LORD OF ILLUSIONS is, in my opinion, the greatest big budget 90’s horror film that could have been. It’s far superior to the SCREAM series and I KNOW WHAT YOU DID series that catered to the prepubescent MTV hipster crowd. True to Clive Barker form, LORDS is rebellious and uncompromising, so much so that it was tampered with by MGM when they released it in 1995. Barker refused to bow to commercial requirements; there is not even a soundtrack album for the film with bad rap/rock bands and Korn wannabe’s like those films I just mentioned. MGM admitted they did not know how to handle such an intense movie, and it was released in a edited form. Instead of advertising the film as an intelligent, mythical, original horror film, MGM unwisely advertised the movie as a slasher film (ala Freddy Kreuger) and the film died a swift box office death. But like the title character, Nix the Puritan who was reborn long after his death, this movie not only gets a new life on DVD, but is the measuring stick that all future horror DVD releases should be judged by.

MGM releases LORD OF ILLUSIONS in a director approved special edition incorporating crucial footage never before seen. The original release was such a hackjob editing by MGM that it is no wonder it had no chance at the box office. Thankfully, with the inclusion of the new footage and some reediting, Clive Barker’s vision is now complete. I feel bad for Clive; he had to fight for this film as he had to with his cult classic NIGHTBREED (which suffered a similar fate as this film).

The problem with Clive is that he is a very prolific, high concept story teller. LORD OF ILLUSIONS and NIGHTBREED incorporates a lot of thought provoking mythology which goes right over the head of the average gore hound. But it is this creative aspect which separates himself from the rest of the horror directorial pack. I like the way Barker crafted the film: one part about the dangers of cults, one part film noir mystery, one part on the realm of magic, and one part living dead movie. This combination works for me, but may have been a factor that contributed to the film going over the audience’s heads.

Barker casted Scott Bakula in the role of paranormal detective Harry D’Amour, a character Barker had created in his fiction. While not being a fan of that actor I can safely say that he is Harry D’Amour. Bakula captures the brooding, noirish, tough-guy image of Harry that few could match. The way that we learn about Harry’s past, it becomes clear that LORD OF ILLUSIONS was to be starting point for Harry D’Amour to get his own film series. This is evident when at the beginning we learn that Harry just came off an exorcism case and in brief flashbacks we see the demon possessed victim. The gorgeous Famke Jensen is the love interest Dorothea, who hires Harry to get to the bottom of her magician husband Philip Swann’s (a David Copperfield wannabe) apparent death. But like her husband, she’s got her own skeletons in her closet.

The rest of the cast are relatively unknown (at least I’ve never heard of them) but the acting is believable all around. Kevin O’ Connor is Philip Swann, the magician who is running scared. Barry Sherman is Butterfield, the scalpel-wielding cultist. Daniel Von Bargen is Nix the puritan and does a good job of bringing menace to a thin character. Joel Swetow is Swann’s butler Valentin, who secretly lusts after Dorothea.

The film begins in the desert in 1982, when ex-cult members lead by Philip Swann, a former apprentice of the sorcerer Nix, seek to put an end to Nix’s cultist ways (because he has abducted an innocent girl). After Swann and his cohorts succeed in over powering Nix, they attach a sorcerous death mask to his face, and bury him alive in the desert.

13 years later, Swann is now a world famous illusionist. When his body is brutally punctured by swords during his routine (in one of the film best scenes), we are to wonder, did he plan his death or not? Harry steps in to investigate. Meanwhile the remaining cultists, led by the androgynous Butterfield, plan a comeback for their deceased leader; several of the cultists leave behind their families (and some kill their families) to join the rebirth of Nix in the desert.

I don’t want to give away too much plot for those that haven’t seen LORD OF ILLUSIONS before because I don’t want to ruin the mystery element of it. But I’ll say that the theatrical release barely touches upon the cultists except as fodder for the body count. This directors cut really delves into the dangerousness a cult like this can pose. This is very scary because there are real ordinary Joes in our society who get duped into joining this type of cult (can you say Waco?). Anyway, I won’t discuss the resolution, but I’ll share these horrific elements from the film with you:

A medium is daggered with multiple surgical tools.

A cult leader is shot by a little girl.

Nix puts his fingers through his victims heads which alters their perceptions causing them to perceive other people as having their skin ripped off their entire body.

A little girl is attacked by a baboon.

An iron-maiden type death mask is attached to a cult leaders head.

A magician dies of multiple sword impalements during an illusion gone awry.

A cultist is impaled on a magician’s prop turning him into a human blood fountain.

A fleeing ex-cultist is run over by an automobile.

A corpse has its jaw ripped out.

Cultists kill their families (including children).

Swann’s butler gets his lips and mouth mutilated by a scapel-wielding cultist.

A cultist is electrocuted in a wall socket.

A cult leader is shot in the head multiple times.

Swann’s maid is killed by a scalpel-wielding cultist.

 

Did I inform you this is not for kids? There are several other areas of interest in the film. Harry befriends a magician who lets him into the inner sanctum of professional magicians. In a nod to cheesy 1950s monster films, the holographic "protector" of the magicians foundation is a brain-exposed laboratory monster. In another scene, a disembodied presence interrupts Harry and Dorothea’s lovemaking tryst and we are treated to some amazing CGI FX depicting the mysterious force. During the resurrection of Nix, the camera takes us inside Nix’s body, where we see the rotting organs reforming themselves!

The special effects houses read like a who’s who of the effects hall of fame: Howard Berger (KNB), David Dupuis (XFX), Tony Gardener (Alterian Studios), Steve Johnson (XFX), Robert Kurtzman (KNB), Greg Nicotero (KNB), Wayne Toth (KNB) and additional contributions from Thomas Rainone, Gene Warren, and Fantasy II Film Effects. But I can still see the strings…NOT.

SIGHT

MGM redeems themselves for the butcher job they did on the theatrical release by giving the director’s cut a 16x9 enhanced widescreen 1.85.1 presentation. Furthermore, the image is spectacular and ultra sharp. Color reproduction is extremely vivid and without bleeding. The blacks and shadow details are deep and true. Flesh tones look natural in all lighting. One of the best transfers I’ve seen of a horror film yet. Production designer Stephen Hardy and Director of Photography Ron Schmidt efforts are diligently preserved. This is one of the only films I’ve ever seen that has both a slick, glossy presentation and a shadowy, gritty, brownish look (similar to that in SE7EN). Everything from the desert location scenes, magician showpieces scenes, special effects sequences, and interiors are epic and full of detail. The CGI effects blend with the film elements naturally and do not look cartoonish.

SOUND

MGM continues to restore my faith in them by including a dynamic Dolby Digital 5.1 mix. The soundtrack has wonderful clarity, directionality, and strong bass. Bullets fly around you, mansions echo with footsteps, fights scenes have lots of impact, Nix’s demonic voice reverberates around you, etc. Composer Simon Boswell’s ominous score heightens the tension and cuts through the sound field nicely. The climax of the film features Earth shattering bass.

FEATURES

From the Special Features menu, you can select Clive Barker’s Commentary track for the film. Usually I find commentary tracks are a mixed bag; some are informative but most of them are hollow and boring. But in all honesty, this is the best commentary I’ve ever heard. A lot of it covers the battle Clive had with the studio over content and editing. He gleefully makes you aware of the scenes added that comprise the director’s cut and sheds light on all the characters and actors. Another great feature is the inclusion of even four more additional scenes that from the cutting room floor that did not make it into the directors cut. After viewing them, I can confirm that they add nothing to the film except for the fourth one which is an expository scene between Harry and his magician friend, as they discuss Harry’s first marriage. This 44 second scene adds to Harry’s character development. The other three deleted scenes are 25 seconds, 36 seconds, and 42 seconds long respectively. Oh, Did I tell you that there is also optional director’s commentary for these extra scenes? Awesome! There is also an excellent 2 minute theatrical trailer. Oh, there is one more truly great feature here that I love (since I enjoy film score music) and that is the isolated film score. You can save 15 bucks on buying the CD and play this in DD 5.1 instead. And while it is not truly a feature, the menuing system proudly animates the films goriest scenes while you navigate through the file system accompanied by the films haunting score. There is also an 8 page booklet on the making of the film and production notes.

CONCLUSION

The suits at MGM responsible the original release can come out of hiding now. MGM has atoned for their atrocities by giving Clive Barker control of his property on the DVD release. With the inclusion of 12 minutes of new footage, believe you me, it’s an all new movie. However, the movie is definitely not for everyone and not for the squeamish. Clive’s commentary is worth the price of this one alone. LORD OF ILLUSIONS DVD includes many satisfactory supplements including my fave, isolated musical score. This DVD is the highest rated one I’ve reviewed yet, and it sets the standards that all future DVD releases should aspire to.

LORD OF ILLUSIONS is available at DVDEmpire

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