My fascination for Lord of Illusions dates back from the video store days, where I would wander around in the horror section of the video store, and would contemplate all these VHS boxes with horror imagery and titles in all sorts of funky, bloodied up fonts. Right next to the Hellraiser films, which all had the highest age restriction rating (18+), there was this new release, which also was rated 18+. This means a lot where I'm from, as only very few films obtain that rating. To be perfectly honest, I would often rent films based on age rating alone, expecting that it would be concomitant with the level of gore (I was fascinated with practical gore effects, at the time). I was ten or eleven years old.
Back then, the screenshots on the back of these VHS cases would spark my imagination, and when I grabbed Lord of Illusions', there was plenty of horror scenes for me to imagine: you could see a man lying down with multiple swords through his body; a screaming man wearing a strange metal mask that looked like a bear trap; a hairy, shirtless Scott Bakula holding a revolver; and what appeared to be a zombie, holding a screaming woman. I tried to imagine what the scenario must have been like in order to pack so many horror scenes that had seemingly very little in common.
Despite our young age, a friend of mine and I ended up persuading his mother to rent the film and let us watch it, to which she agreed, only if she was to watch it with us. Needless to say, it scared the living sh** out of us and, as two native French speakers, we did not understand much of the scenario (the VHS copy at the video store was in the original English version). The first scene alone with the baboon and the spooky cult members had us totally frightened, and we knew my friend's mom was close to stopping it. Then came the scene where Butterfield pulls glass out of his body...boy she came close to stopping it there. However, we somehow kept watching until that one scene which involves Swann and plenty of swords. That's when she turned it off.
Fast-forward to a decade later, when the technology shifted to DVD and video stores were getting rid of their old videocassettes for cheap. I found this film that I had almost forgotten and bought the director's cut on VHS.
I got to watch Lord of Illusions again as an adult who speaks and understands English. I have to say, although it certainly has its flaws, this is a very well executed thriller that offers a unique blend of horror, fantasy, magic, and genuine mystery. The very first scene is very intense and the setting was just as scary to me as an adult as it was when I was a child. You are introduced to terrifying characters that are very unusual to the sound of an excellent, haunting theme song.
From there, the film takes somewhat of a more conventional turn, where you get to meet the protagonist, Harry D'Amour, a private investigator who ends up in charge of protecting a popular illusionist against members of an obscure cult. Despite D'Amour being depicted as one of the lone characters truly grounded into reality throughout much of the film (although there are some interesting flashbacks showing that he's had glimpses of true evil before), it is fascinating to see him step into this world where the line between illusion and magic becomes disturbingly blurry, and where an unimaginable evil awaits. And if you think you've seen scary films before, wait until the final 20 minutes of this one. Oh boy.
Despite some lengthy developments mid-way through the film, a somewhat dreary romance building up and minor pacing issues, Lord of Illusions brings the viewer into a universe where film noir, pure horror, mystery and fantasy blend together in an almost magical way - something that can only stem from a mind like Clive Barker's. The cinematography has a unique feel to it, whether it be scenes in the desert or in Swann's mansion. Clive Barker's direction is also very good.
The soundtrack is haunting, mysterious, and has an almost epic feel to it. The theme song, especially, is absolutely memorable.
Daniel Von Bergen stands out as Nix, the cult leading villain. But really, the whole cast does a great job. Those cult members are absolutely bone-chilling.
While a minor portion of the visual effects may not hold up to today's standards, all the practical effects and makeups are incredible and look way better than what you see in most horror blockbusters nowadays. In terms of gore, this is definitely not the bloodiest film I've seen, but it definitely features plenty of quite inventive deaths and sophisticated horror imagery.
My love for this film may have a bit to do with nostalgia, but it has much more to offer than just gore and horror imagery - those things that I was craving so badly as a kid. I have seen many films in many genres, but oddly enough, nothing quite comparable to Lord of Illusions. A true little gem forgotten by many that certainly deserves to be revisited.
