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IMDbPro

Lord of Illusions

  • 1995
  • R
  • 1h 49m
IMDb RATING
6.0/10
18K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
4,770
166
Lord of Illusions (1995)
HorrorMysteryThriller

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

  • Director
    • Clive Barker
  • Writer
    • Clive Barker
  • Stars
    • Scott Bakula
    • Kevin J. O'Connor
    • J. Trevor Edmond
  • See production, box office & company info
  • IMDb RATING
    6.0/10
    18K
    YOUR RATING
    POPULARITY
    4,770
    166
    • Director
      • Clive Barker
    • Writer
      • Clive Barker
    • Stars
      • Scott Bakula
      • Kevin J. O'Connor
      • J. Trevor Edmond
    • 96User reviews
    • 85Critic reviews
  • See production, box office & company info
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Awards
      • 2 wins & 1 nomination

    Photos81

    Famke Janssen and Joel Swetow in Lord of Illusions (1995)
    Scott Bakula in Lord of Illusions (1995)
    Famke Janssen and Kevin J. O'Connor in Lord of Illusions (1995)
    Clive Barker in Lord of Illusions (1995)
    Famke Janssen and Scott Bakula in Lord of Illusions (1995)
    Lord of Illusions (1995)
    Daniel von Bargen in Lord of Illusions (1995)
    Scott Bakula and Kevin J. O'Connor in Lord of Illusions (1995)
    Scott Bakula in Lord of Illusions (1995)
    Famke Janssen in Lord of Illusions (1995)
    Scott Bakula in Lord of Illusions (1995)
    Scott Bakula in Lord of Illusions (1995)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Scott Bakula
    Scott Bakula
    • Harry D'Amour
    Kevin J. O'Connor
    Kevin J. O'Connor
    • Philip Swann
    J. Trevor Edmond
    J. Trevor Edmond
    • Young Butterfield
    • (as Trevor Edmond)
    Daniel von Bargen
    Daniel von Bargen
    • Nix
    Joseph Latimore
    Joseph Latimore
    • Caspar Quaid
    Sheila Tousey
    Sheila Tousey
    • Jennifer Desiderio
    Susan Traylor
    Susan Traylor
    • Maureen Pimm
    Ashley Tesoro
    Ashley Tesoro
    • Young Dorothea
    • (as Ashley Lyn Cafagna)
    Michael Angelo Stuno
    • Lead Male Cultist
    Keith Brunsmann
    • Snakeman
    Barbara Patrick
    Barbara Patrick
    • Lead Female Cultist
    Wayne Grace
    Wayne Grace
    • Loomis
    Mikey LeBeau
    • Exorcised Boy
    Robb Humphreys
    • D'Amour's Demon
    Jimmy Shaw
    Jimmy Shaw
    • Motel Bellboy
    • (as James Brandon Shaw)
    Johnny Venokur
    Johnny Venokur
    • Tapert
    Jordan Marder
    Jordan Marder
    • Ray Miller
    Barry Del Sherman
    Barry Del Sherman
    • Butterfield
    • Director
      • Clive Barker
    • Writer
      • Clive Barker
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Nix's pet mandrill was supposed to have a gory death scene (Swann was supposed to shoot it), but this scene never made it to the final film because the makeup effects department couldn't get the "stunt mandrill" (a mechanized puppet) to work properly.
    • Goofs
      When D'amour throws Nix down the hole at the end, you can see that the hole is not rock but burlap walled.
    • Quotes

      Dorothea: What ARE you?

      Nix: A man who wanted to become a god... then changed his mind.

    • 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.
    • Connections
      Featured in Siskel & Ebert: Desperado/Dangerous Minds/Mortal Kombat/Beyond Rangoon/Lord of Illusions/The Tuskegee Airmen (1995)
    • Soundtracks
      Imagination
      Written and Performed by Simon Boswell

    User reviews96

    Review
    Review
    Featured review
    Not my taste, but well done
    While magician Nix entertains his young audience by holding fire and even juggling it, Philip Swann and others are rescuing young Dorothea, who has been kidnapped and is being held in the same building. In the process of getting the girl out, Nix is killed--or is he? 13 years later, New York private detective Harry D'Amour is hired to go to Los Angeles to work on an insurance fraud case. He visits a fortune teller and is shocked to see a man dying violently. There may be a connection between this death and Swann, who is now married to Dorothea.

    Valentin works for Swann and wants D'Amour to meet with Dorothea, who wants D'Amour to work for him (and also looks good in a swimsuit). D'Amour goes to one of Swann's shows, where one of the illusions doesn't go as planned. This gives Swann something to investigate. An interesting investigation follows.

    My primary motive for watching this movie was seeing Scott Bakula, who I liked in 'Quantum Leap'. D'Amour is intelligent and a smart-aleck, sometimes funny, with just the right mix of confidence and vulnerability; he did not disappoint. Had I judged the movie from just its first 10 minutes, to paraphrase a line spoken by one of Dorothea's rescuers, I would have said bury this thing deep where it can never again be found. The same applies to the horrifying, graphically violent ending. And there is plenty of blood and gore in between the opening and the final scenes. I'm pretty sure the language was cleaned up for UPN as well--who actually would say 'Forget you' in a theatrical film? Sometimes the audio didn't sound right in situations where profanity would be expected.

    The movie had redeeming qualities, though. Kevin O'Connor showed confidence onstage but often seemed afraid or nervous otherwise--I'll give him the benefit of the doubt and call that good acting. Vincent Schiavelli had a brief but effective scene as an illusionist in a meeting with others practicing the profession. Joel Swetow was good as Valentin.

    Although they were not what I would call entertaining, I would say the visual effects were quality work. Certainly the gore factor was quite high, but someone did an impressive job with what is called morphing.

    And Daniel von Bargen did an outstanding job as the very frightening Nix. I did not like the character at all, but one has to be impressed with the talent shown.
    helpful•18
    5
    • vchimpanzee
    • Jan 31, 2006

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    FAQ1

    • What are the differences between the R-Rated cut and Unrated Director's Cut version of the movie?

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • August 25, 1995 (United States)
    • Countries of origin
      • United States
      • United Kingdom
    • Official site
      • MGM-UA
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Володар ілюзій
    • Filming locations
      • Mojave Desert, Arizona, USA
    • Production companies
      • Seraphim Films
      • Propaganda Films
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Budget
      • $12,000,000 (estimated)
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $13,294,422
    • Opening weekend US & Canada
      • $4,800,258
      • Aug 27, 1995
    • Gross worldwide
      • $13,294,422
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 49 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • DTS
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.85 : 1

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