The Worst Film Ever

Great movie! If you want to be entertained and have a few good laughs, see this movie. The music is also very good,

Unshakable, witty and deeply felt, the film will be paying emotional dividends for a long, long time.

An old-fashioned movie made with new-fashioned finesse.

Finally it's out there the full uncut or director's cut of Clive Barker's Lord Of Illusion. I remember have seen the theatrical cut years ago but now that it finally has it's Blu Ray release (so far only US region) I picked it up again to see the 121 minute version, the longest release, it even includes 3 minutes of deleted scene's so this release shows it all.Of course made in an era where horror was not done and horror was almost death this flick was overlooked and hated by a lot of geeks out there but have seen it in full glory I liked it somehow. You can easily spot that it was made by Barker just see the way men were dressed on stage, clearly a gay dressing. But what people made to turn their face away was the use of CGI. Back then when horror was outdated the effects used were laughable. And they still are if you look to this flick but luckily their are also on-camera tricks and effects. It never bored me and I did like the performances. Naturally, Nix (Daniel von Bargen) will remind you somehow to pinhead from the Hellraiser saga. The way he spoke and stands will ring a bell but hey, it's Clive Barker what do you expect?For the Kleenex boys there's also something to catch here and there but Famke Janssen who became famous shortly after as Jean Grey in the X-men franchise do go naked here and for so far i know it's her only flick you can spot her walking bear breasted. Worth picking up if you are a Clive Barker geek only watch out that the Blu Ray is coded to Region A as they did with Nightbreed (1990) which makes it even more collectible.Gore 1/5 Nudity 1/5 Effects 3/5 Story 3/5 Comedy 0/5

Liverpool born Clive Barker is a well-known name in fiction, and especially in horror. His novels have sold millions of copies all over the World and many of his stories have been adapted to the screen over the last three decades, one of those films was Lord of Illusions, based on the short story "The Last Illusion" from Barker's "Books of Blood Vol. 6", a compilation of stories from 1985.Directed by Clive himself, Lord of Illusions is a fantasy horror starring Scott Bakula (Quantum Leap), Kevin J. O'Connor and Famke Janssen (X-Men). This was the last film that Barker directed after previously stepping behind the camera for Nightbreed and Hellraiser. The director's cut of "Lord…" is, in Barker's words, the "definitive version of the film" while the theatrical cut does not represent his true vision. This release from 101 Films features the theatrical cut on Blu- ray as well as the director's cut, complete with director commentary, on DVD. This alone makes it worth picking up this version.The plot is very Barker-eqsue. It tells the story of Private Detective Harry D'Amour (Bakula) who happens upon a cult that is awaiting the resurrection of their "leader" Nix. Nix trained Philip Swann (O'Connor) in the art of magic and illusion, and Swann went on to become a success much-like a David Copperfield. Philips wife, Dorothea (Janssen), hires D'Amour to protect her husband from the impending rise of his former master, Nix, and his demented cult members. An "accident" with Swann leads to D'Amour investigating and discovering a world of magic he didn't know existed. A twisting and turning story of magic, deception and evil, Lord of Illusions is an intriguing and unusual film that plays in the fields of horror, fantasy and sci-fi.There are few films that deal with magic and illusionists, and even fewer that deal with it in the way that Lord of Illusions does. The director's cut is much better viewing than the theatrical version, the version I had always been familiar with until seeing this release. An absorbing premise, the film offers something very different and while it isn't flawless, it is still a very palatable and enjoyable experience that I will return to once again in the futureThe acting is hit and miss. They often feel trite and border on lethargic at times, but Bakula is charming as D'Amour, and Janssen, though much improved since her work here, offers a polite performance that doesn't really offend. I found O'Connor to be a little puerile at times and it made for some scenes that bordered on cringe worthy, but it wasn't enough to put me off watching.The story isn't Barker's best, and as a reader of plenty of his novels and short tales, I am surprised that he didn't adapt something better to the screen than this. The Damnation Game, Pig Blood Blues and The Body Politic all come to mind and were released before or around the same time as "The Last Illusion". Still, Barker saw fit to make this, and it isn't a bad movie, just not on the same level as Nightbreed and Hellraiser. Barker was a fine director too and it would be nice to see him try his hand at it once more, perhaps adapting a newer novel such as Mister B. Gone to film.101 Films have done a commendable job with this release. It looks the part, and the picture quality and sound on the Blu-ray is of a high quality for a film of this type. The extra DVD featuring the director's cut of the film as well as a directors commentary is a lovely addition and should be a big reason to buy this release.It's not brilliant, and it doesn't feature an iconic antagonist like Pinhead, but Lord of Illusions is still worth a watch, and the director's cut is just dandy.

This was a pretty decent film. The story line was good but went way over the top by the end and it almost ruined the whole thing. The cast is class A. Scott Bakula is great and funny in the film. Kevin J. O'Connor is good and comes off kind of creepy. Famke Janssen is a good female lead. Daniel Von Bargen is really crazy in this film and was a good evil lead. There are many good side characters as well, but my favorite is played by Barry Del as Sherman. Talk about one messed up creepy character. The film has some decent special effects for its time and it may not make you jump out of your seat, but you will still mentally feel scared. It really does have that creepy feeling. Clive Barker really did a decent job on this film.

A far cry away from the classic The Warlock.Decent horror flick with some under-written script issues. Generally fine with some eerie moments, but the plot is all around the place with no real focus on the who, what and where. Nonetheless a blast from the past from the 90s is a welcome breather for the gorno crapfest we are dished out nowadays.Nix (Daniel von Bargen) is the leader of a cult. Due to dark dealings he has amassed incredible power, which he hopes to share with Philip Swann (Kevin J. O'Connor). Disgusted with the evil and destruction that Nix represents Swann with a group of friends decide to end his terrible reign and save the young Dorothea. They manage to capture the magician and bury him deep underground.13 years later Philip Swann is a world renowned illusionist and is married to the grown up Dorothea (Famke Jannsen). The cult following of Nix has never revoked their beliefs and are still intent on freeing their master. Dorothea hires a PI with a knack for the occult, Harry D'Amour (Scott Bakula) to look after her husband. Swann however mysteriously dies during his latest illusion...There is a lot to like about this movie together with its retro feel from the great days of the 80s/90s horrors. Plus Clive Barker always supplies eerie occult atmosphere even if he is a bit iffy on the plot side of things. A couple of great and relatively scary scenes make this a worthwhile watch, even if the lack of direction to the story is frustrating.The Scott Bakula character feels superfluous and unnecessary, albeit Bakula does a good acting job and is a standout character. Nonetheless the movie seems to introduce characters and situations just so that we get gore and occult magic here and there, but there really is no purpose to the plot.Could be better, but still a decent 5.