| Lord of Illusions | |
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 theatrical poster for Lord of Illusions |
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| Directed by | Clive Barker |
| Produced by | Clive Barker, Steve Golin, Joanne Sellar, Sigurjon Sighvatsson |
| Written by | Clive Barker (story and screenplay) |
| Starring | J. Trevor Edmond, Daniel von Bargen, Kevin J. O'Connor, Joseph Latimore |
| Music by | Simon Boswell |
| Cinematography | Ronn Schmidt |
| Editing by | Alan Baumgarten |
| Distributed by | United Artists, MGM (USA, DVD) |
| Release date(s) | 1995 |
| Running time | 109 min, 120 min (director's cut) |
| Country |  USA |
| Language | English |
| All Movie Guide profile | |
| IMDb profile | |
Lord of Illusions is a horror film, written and directed by English author, filmmaker and artist, Clive Barker. Based on his earlier short story, "The Last Illusion" (from Books of Blood Vol. 6), this film presents Barker's signature Harry D'Amour character onscreen for the first time. Barker asserts that the director's cut of this film is his definitive version, as the theatrical release does not represent his true vision.
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Cast
This 1995 film stars Scott Bakula as D'Amour, Kevin J. O'Connor as Swann, Famke Janssen as Dorothea, and Daniel von Bargen as Nix.
Plot
The plot revolves around the blurred line between magic and illusion. One of the main characters, Swann, uses the teachings of cult leader Nix to make a name for himself as an illusionist. The key difference between him and other magicians is that he uses actual magic to perform his feats. For this reason, he is shunned and ostracized. When an illusion performed by Swann goes horribly wrong (killing him in the process), Harry D'Amour, already in Los Angeles to pursue an insurance fraud case, is contacted by Swann's widow Dorothea to investigate the strange occurrences surrounding it.
Style
Barker attempted to resurrect the film noir style, while merging it with contemporary horror. In this sense, the film is unique.
Trivia
- Cult leader Nix is explicitly compared to cult leader Charles Manson in the film. Like Manson and his "family," Nix and his followers believe he has the power to return from the dead. Both have followers who live in a ratty place out in the desert and cut off their hair at their leader's request.
- The opening sequence of the Swann's performance (in which he is depicted dying when an illusion goes bad) was filmed at the Pantages Theatre in Hollywood, California.
- The Swann funeral sequence was filmed at Angelus Rosedale Cemetery located on Washington Blvd. in Los Angeles, California.
