Lord Of Illusions

the film had it's moments like the swords in the magic trick scene. but the film left you unsatisfied and disinterested all the way to the end. the film is not frightening, has poor special effects and is somewhat weak in plot. even though it's written and directed by the Writer Clive Barker.

Watch Hellraiser instead which contains all the same themes but is better executed and is actually somewhat scary.

GOOD BUT DATED

WORTH A WATCH IF YOU LIKE HORROR

very good in parts with a splattering of blood

When I first heard Clive Barker was bringing his literary creation Harry D'Amour to the big screen I was thrilled. Barker is one of my favourite horror/fantasy writers and his previous directing efforts Hellraiser and Nightbreed were flawed but brilliantly inventive and stylish.

This is adapted from Barker's own novella The Last Illusion and in it D'Amour gets involved with an Illusionist named Philip Swann who is being hunted by a strange cult he was once part of.

The storyline is pretty similar to the aforementioned novella but has been obviously expanded to accomodate the big screen. The performances are good, in particular Scott Bakula as D'Amour, a nice riff on a sleazy, Spillane-type PI. However, I think Barker's ambitions have been handicapped by the budget as some of the effects aren't quite up to scratch. There are some nice scenes with genuine tension though (an illusion involving swords dropping from a great height and a really disturbing montage of cult members 'answering the call') and I really wish Barker would direct more - without studio interference!

There are a few gruesome scenes [blade to eyeball type] and a couple of interesting special effects that will please fans of the horror genre but in the end it doesn't add up to a good drama.