Lord of Illusions (1995)

A private detective gets more that he bargains for when he encounters Philip Swan, a performer whose amazing illusions captive the world, but they are not really what everyone thinks.

Director:

Clive Barker

Writers:

Clive Barker (story "The Last Illusion"), Clive Barker (screenplay)

Stars:

Scott Bakula, Kevin J. O'Connor, J. Trevor Edmond

2 wins & 1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Scott Bakula	...	Harry D'Amour
J. Trevor Edmond	...	Young Butterfield (as Trevor Edmond)
Daniel von Bargen	...	Nix
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
Keith Brunsmann	...	Snakeman
Barbara Patrick	...	Lead Female Cultist
Wayne Grace	...	Loomis
Mikey LeBeau	...	Exorcised Boy
Robb Humphreys	...	D'Amours Demon
Jimmy Shaw	...	Hotel Bellboy (as James Brandon Shaw)

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 gunned down by his best trainee Swann. In the meantime Swann is advanced to a popular illusionist like David Copperfield and is married to the charming Dorothea. She hires D'Amour to protect Swann against the evil cult members. A 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.

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Plot Keywords:

neo noir | private detective | magician | illusionist | warped vision | 

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Taglines:

Prepare for the coming

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Genres:

Horror | Mystery | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for strong violence and gore, and for language and sexuality

Did You Know?

Trivia

There is a partially obscured inscription around the ceiling of the Magic Club's Library. In full, it reads "Magic is the oldest trick in the book".

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Goofs

When D'amour throws Nix down the hole at the end, you can see that the hole is not rock but burlap walled.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Title Card: There are two worlds of magic. One is the glittering domain of the illusionist. The other is a secret place, where magic is a terrifying reality. Here, men have the power of demons. And Death itself is an illusion.

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Alternate Versions

The laserdisc version runs 122 minutes and features graphic violence and 12 minutes of non-violent extra scenes. This director's cut has also been released on video in the US.

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Connections

Featured in The Rotten Tomatoes Show: From Paris with Love/Dear John/Frozen (2010)

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Soundtracks

While the Blood Runs Warm in Your Veins
Performed by Joshua White
Courtesy of Columbia Records
By Arrangement with Sony Music Licensing

User Reviews

A morbid, violent and frightening film, Barker makes a film in "Hellraiser" style...

If you liked the first two films of the series "Hellraiser" and appraised "Nightbreed",you will have a thankful surprise with 1995's "The Lord of Illusions", the last film that Barker directed ( he is currently re-writing his story "The Thief Of Always" for the screen), and that carries his characteristics and basic ideas. The film is morbid, violent and very frightening as well as "Hellraise" was, back in the eighties.It explores delicate themes as mysticism, demons and sects. One of the great qualities of Barker's last project is to dare, telling a tense and complex story in an imaginative and bloody way. The homosexual context of the work is evident, Clive Barker once again tried to join the concepts of pain, fear, horror, pleasure and meat, but he didn't obtain an excellent result as he achieved in "Hellraiser" . However, "The Lord of Illusions" is a more sophisticated film, with a tuned cast, formed by Scott Bakula and Famke Jansem,just to mention a few,and with an above-the-average production. The atmosphere, and the scenery, in this English movie-maker's filmography, is quite significant element, if in "Hellraiser" the atmosphere was dark and sordid, "The Lord of Illusions" is punctuated by clear, stunning and luminous sceneries, exalting the whole magic and madness' aspects. The story is very intricate, and it involves a rich and famous magician who sold his soul for the devil and who is now sorry, his temptress and reluctant wife and an ambitious detective who will find himself a prisoner in a tissue of murders, strange creatures and homosexuality.So, if you like Clive Barker's ideas, watch this film today!! "The Lord of Illusions" is rated R for strong violence, gore, language and sexuality and it runs 108 minutes.

Details

Official Sites:

MGM-UA

Country:

USA UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

25 August 1995 (USA)

Also Known As:

Lord of Illusions

Filming Locations:

Mojave Desert, Arizona, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$12,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$4,800,258, 27 August 1995

Gross USA:

$13,294,422

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$13,294,422

Company Credits

Production Co:

Seraphim Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

109 min 119 min (director's cut) 121 min (director's cut)

Sound Mix:

DTS

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1