Streaming on HBO Max | imdb | trailer
This is a damn good horror film based on Clive Barker’s story “The Last Illusion,” and directed by the man himself. I’d say this only comes in second to Hellraiser among films he’s helmed. It’s cheesy as hell. In spite of that fact, Barker thankfully ditched the one-liners that plagued Nightbreed. I watched this again recently, for the first time in ages, and found the cheese on display quite charming. If you are a Seinfeld fan, the Fromage Knob is turned to 11, because the bad guy was once George Costanza’s boss Mr. Kruger. Don’t take that the wrong way, Daniel Von Bargen (RIP), was a fantastic actor, and this is his best role by far. It’s just hard to not picture him menacing George instead of Famke Jansen. Two major plusses for this film are that it’s extremely gory, and there’s a ton of Barker’s awesome art and design on display. The CG is a little dated, but it didn’t bother me all that much. The version on Prime is the director’s cut, and the restoration looks quite good too.
Blu-ray available from Shout Factory.
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