MovieChat Forums > Lord of Illusions (1995) Discussion > Interesting sub-genre

Interesting sub-genre

posted 11 years ago by patrick-413
19 replies | jump to latest

First off: I really liked this movie. Bakula was excellent, the writing and directing were effective, and all the little things that make a movie entertaining just clicked for me. A few quibbles on pacing and performances, but overall it's a real success.

I just saw it again recently - the third time so far over the years - and it held up very well for me.

But that got me thinking - I very much enjoy the detective-noir horror sub-genre. But I can't think of many movies in this ballpark. I'd gladly see more of them.

Here are the ones I can think of, and I liked them all to some degree:

Constantine (Even enjoyed Reeves' performance in this one; a great movie IMO)

Angel Heart (could have been great if not for Lisa Bonet's wretched performance)

Dark City (more SF than Horror, but still creepy and effective)

Dylan Dog (Something just didn't work in this one, but worth a watch)

The Ninth Gate (Depp! Polanski! And an incoherent ending!)

Can anybody think of any more of these I've missed? I'm sure there must be a few more floating around out there.

[–] blackthirteen 11 years ago

The Thirteenth Floor maybe? I'm not sure I'm remembering right but maybe that.

------
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[–] patrick-413 11 years ago

That was a pretty good one - I just saw it recently for the first time. Pretty solidly Science Fiction rather than horror, but it still did a great job at the genre mash-up thing. :)

[–] AKAWerewolf 11 years ago

you might like In the Mouth of Madness.

[–] patrick-413 11 years ago

That looks exactly like what I was describing - I'll have to see it soon.

[–] zeke2677 11 years ago

Cast a Deadly Spell

[–] patrick-413 11 years ago

Wow! With Fred Ward as Private eye H.P. Lovecraft? And Julianne Moore? That looks great - now I need to track it down. Thanks, that's perfect!

[–] patrick-413 11 years ago

OK, I watched "Cast a deadly Spell", and I have to say thanks again for the recommendation. :) While the super-low-budget effects were barely up to '80's-level TV-movie standards, the acting and originality more than made up for it.

My main problem with it was that it never seemed quite sure if it was tongue-in-cheek or serious. It seemed to go back and forth, and even character-to-character, between humor and seriousness. (As opposed to, say, a film like Evil Dead II that balances both at the same time, or Cabin in the Woods or even Ghostbusters). Personally, I wouldn't mind seeing a remake with a more serious demeanor, and maybe just a little bit of humor arising naturally from the characters to lighten the tone once in a while. (Constantine is a good example of this for me).

But -- Overall "Cast a Deadly Spell" is not a great movie, but certainly worth a watch in this sparsely-populated genre.

[–] offyerswod 10 years ago

I just want to Mention " WitchHunt" which is a Weird Movie is set in the Exact same Magical type world of "Cast a Deadly Spell"

Infact i think Dennis Hopper is playing the same Character Fred Ward played.

[–] mithaearon 11 years ago

Check out Dan O'Bannon's The Resurrected: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0105242/
based on a short story by HP Lovecraft.

-Mithaearon
[url]http://www.talesofmiddleearth.co.uk/[url]

[–] mithaearon 11 years ago

Also just to add the much underated Hellraiser Inferno.

-Mithaearon

[–] patrick-413 11 years ago

Hey! That one's on Netflix - added to queue. Thanks!

[–] patrick-413 11 years ago

OK, just watched Hellraiser: Inferno. One of the best examples so far, and VERY much in the classic detective/noir mold, as the protagonist is a flawed person who gets into trouble due to his own failings, but he has just enough likability to keep you rooting for him to somehow pull out of his tailspin.

Great story, nice direction and overall look, and an unexpectedly fine acting job by star Craig Sheffer, of whom I hadn't been aware before. I'd put this one up with Constantine and Lord of Illusions as one of the best in the genre.

[–] stonercango 11 years ago

The First Power (1990)

[–] patrick-413 11 years ago

Thanks! I'll keep my eyes peeled for it. Too bad it's not on Netflix (but then, so little is...)

[–] Kuato_and_George 11 years ago

That's one of the things I loved about this movie. Nix's followers overacted a little bit (though it kind of worked) and some of the effects were weak, but the horror/noir mix is what I really enjoyed about this movie. It had a slick, cool feel to it.

For my latest movie reviews and news:http://www.hesaidshesaidreviewsite.com/

[–] Surgeon242 10 years ago

Seven is an obvious one that comes to mind...

Some other good ones worth checkin out: The Prophecy (1995), In the Mouth of Madness (1994), Resurrection (1999)