in my view. They wanted to take out some of the detective elements. I said no. Part of the point of the movie is that is a genre-breaking movie. It moves from film noir to horror and back and forth and that's what makes the movie work. But MGM/UA was adamant". Barker did manage to get a shot of a dead child on the floor which MGM/UA wanted deleted into the theatrical cut by editing it out and then editing it back in later. MGM/UA's cuts were at least partially supported by test screenings; Barker said that at the first test screening, audiences reacted negatively to the explicit sex and said that there were too many dialogue-heavy scenes, and reacted much more positively to the edited cut which was shown at a later screening. The director's cut includes more bloodshed on the helmet screws when Swann binds Nix. A scene with Butterfield's face burning lasts longer and involves more bloodshed. A kiss D'Amour and Dorothea Swann share is longer in the director's cut and leads into a sex scene that is largely missing from the theatrical version. Extra scenes include: Valentin coming to D'Amour's hotel room to hire him at Dorothea's request; Valentin driving Harry to meet Dorothea; a dream Harry has involving the Swann case and the supernatural creature he encountered in Brooklyn; Harry formally meeting Walter Wider at the Magic Castle and chatting with him before he is given a tour; D'Amour briefly speaking to Valentin on the phone before calling Billy to meet him at the Magic Castle; brief scenes of Nix's followers killing their families and leaving to reunite in the cult's old compound; Dorothea dreaming of Nix's followers and compound, then waking to discover her housekeeper dead and Valentin wounded; a discussion between Philip Swann and D'Amour regarding Nix's power, teachings, and goal as they ride in a car together. Critical reception The film received mixed reviews, with an approval rating of 58% at Rotten Tomatoes based on reviews from 26 critics and the critical consensus reads: "Lord of Illusions may come as something of a disappointment in the context of writer-director Clive Barker's best work, but genre fans should be reasonably diverted". Roger Ebert gave the film three out of four stars and complimented its visual effects as well as Bakula's performance. He remarked that while horror fans would be primarily drawn to the