Lord Of Illusions

Scream Factory just adores Clive Barker lately and rightly so. They've recently released his "Nightbreed" and "Candyman" films in new Blu-ray formats. And now comes "Lord of Illusions", the 1995 cult movie based on Barker's book of the same name. This collector's edition includes the original 109-minute theatrical version and the much-preferred Director's Cut, clocking in at 121 minutes.

Scott Bakula ("Quantum Leap," "Star Trek Enterprise") stars as Harry D'Amour, a detective who is hired by a woman (Fake Janssen) to learn the truth about what her magician husband is up to. Harry delves deep into the art of magic and has trouble deciphering what's an illusion and what's real.

Part of the charm of "Lord of Illusions" is Barker's ability to keep the audience guessing right up until the end, a fact he talks about in one of two vintage special features on Scream Factory's Blu-ray. "A Gathering of Magic" was made at the time of filming, as was "Original Behind-the Scenes Footage." Both have been restored in high-definition from 1995. Bakula and Janssen appear in these extensive features, which are included on the director's cut disc.

Barker has a "small note" before watching his director's cut, explaining why the studio made so many cuts to his original print. Four very brief scenes (with audio commentary by Barker) were deleted due to pacing and the Blu-ray does include one new feature interview with storyboard artist Martin Mercer. A photo gallery rounds out yet another must-have Blu-ray from Shout Factory.

"Lord of Illusions"
Blu-ray
www.shoutfactory.com