Lord of Illusions

REVIEW
Barker's third film as director is a tale of magic and illusion, cults and murder. Originally released theatrically in a heavily edited 108-minute version, this director's cut rectifies its confusion and abruptness. Bakula stars as Harry D'Amour, a private investigator who becomes embroiled in a bizarre series of murders involving an illusionist whose high-profile act turns out to be inspired by real magic. Harry follows the trail through its twists and turns until he learns the truth: the illusionist Swann was the disciple and eventual murderer of an evil magician named Nix, whose resurrection is being engineered by a murderous cult. Adapted from Barker's superb short story "The Last Illusion," the basic premise itself is promising and original. Still radically different from most horror films, it was perhaps too far ahead of its time to please the studio powers-that-be.