History Film / LordOfIllusions

* BreakingOutTheBoss: The film opens with the EvilSorcerer Nix being defeated by his closest follower Philip Swann from sacrificing a female child and buried in a magical harness. Nix's cult spends the rest of the film trying to resurrect Nix and succeed at the end. The [[OurLichesAreDifferent undead]] Nix expresses his gratitude to his followers, [[spoiler:but then reveals himself to be a sadistic OmnicidalManiac and promptly kills them all for their blind obedience.]]

* FatalMethodActing: In-universe, [[spoiler:Swann is gruesomely "killed" on-stage during an escape trick.]]
* FatBastard: Evil wizard Lord Nix is a balding middle aged guy with quite a gut.

''Lord of Illusions'' is a 1995 movie directed by Creator/CliveBarker, based on his own short story "Literature/TheLastIllusion". A [[FantasticNoir blend of noir and horror]], the story opens in the early 80s at a run-down cult compound in the Mojave Desert. Nix (Daniel von Bargen), the leader who calls himself "the Puritan," wields magical powers he promises to share with his enthralled followers. Unfortunately for him, some of the group decide Nix has gone too far by kidnapping a young girl. Led by Nix's prize pupil Philip Swann (Kevin J. O'Connor), the rebels manage to overpower and subdue him. They leave him bound in an iron mask and buried deep under the sands of the Mojave, with the loyal followers scattered to the winds.

Shortly after Quaid's death, D'Amour is approached by Swann's wife Dorothea (Creator/FamkeJannsen) to investigate the killing. He takes the job, and quickly finds himself neck-deep in a battle of magic, illusions, good and evil.

''Lord of Illusions'' is a 1995 movie directed by Creator/CliveBarker, based on his own short story "Literature/TheLastIllusion". A [[FantasticNoir blend of noir and horror]], the story opens in the early 80s at a run-down cult compound in the Mojave Desert. Nix, the leader who calls himself "the Puritan," wields magical powers he promises to share with his enthralled followers. Unfortunately for him, some of the group decide Nix has gone too far by kidnapping a young girl. Led by Nix's prize pupil Philip Swann, the rebels manage to overpower and subdue him. They leave him bound in an iron mask and buried deep under the sands of the Mojave, with the loyal followers scattered to the winds.

Thirteen years later, private detective Harry D'Amour (Creator/ScottBakula) is working an insurance fraud case in Los Angeles when he witnesses the murder of Caspar Quaid, one of the group who helped Swann bring down Nix. With his dying breath, Quaid warns that the Puritan is returning.

Shortly after Quaid's death, D'Amour is approached by Swann's wife Dorothea to investigate the killing. He takes the job, and quickly finds himself neck-deep in a battle of magic, illusions, good and evil.

* FakingTheDead: [[spoiler:Swann tries this after Caspar Quaid's murder, staging his death as a stage illusion gone bad.]]

* VillainOfAnotherStory: Tapert, a highly sleazy insurance fraudster who Harry is investigating at the beginning of the movie, before abandoning that investigation not take up the Swann case. As he puts it.

* InformedAttribute: Butterfield claims that Swann and Quaid's friend Maureen Pimm is dead and that she "knew the Puritan was coming home" (possibly implying she committed suicide), but this isn't brought up again, and Pimm's friends (who would have kept in relatively close contact with her and also had access to news sources) have no knowledge or awareness of this. Butterfield also claims that Jennifer Desderio has disspeared, when Harry is able to find out where she is relatively easily, making it somewhat ambiguous as to Pimm is really dead, or Butterfield simply believed she was and/or was trying to intimidate Quaid by mentioning this.

* EvilCannotComprehendGood: Nix can't understand why Swann has feelings for Dorothea which he considers "just flesh." At the beginning of the movie, he also believes that Swann has come back in order to learn his magic, rather than to save a childs life.

* WouldHurtAChild: At the movie's opening Nix's EstablishingCharacterMoment is to letting his savage mandrill attacking a young girl he keeps as a prisoner. It's also hinted the girl was meant to be put as a sacrifice.
** [[spoiler: The cultists murder their co-workers, friends and family once they learn that Nix is returning. At least one of them murdered her own husband and children. Butterfields' lackey implies a murderous dislike to as he refers to the child that Harry saved from demonic possession as a "little bastard" and seems annoyed that Harry saved them.]]

* CowardlyLion: Swann is practically shaking when he goes to rescue the girl at the beginning (and the others with him are even worse) but they still go through with it. During the present da [[spoiler: Swann has faked his death and shows a reluctance to go against Nix's cult, but still does in the end]].

* BadassNormal: Harry D'Amour may not have magic powers like Nix or Swann but he can fight pretty good although he gets some help from Swann at the climax.

* AGodAmI: Played straight in spirit, yet subverted in letter by Nix after his return.
-->'''Nix:''' A man who wanted to become a god...then changed his mind.

* DiabolusExNihilo: The BigBad Nix is an EvilSorcerer with immense eldritch powers, which he states he will soon use to kill all of humanity. Where he came from or how he got his powers is never explored. When someone questions what he is, he simply replies "a man who [[AGodAmI wanted to be a god]]... then changed his mind".

* {{Cult}}

* EvilCannotComprehendGood: Nix can't understand why Swann has feelings for Dorothea which he considers "just flesh."

* TheJeeves: Valentin is more of an aide than a butler, but fills this role for Swann [[spoiler: even helping him fake his death]].

* LargeHam: Nix, who even before death seems to have NoIndoorVoice.
* LeftForDead: Swann, Quaid and the rest thought they had managed to put Nix down for good. Turns out, not so much.

* SupportingProtagonist: Despite Harry's central role in things, and POV, it could be argued that the movie's conflict is really between Swann and Nix.

* LookBothWays: Jennifer Desiderio freaks out and runs into traffic while D'Amour is asking her about Nyx.

* InfantImmortality: Averted in a brief scene in the director's cut, where a former cultist butchers her family, including her young children (though the violence is off-screen, we see the aftermath).

* LeftForDead: Swann, Quaid and the rest thought they had managed to put Nix down for good. Turns out, not so much.

''Lord of Illusions'' is a 1995 movie directed by Creator/CliveBarker, based on his own short story "The Last Illusion." A [[FantasticNoir blend of noir and horror]], the story opens in the early 80s at a run-down cult compound in the Mojave Desert. Nix, the leader who calls himself "the Puritan," wields magical powers he promises to share with his enthralled followers. Unfortunately for him, some of the group decide Nix has gone too far by kidnapping a young girl. Led by Nix's prize pupil Philip Swann, the rebels manage to overpower and subdue him. They leave him bound in an iron mask and buried deep under the sands of the Mojave, with the loyal followers scattered to the winds.

* BreakingOutTheBoss: The film opens with the EvilSorcerer Nix being defeated by his closest follower Philip Swan from sacrificing a female child and buried in a magical harness. Nix's cult spends the rest of the film trying to resurrect Nix and succeed at the end. The [[OurLichesAreDifferent undead]] Nix expresses his gratitude to his followers, [[spoiler:but then reveals himself to be a sadistic OmnicidalManiac and promptly kills them all for their blind obedience.]]

* EvilMentor: Nix was Swan's master and the source of his (Swan's) powers.

* TheSociopath: Nix. A pure evil sorcerer bent on turning the world into a living cemetary, considers people "just flesh" [[spoiler: and also kills all of his own minions for having him "waited like lamb".]]