A glimpse into the world of cinematic horror and sci-fi.
Prestige
This Tag focuses on films featuring magicians, mentalists, hypnotists, charlatans, and other "professional" illusionists. Such characters can be found among the most disparate of genres, from biopics ("Houdini" - 1953) to comedies ("The Geisha Boy" - 1958) to dramas ("The Prestige" - 2006).
When it comes to horror films, the figure of the illusionist tends to assume a negative connotation. In fact, there are numerous cases in which these characters are ambiguous or downright unscrupulous individuals, remarkably cunning and intelligent men who don't hesitate to cynically take advantage of others' credulity in order to achieve their own egotistical or criminal ends.
Examples
- Cinema/Television: "The Mask of Diijon" (Lew Landers, 1946), "The Hypnotic Eye" (George Blair, 1960), "The Illusionist" (Neil Burger, 2006).
- Literature (fiction): "The Magician of Lublin" (Isaac Bashevis Singer, 1960), "The Last Illusion" (Clive Barker, 1984), "Box" (Camilla Läckberg, Henrik Fexeus, 2021).
- Videogames: "Cirque de Zale" (2004), "Gray Matter" (2010), "Dandy Ace" (2021).
The table below includes only the films we’ve already reviewed, filtered by the current Tag. We know many important titles are still missing: they’ll come in time. Some features are reserved for our Patreon supporters.
| Title | Directors | Year | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lord of Illusions | Clive Barker | 1995 | 4 |
| Terror Train | Roger Spottiswoode | 1980 | 4 |
| The Evil of Frankenstein | Freddie Francis | 1964 | 4.5 |
| The Hypnotic Eye | George Blair | 1960 | 4 |