Rating: 
Summary: Clive Barkes most fully realized screen adaptation:
Review: Lord of Illusions shows of Barkers writing style like no other work on the screen. This expanded version DVD offers more than just extra gore, but entire sequences that flesh out the story. Still the film looks a bit stifled as Barker constantly seems to be fighting with time constraints. LORD OF ILLUSIONS should be a casual, unfolding tale that keeps building and building, but it tends to feel rushed and hurried as it tries to cover a lot of ground in a 2 hour time frame.Still, Scott Bakula makes an excellent D'moure. There is talk of a D'moure Television series which may prove interesting except that Bakula is now o STAR TREK: ENTERPRISE. A shame. LORD OF ILLUSIONS was meant to be a franchise started for the D'moure character but Barker seemed to put too much gloss, to much polish on this film and the result is, well, too Hollywood. The dark story of an anit-christ type profit who gives the gift of real magic to his most promising follower, who in turn "kills" his master by sealing him in a mask and burying him in the desert. The reason, to save a young girl from his grasp, the two marry when she is old enough, but he soon fakes his own death in an elaborate illusion afraid his one time teacher is returning from the grave, he's right. The movie needed to be grittier, darker. The scenes with Nix's assassins (two blatantly gay, but very disturbing characters) prove the most intense and interesting. But the luster and shine, the CGI effects are distracting and the movie would have been served better with smoke and mirrors. Still an interesting and entertaining haunt, fans of "The Sixth Sense" or "The Exorcist" should enjoy!
Rating: 
Summary: Good but not great
Review: MGM is not known for their great DVD releases but they did a good job with this one. I was not a big fan of the movie when it came out in the theatre. I thought I would give the directors cut a try. The movie is a bit cheesy and I didn't buy Scott as a grizzled detective. The uncut version adds to the story and character development but it's a tad long and I lost interest towards the end of the film. Picture quality is uneven switching between grainy and crystal clear through the whole movie. Sound is awesome though and the disc has some good extras. If you liked the original movie buy it, if you didn't then this version won't change your mind.
Rating:
Summary: Good but not great
Review: MGM is not known for their great DVD releases but they did a good job with this one. I was not a big fan of the movie when it came out in the theatre. I thought I would give the directors cut a try. The movie is a bit cheesy and I didn't buy Scott as a grizzled detective. The uncut version adds to the story and character development but it's a tad long and I lost interest towards the end of the film. Picture quality is uneven switching between grainy and crystal clear through the whole movie. Sound is awesome though and the disc has some good extras. If you liked the original movie buy it, if you didn't then this version won't change your mind.
Rating:
Summary: An overlooked gem from Clive Barker.
Review: New York detective Harry D'Amour ( Scott Bakula) who has an interest in black magic heads to Los Angeles for a special job. He gets involved with Dorthea ( Fame Jannsen from " X-Men") who is the widow of a late magician ( Kevin J. O'Connor)and finds out the terrifying secrets of a mysterious cult who wants to resurrect a powerful dark magician. Way much overlooked but great supernatural horror thriller from famed horror novelist Clive Barker ( Creator of "Candyman" and " Hellraiser"), Bakula does a fine performance as teh detective who tracks down the cult. Great special effects and gore by Steve Johnson also help the movie's scariness and gruesomeness but worth watching only in the unrated Director's Cut which is on this DVD. Also recommended: End of Days, Freddy Vs. Jason, Hellraiser, Candyman, Making Contact ( a.k.a Joey), City of the Living Dead ( a.k.a. The Gates of Hell), Evil Dead II, Jason Goes To Hell: The Final Friday, Sleepless, Suspiria, Phenomena, Tenebre, Vampire Hunter D, The Mummy ( 1999), Indiana Jones and The Temple of Doom, Sleepy Hollow, From Hell, Fallen, House By The Cemetery, Burial Ground, From Dusk Till Dawn, A Nightmare on Elm Street, Ninja Scroll, Urotsukidoji: Legend of the Overfiend, Demons, Cemetery Man, Silence of the Lambs and The Beyond.
Rating: 
Summary: Disjointed and senseless
Review: OK. "I was born to murder the world." Why? Are we expected to simply accept that statement? Of course it comes at the very end of the movie, so we're left wondering just who the heck this Nix character is, and what his nature is through the entire film. The problem is, if that was supposed to create dramatic tension, it didn't. Ambitious? Sure. Did it succeed? No. There was unquestionably a story here, but telling the story mainly through the eyes of a private detective wasn't the right way to go about it. This is a problem, sometimes, with writers. They find a story, but then can't find the vessel. I think that's what happened here.
Rating:
Summary: Disjointed and senseless
Review: OK. "I was born to murder the world." Why? Are we expected to simply accept that statement? Of course it comes at the very end of the movie, so we're left wondering just who the heck this Nix character is, and what his nature is through the entire film. The problem is, if that was supposed to create dramatic tension, it didn't. Ambitious? Sure. Did it succeed? No. There was unquestionably a story here, but telling the story mainly through the eyes of a private detective wasn't the right way to go about it. This is a problem, sometimes, with writers. They find a story, but then can't find the vessel. I think that's what happened here.
Rating:
Summary: Our release from movie banality!
Review: Once again Clive Barker makes a film that no other filmmaker could have. It is a film that is a delight to Barker aficianados and a bizarre curiosity to those unfamiliar with Clive. The Director's Cut is ultimate and should be seen no other way. Unfortunately the studio butchered the theatrical version so most people have seen the debaccled Lord of Illusions. A great film for any genre, and more intelligent than most mainstream films. Barker is truly a renaissance man for today.
Rating: 
Summary: Clive Barker's best film yet!
Review: P.I Harry D'Amour (Scott Bakula), who finds himself unavoidably drawn to the supernatural heads to L.A to investigate insurance fraud but gets caught up in a case involving the death of a stage "illusionist" (Kevin J. O'Connor). This then leads our hero out into the Mojavi desert to deal with the resurrection of an evil magician (Daniel Von Bargen) and his band of murderous cultists. Bakula is just perfect as the rough 'n' ready detective in this stylish, well cast and intelligent horror/thriller which is definitly Barker's best work yet. Plenty scary all the way, rich with outstanding photography (Ronn Schmidt), superb visual effects and a masterful music score (Simon Boswell). Only flaw is the director's lagging noir attempt. Best viewed in the 121 min "unrated Director's Cut"; 108 min "theatrical cut" also available: BEWARE of this version. Considering that MGM have little to no reputation for producing outstanding DVDs, they score full points with this delightfully terrifying package. The picture is in its original 1.85:1 aspect ratio and is anamorphically enhanced which results in the visuals being almost perfect, extremely crisp and clear with rich colours and contrast that make it a wonderful viewing experience (providing you like that sort of thing). The sound is presented in a haunting Dolby 5.1 track which, providing you have the right equipment, makes the viewing totally terrifying. The extras include an very informative commentary by writer/director Clive Barker, stand alone music score which really shows the films magic, deleted scenes which also contain a commentary by Clive and the usual theatrical trailer. Whether you're a fan of the movie, a Clive Barker devotee or a horror buff in general, no collection is complete without this gem.
Rating:
Summary: Barker's most ambitious
Review: Private detective Harry D'Amour (Bakula) who is unwillingly drawn to the supernatural travels to LA to investigate an insurance fraud, but finds himself battling an evil cult leader in the Mojave desert after he gets involved with the death of a stage "illusionist". Barker's most ambitious and engaging film to date (based on his short story "The Last Illusion"). Well photographed and a masterful music score, let down by an over-long script and uneven plotting. Barker's attempted horror/detective film noir blend is far too shaky at times. Still, a winner well above genre standards. Be sure to stear clear of the shorter "theatrical cut".
Rating: 
Summary: Decent Thriller, Weak Script
Review: Scot Bakula From the T.V series "QUAMTEM LEAP" stars in this above average thriller about a private eye who specailizes in cases of the supernatural. He investigates a magican's death during his stage act and gets involved with demonic forces from beyond. Good performces but the script can use some work. Lack of dialouge that just seems to be borrowed from horror films of the past. It's not the best movie ever to see but it does contain enough visual/special effects to hold on to the viewer's attention until the final scene.
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