material-reality is the only source-of-evil and destruction. Mankind can be that essential-ingredient ("Fire spoke to me and said...") of chaos and destruction--we hold our fates in our own-hands, we are that hand-of-fate in occultism.
We stare into-the-abyss, like Nix and Swann, and realize there is nothing, only ourselves. WE are the meaning in the universe, because we create that meaning. Nix, his followers, and Swann succumb to this, and decide non-existence is better. Harry D'Amour, and his allies in the story, do not. The battle, then, is between creation and destruction, not good-versus-evil. D'Amour and Dorothea are an erotic and productive-dyad, whereas Swann and Nix are not. The Apocalypse is always in human-hands when individuals succumb to the forces of the universe that are destructive. They have given-up.
Its too bad we didn't get any more Harry D'Amour films or tv series that was talked about at one time. This movie was a great start to new horror/fantasy series. Maybe we will see D'Amour back on screen one day -
MCT:June 13, 2008like i've said before, i must be biased towards clive barker. a horror/detective story. and it works! he both directed and wrote!
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MCT:June 6, 2008
Clive Barker comes back with his usual dark and macabre atmospehere and style and puts it again into your eyes, perhaps with less originality and quality than when in his good days, but ok indeed. Steve Buscemi was the most notable highlight.
60/100 -
MCT:December 30, 2007'Lord of Illusions' is a very creepy and disturbing film but it also is cheesy and has some plot holes in it. The movie's premise is very intriguing but it isn't executed anywhere near as well as it could be. Scott Bakula really hams it up in this with a corny performance, while Famke Janssen is actually pretty solid. You may recognize Daniel Von Bargen who plays Kruger in the television hit comedy Malcolm in the Middle as the head bad guy/demon/monster who is always fun if not repulsive to watch (he's pretty gross looking towards the end.) In the end, 'Lord of Illusions' packs in some weirdness, gore and chills, but it lacks a lot too. It's definitely not one of Clive Barker's best films (for that rent either 'Hellraiser' or the ultra-scary 'Candyman'.) I can't recommend renting this, but if you come across it one night on TV when nothing else is on, I'd maybe give it a shot. Grade: C
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MCT:August 18, 2007
first ten minutes and the last half hour of this movie were stunning.. I was born.. to murder the world
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MCT:June 25, 2007This showed quite well that Clive's capable of writing AND directing a good movie, if he's allowed to make it HIS way. It's good stuff. :>
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MCT:June 18, 2007
Prepare yourself for a descent into the unknown! This film is both unique and fascinating. It definitely has alot more substance than your average thriller. Scott Bakula does a terrific job in his role as a private detective who is constantly drawn to the dark side. I adored his gorey flashbacks. The entire atmosphere of the film is captivating - I found myself really drawn in. To fully appreciate this one, you must watch the director's cut. It contains some extra footage that really enhances the plot. A must see for horror fans! Way to go Clive Barker!
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MCT:May 10, 2007
Dark and twisted than I have ever seen with Scott Bakula in it. Was not the best horror illusionist movie I hve ever seen, but it was entertaining.
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MCT:March 21, 2007I saw this so long ago, I'd completely forgotten about this film. I guess it doesn't say a lot does it? To be honest it wasn't terrible, it just wasn't really good either. It's a decent late night movie if you're just looking for something to watch, but not a movie I'd really go out looking for.
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MCT:January 26, 2007
This is definitely one of the better directorial efforts of Clive Barker. Although it wanders far away from the plot of the original story on which it is based, it is still a cool mixture of suspense, horror, action, and mystery.
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MCT:December 26, 2006
he he he the first time I watched this movie I didn't get it at all. Then a friend suggested that I watch it high. Then finally Iunderstood,lol.
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MCT:July 13, 2006''I even watched Lord of Illusions, even though I though the movie kinda sucked'. Even those song lyrics can't deter me from my dream of a Scott Bakula-fest
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MCT:July 9, 2006
i thought it would have been good, but i guess not, i fell asleep through it.. someone tell me if it's worth watching again
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MCT:June 26, 2006
Creepy creepy icky!! I love Scott Bakula, but this movie scared the crap out of me... so did the guy who went on to be in Malcolm in the Middle and Oh Brother Where Art Thou
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MCT:April 21, 2006
And then you get modern Clive Barker films, which suck and suck hard. In fact, it mirrors his skill as a writer. He certainly USED to be decent, until he just kept writing the same book over and over.
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MCT:April 8, 2006Does anyone know what this movie was actually about? I mean I saw it, but I'm clueless - and pissed I wasted the time that Friday night.
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Comments
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Aritosgoldposted 297 days ago
