Author, screenwriter, and director Clive Barker is often associated with the Hellraiser franchise. However, he’s had his hand in numerous different properties than merely Hellraiser, and now his other horror classic horror movie is currently streaming on Max.
Of course, Clive Barker has only directed three different horror movies throughout his career, and many fans would consider any one of them to be masterpieces. This particular film stands out, however, not only as his last directed feature to date – but as a much deeper, cosmic effort that possibly stands as the best representation of Barker’s literary works.
The film, released in 1995, stars Scott Bakula as fan-favorite Clive Barker character Harry D’Amour. The character has appeared throughout numerous different works of Barker’s, including books and comics, and he’s even gone up against the world of Hellraiser in Barker’s The Scarlet Gospels.
This time, however, Clive Barker conjures up Harry D’Amour as a detective in the film Lord of Illusions. The 1995 directorial effort was based on Barker’s own short story The Last Illusion. The film is only loosely based on the story, however, with Barker introducing new characters and storylines for D’Amour to endure in his first on-screen appearance.
Audiences had mixed reactions to the feature, with even fans confused by the decisions to introduce a new villain – Nix, aka “The Puritan,” played by late actor Daniel von Bargen. He delivers an eerie performance that makes Nix a formidable foe, and considering the plot of the film, it all builds up around his influence on the plot.
The story does not contain as much comedy as Nightbreed, nor is it as exciting as Hellraiser. But Lord of Illusions offers viewers a dark look at Barker’s literary world from a visual perspective. One that paints its characters in shades of dark and sometimes disturbing colors.
Essentially, Bakula’s Harry D’Amour must investigate an illusionist named Swann (Kevin J. O’Connor) as well as a cult led by Nix. It leads viewers into a dark underworld of magic and horror. It might not have the iconography associated with Barker’s other film endeavors, but believe it or not, Lord of Illusions is itself a horror masterpiece much like Hellraiser and Nightbreed – so check it out on Max.