Lord of Illusions (1995)
Genre: Horror / Thriller
Duration: 109 minuten / 121 minuten (director's cut)
Country:
United States
Directed by: Clive Barker
Stars: Scott Bakula, Kevin J. O'Connor and Famke Janssen
IMDb score:
6,1 (20.432)
Releasedate: 25 August 1995
Lord of Illusions plot
"Trust Nothing Except Your Fear."
During a routine investigation in Los Angeles, private investigator Harry D'Amour comes into contact with the fanatical following of Nix, a man who has been dead for 13 years but is still worshipped. It turns out that his protégé Philip Swann, now a successful illusionist, is guilty of Nix's death. Dorothea, Swann's wife, asks Harry to protect him from Nix's supporters. However, this fanatical following is not Harry's only concern.
Actors and actresses
Harry D'Amour
Philip Swann
Dorothea Swann
Valentin
Butterfield
Caspar Quaid
Jennifer Desiderio
Vinovich
Young Dorothea
Reviews & comments
Filmkriebel
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- 10328 messages
- 4839 votes
Flesh is a trap and magic sets us free
Seen the director's cut. Saw this occult horror movie once in the 90s but couldn't remember how it all went. A sleazy detective in Marcelleke is put on the trail of a cult that is preparing for the rebirth of their leader, who possesses quasi-divine powers. The story is quite a stew to the point of ridiculousness, and the actors barely caught my imagination. However, the story is mysterious enough to hold your attention until the very end.
Translated from Dutch · View original
Richard_Voorhees
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- 2311 messages
- 2135 votes
Barker brought with this "Lord of Illusions" a pretty gross horror for the 90s. The effects of the illusions still look quite strong. The sword scene is beautifully portrayed and the ending with, among other things, people sinking in quicksand and a hellhole didn't look bad either.
The casting of Daniel von Bargen as the evil person in this story is well done. He manages to appear impressive in the opening sequence and he also manages to stay in his role well towards the end. It's just such a shame that we have to miss him so much of the movie because of D'Amour's research, the blossoming love between him and Janssen's character and Swann's fake death[/ spoiler].
This center piece is a bit on the long side for me. This is also because few characters appeal to me, as Bakula's character is quite standard and Janssen's character is already completely flat. Kevin O'Connor was the best, but his subplot with his immense love for Janssen also seems a bit unbelievable.
A film that is still quite doable for horror fans and that especially knows how to excel with the special fx. The rest around it is a bit on the long side. I've seen the regular cut myself and I liked it long enough (I wonder if that 10 minutes in the director's cut will still contribute that much).
Translated from Dutch · View original
Shadowed
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- 12083 messages
- 7064 votes
Mediocre.
Disappointing film from a director who is certainly not unknown. After Hellraiser I had complete faith in Barker, even though I already knew that this movie didn't really resemble Hellraiser. Nevertheless, I hoped that Barker could repeat his strong elements again, but this film failed to do that.
Still, the first 10 minutes were pretty fun. The opening blows nicely and the craziness immediately creeps into the film. A lot of hassle with a nice flow. I could handle it, but the film then takes a quieter path. I watched the director's cut, and the 110 minutes after the opening are significantly less interesting.
The acting is mediocre to begin with and neither the good guys nor the bad guys know how to be interesting or intriguing for a moment. In terms of atmosphere, Lord of Illusions should not even appear to be a Hellraiser. Despite the fact that there are nice images in it that enhance the atmosphere, this film seems to aim a bit more at the cheese and that has a negative effect.
The story itself is nice, but I'll admit I'm not a fan of detective work horror and it's not particularly developed here either. Doing a little research and following some hints that always lead to a slightly uplifting scene eventually gets boring. Only towards the finale does the film begin to unravel.
Especially since the weather is starting to pretty much take the path of the craziness, something that pulls the movie up as a whole, and was missing for much of the movie. During the part where the madness is really lacking, the atmosphere and the story as a whole know too little to compensate, so the finale was quite a relief. Nevertheless, it lasts very long at 2 hours and as a viewer you wait for fun scenes that never really come. Despite some funny effects in between. Great opening, satisfying closing, and that's where it ends for me again.
Translated from Dutch · View original
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