When the leader of a magical cult, Nix (Daniel Von Bargen) kidnaps a young girl in order to perform a ritual of everlasting life, he is killed by some of his followers, including a trusted friend Swann (Kevin J. O’Connor).
Years later, Swann, a famous illusionist, dies during one of his shows and when more of the people responsible for the death of Nix start showing up dead, a private investigator names Harry D’Amour (Scott Bakula) is called to the case by Swann’s wife, the kidnapped girl, Dorothea (Famke Janssen).
As we find out, Nix is being resurrected by his followers and he intends to fulfill his promise of everlasting life, which he needs Swann and Dorothea for. So, while finishing his ritual, he will get to take a bit of revenge as well.
Lord of Illusions is a fun Clive Barker film full of murder, magic and mayhem. While it is no Hellraiser in terms of horror, Von Bargen delivers quite a bit of terror with his terrifying mess of a resurrected face. It looks like someone took a waffle iron to it and then soaked it in a tub of water for a month.
His character, Nix, is a cult leader the likes of Charles Manson meets David Koresh. His followers murder without question and seem completely proud of themselves for doing so. When it comes to villains, Von Bargen has been severely underrated.
O’Connor, another underrated and ignored actor, is excellent as Swann. His look and shtick were obviously stolen by Criss Angel years later, as if Angel didn’t think anyone would notice.
On stage, Swann is pure confidence but offstage he is a frightened and nervous mess of a man. Dorothea married him because she felt she owed it to him for saving her life but it doesn’t take long after his death for her to sleep with Scott Bakula. Let’s face it, in terms of looks and personality, Harry was much more of a man than Swann anyway.
I must have watched Lord of Illusions every day for at least a month in high school. The story line was disturbing and cults have always scared me a little. Sure, there was the bonus of Famke Janssen, whom I may have harbored a little crush for since Goldeneye, but it is a solid film even if you ignore her, as if you could.
Lord of Illusions may not be the best of Clive Barker’s film creations but it is certainly one of my favorites. I have neglected the film for far too many years, so this year, like Nix, I am resurrecting it. You can grab yourself a cheap DVD copy or wait until December when Shout Factory will be delivering it on Blu-ray format. Either way, it is a film worth owning.
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