| OnlineHost: | Good evening! Tonight, OMNI Online is pleased to present Clive Barker, writer and director of the film LORD OF ILLUSIONS, which opens today across the country. LORD OF ILLUSIONS stars Scott Bakula of "Quantum Leap" fame as private detective Harry D'Amour, who finds himself drawn into a supernatural mystery when he's hired to protect world-famous magician Philip Swann. |
| OnlineHost: | Clive Barker has consistently captivated horror/fantasy fans with his imaginative works on the page and screen. He made his feature-film directorial debut on the horror hit HELLRAISER, which he also scripted based on his own novella "The Hellbound Heart." The film introduced the central character known as Pinhead and has since spawned three sequels. |
| OnlineHost: | Barker went on to write and direct NIGHTBREED, which he adapted from his novella "Cabal," and was executive producer of the horror hit CANDYMAN, based on his short story "The Forbidden." Currently, Barker has written and is serving as executive producer of the animated musical film THE THIEF OF ALWAYS, based on his children's novel of the same name. |
| OnlineHost: | A prolific author, Barker's literary works include the novels DAMNATION GAME, WEAVEWORLD, THE GREAT AND SECRET SHOW, and IMAJICA. His most recent publication is a sequel to THE GREAT AND SECRET SHOW entitled EVERVILLE. |
| OnlineHost: | In addition, Barker has penned numerous short stories, many of which are included in his anthologies THE BOOKS OF BLOOD, VOLUMES 1-3 and THE BOOKS OF BLOOD, VOLUMES 4-6, which were published as "The Inhuman Condition," "In the Flesh," and "Cabal." Welcome, Clive! |
| CliveBrker: | Thanks. It's good to be here. |
| OMNI Muse: | We're certainly glad to have you here! Tell us a bit about the new movie before we jump into the questions! |
| CliveBrker: | LORD OF ILLUSIONS is based on a short story I wrote 10 years ago about a detective called Harry D'Amour. Harry has since appeared in 2 novels, THE GREAT AND SECRET SHOW and EVERVILLE. and he's one of my favorite characters. In LORD OF ILLUSIONS, he becomes involved in the secret life that lies behind the illusionist's craft; it's a scary, visceral movie which I unapologetically characterize as a horror movie. |
| OMNI Muse: | Our first question is from Genessa: |
| Question: | Clive, what didn't make it into the film version we can see now, and will whatever it is end up in the video? Can you expand a bit on it? Thanks. -- Gail |
| CliveBrker: | There will be a director's cut on video, which will contain some material removed by the MPAA, plus a few scenes which I trimmed for length. But I feel the movie that's now playing across America is surprisingly untouched by the MPAA's tamperings. I think this theatrical version is extremely strong, and I'm very proud of it. I urge people to see it if at all possible in a THX or DTS theatre. The sound mix is amazing. |
| OMNI Muse: | EduK8 asks |
| Question: | I love your work! Will you be writing any more books for children anytime soon? |
| CliveBrker: | Yes I will be writing again for children in the next year. I love writing for children--THE THIEF OF ALWAYS is one of my favorite of my own works!--and I fully intend to pen a good deal of children's fiction in the next few years. |
| OnlineHost: | To send your question to the speaker, click on the Interact icon, then use the Ask a Question option. |
| OMNI Muse: | Ntme would like to know |
| Question: | Do you really believe in the parallel universes or is that just a common and relatively easy setting for many of your novels? |
| CliveBrker: | No, I really believe in parallel universes. I'm not sure they're exactly as I describe them in my books but I certainly believe that our imaginations are capable of accessing profound truths not only about this world but about those which our meager senses cannot grasp. |
| OMNI Muse: | ScriptDS9 asks |
| Question: | Do you have a cameo in "Lord of Ill...?" |
| CliveBrker: | Several crew members suggested I do a walk-on in the movie but I was feeling shy! |
| OnlineHost: | For those newcomers in the audience OMNI Online is pleased to present Clive Barker, writer and director of the new film LORD OF ILLUSIONS. In addition to his work on the screen, Barker is the acclaimed author of many horror novels and stories. If you have any questions about how the auditorium works, please feel free to contact our usher, OMNI Usher, by instant message. |
| OMNI Muse: | Ntme asks |
| Question: | Is Tesla, from Everville and The Great and Secret Show based on a real person and if so who? |
| CliveBrker: | Yes, Tesla is based upon not one but several women I know and love. She's an amalgam of qualities and characteristics from a variety of sources as are so many of the characters I write about. |
| OMNI Muse: | A comment from Genessa |
| Question: | I saw Lord of Illusions today and i want to tell you that, although i am not a horror fan at all, I enjoyed it and found the gore, well, gorey, but not gratuitous at all. Thanks for making a film that had an actual hero, and a vulnerable one at that! -gail |
| CliveBrker: | Thank you so much! I spent the entire day here in New York going through reviews dealing with those writers out there in the country who think I'm a crazy, twisted man, and it's wonderful when somebody such as yourself finds in the work the qualities I hoped I put there. |
| OMNI Muse: | EduK8 asks |
| Question: | When will we be able to see Weaveworld and Thief of Always? |
| CliveBrker: | Weaveworld the mini-series is in preparation now. I suspect it's another 18 months at least before it reaches the screen. The same is true of THIEF--it's at least another 18 months--but of course THIEF will be an animated feature for the large screen. |
| OMNI Muse: | TKB007 would like to know |
| Question: | Mr Barker, how did growing up in Liverpool influence your look at the great big world? |
| CliveBrker: | Liverpool was a very grim place when I was growing up in the '50s. We didn't have a television, we didn't go to movies, but I did have access to a public library, and all my love of storytelling is rooted in my weekly visits to that library. Looking back on my childhood, I think I was blessed not to have a television. |
| OMNI Muse: | Copa17 asks |
| Question: | How did you choose the names for the movie? My sister and I found it actually funny that one of the bad guys' name was "Butterfield." (I saw the movie earlier today, and I thought it was pretty good as far as horror movies go.) |
| CliveBrker: | I like strange names. The idea of a villain with scalpels in his hand who happens to be called Butterfield *is* comical in its way. And if it gives you pleasure, then I'm happy. I choose names by simply listening and jotting them down. |
| OMNI Muse: | CrystalBP would like to know |
| Question: | Clive, my husband and I love your work, is there any chance you will continue the Cabal story? |
| CliveBrker: | Yes. I plan a sequel to CABAL sometime next year (I hope!). |
| OMNI Muse: | SusanD473 asks |
| Question: | Why did you allow the somewhat meaningless relationship between D'Amour and Mrs. Swann? I really felt that was uncalled for. But nevertheless, you did your job, people left the theater from being "grossed out." Good job sir! |
| CliveBrker: | Thank you! It's part of what detectives do in the grand film noir tradition that they fall in love with their female clients. I don't think Harry's relationship with Dorothea is irrelevant to the story. He goes through hell--almost literally--to secure her safety. |
| OMNI Muse: | Ram fan10 asks |
| Question: | Clive I was wondering if you are ever going to make a movie based on the Great and Secret Show or write a third novel based on the characters in the novel? |
| CliveBrker: | There will be a third novel in the sequence that began with THE GREAT AND SECRET SHOW and then continued in EVERVILLE. There's more of that tale to tell in the next few years. |
| OMNI Muse: | RyanE95 would like to know |
| Question: | Why did you choose Scott Bakula as your leading actor? |
| CliveBrker: | Scott is a natural hero an actor whose very presence is reassuring and wryly humorous. I'm a huge admirer of his acting skills, and I believe he gives LORD OF ILLUSIONS a human face. As somebody who was speaking to us before pointed out, ILLUSIONS is a picture with a hero. We all too seldom see that in horror movies nowadays. |
| OMNI Muse: | Lunatix2 asks |
| Question: | Is the legend of Candyman based on any existing myth or is it strictly yours? |
| CliveBrker: | The Candyman is mine--all mine! |
| OMNI Muse: | LOL! SpaceHoney asks |
| Question: | I was wondering where Mr. Barker draws his inspiration and deep imaginative resources from? Especially in such wonderful works as Imajica, WeaveWorld, Everville, etc...Thanks! |
| CliveBrker: | I'm a great believer in dream journals. I'm a great believer in allowing the imagination full reign. Think of the imagination as a muscle--perhaps the most important muscle we have--and use it as often as possible. Like any muscle the more it's used, the stronger it gets. Never apologize--I say--for having an active imagination. It's precious. |
| OMNI Muse: | Another question from Genessa |
| Question: | Will you be featuring Harry more prominently in future books now that you have Scott's face to go along with your own imagined Harry? -- Gail |
| CliveBrker: | Great question! I am going to write about Harry again very soon. It will be interesting to write about a character whose voice I can hear and whose face I can see, simply by picking up the telephone and inviting him 'round for a drink. |
| OMNI Muse: | Ms Inkwell asks |
| Question: | Jay of Dark Carnival asks: What will your next book(s) be? |
| CliveBrker: | I have 2 books in preparation. One is called INCARNATIONS, and it's a collection of my plays. It will be published in December. The other is a novel called SACRAMENT, which will be published in the early spring of next year. |
| OMNI Muse: | A question from CarolK1567 |
| Question: | What is it about Harry that makes him a favorite character? |
| CliveBrker: | He's like me in many ways--regular kind of guy--but somehow or other becomes involved in extraordinary things. Now, of course, I'm not a detective, and my day-to-day life is really very dull--I sit at my desk and I write--but in my head, all kinds of things are going on. I also love Harry because he's such a troubled man and yet despite his troubled nature he manages always to make the right decisions. He fights for good, he fights for love, he fights for life. |
| OMNI Muse: | Redorcia asks |
| Question: | You are also an accomplished artist. I understand that books containing your artwork are out of circulation. How can one purchase one? My daughter is a great fan of yours (she is seeing Lord of Illusions as we speak) and wants your artwork for her birthday. |
| CliveBrker: | Two answers here: If you live in California, there is an exhibition of my paintings and drawings at the Laguna Art Museum in Costa Mesa. If you live elsewhere and would like to get hold of the books, call my art gallery in New York. It's run by a lady called Bess. She's available at 212-219-1577. I will be having a large exhibition at the gallery in December (here in New York), and there is a small exhibition of drawings and prints running right now. |
| OMNI Muse: | A comment from Tamara00 |
| Question: | I saw LOI today and was disappointed in one respect, the fact that Valintin's character was not expanded in the movie. I really loved his character in The Last Illusion and thought it could have been brought into the LOI story. That's just MHO, though. |
| CliveBrker: | Never be humble about your opinions! I'm happy to hear them. You're right, of course. Valentin's role in the movie is smaller than in the book. It's really just a question of how much information you can get into a movie that's designed to be 107 minutes long. Choices have to be made. Sometimes you have to sacrifice one element to empahasize another. I hope Valentin's relatively modest role didn't spoil your enjoyment of the picture. |
| OMNI Muse: | SpaceHoney asks |
| Question: | For the future release of "The Thief of Always", does Mr. Barker have input into the animation as production begins? |
| CliveBrker: | Yes I do have input, but finally I have to leave it up to the veritable army of animators who are at work on the project. I have high hopes, however. |
| OMNI Muse: | MadelonW asks |
| Question: | First I just want to say hi! and thanks for all the great stories... IMAJICA is my all-time favorite book ever! Also, heard a rumor you would be attending Camp Necon next summer... any truth in it? |
| CliveBrker: | Thank you for your enthusiasm! If I had to name my single favorite novel (of mine) it would be IMAJICA. I haven't made my plans for next summer yet. I suspect I will be deep in another book, but we'll see. |
| OMNI Muse: | Ntme asks |
| Question: | Were you worried about using an actor that was famous for a TV series in the US? |
| CliveBrker: | No, I wasn't. I feel that if an actor is good for a role, it doesn't matter what he or she has done before. Scott is the perfect personification of Harry, as far as I'm concerned. And it's a real pleasure to see him up on the big screen where I really believe he deserves to be. |
| OMNI Muse: | SpaceHoney asks |
| Question: | Does Mr. Barker enjoy writing, producing, or directing more? Any aspirations to be in front of the camera? |
| CliveBrker: | I love writing most of all. It's a sacred profession for me. I don't really think my talents as a thespian would bear the close scrutiny of a camera. |
| OMNI Muse: | LOL! ScriptDS9 asks |
| Question: | What was the first story you sold and what was it about? |
| CliveBrker: | The first stories I sold were contained in the BOOKS OF BLOOD, Volumes 1, 2, and 3. Up until that time, I'd never even considered publishing. I'd always thought my imagination was too weird for publishers to take any interest in. To this day it is still an astonishment and a delight to me that so many people like you--all of you out there--share my enthusiasm for these journeys into the imagination. |
| OMNI Muse: | CarolK1567 asks |
| Question: | How difficult is it to go back and forth between adult horror and children's literature? |
| CliveBrker: | I don't think I write horror fiction as such. IMAJICA and EVERVILLE, for instance, seem to me better described as fantasy. But however we choose to desribe them, the fact is our minds are one glorious imaginative country. Just because I discovered Edgar Allan Poe doesn't mean I ever forgot the way to Never-Never Land. |
| OMNI Muse: | BUDDHATAZ asks |
| Question: | Clive, how did you think of the NIX cult for the movie, because I don't recall seeing it in your story?? |
| CliveBrker: | You're right. It isn't in the story. But I needed to develop some back story, some sense of how Swann had come to develop his magical powers. I like the whole cult aspect of the movie because it touches very closely upon what's happening in the real world, and though LORD OF ILLUSIONS is first and foremost an entertainment, I want to be able to use the movie to comment on the real world. |
| OMNI Muse: | B Cadfael would like to know |
| Question: | I saw Lord of Illusions today. Harry D'Amour has a prominent tattoo on his back, but there were no references in the film to explain it. Can you tell us what its significance is? |
| CliveBrker: | I'm being deliberately obscure! In the books, Harry has a number of talismanic tattoos which are designed to ward off evil. Scott read about one of these tattoos (in EVERVILLE, I think) and *demanded* he have a tattoo of his own. How could I refuse? If we make a sequel to LORD, I promise details will be forthcoming. |
| OMNI Muse: | RD OCTBR asks |
| Question: | How do you find the courage to be so wildly explicit,... so vivid,... so beautifully grotesque in your works? It's a style I try to imitate. |
| CliveBrker: | Firstly thank you for that description. I do what my heart tells me I must. You know that old saying: Never explain, never apologize? I think all artists should take it to heart. Do what your instinct tells you to do and never explain, never apologize. |
| OMNI Muse: | Pixelated asks |
| Question: | I was disappointed when you were bumped until the end of the Letterman show the other night. Will you be on television or radio anytime soon? |
| CliveBrker: | I was also disappointed. I'd flown up from Miami for the show and had to fly straight back down again. C'est la vie. Letterman has invited me back in a little while, and I may go back on if I can fit it in my schedule. Meanwhile I think there are specials on LORD OF ILLUSIONS in which I am talking about the project on Showtime and the SciFi Channel. |
| OMNI Muse: | Pat Orth would like to know |
| Question: | I saw Lord if Illusions twice already and loved it. I notice there's a soundtrack out and wondered if you were involved in its production in any way. |
| CliveBrker: | Cool! I was involved only to the extent that I chose Diamanda Galas and Erasure. I also wrote the liner notes for the album. I think it makes fine listening. I must say Simon Boswell did an extraordinarily good job with the music. |
| OMNI Muse: | Tamara00 asks |
| Question: | Do you believe that "evil" is subjectional or a constant and definite presence? |
| CliveBrker: | I don't believe that evil is anybody's responsibility but our own. We as human beings have to take responsibility for all that we do, good and bad. It's one of my prime problems with the fundamentalist position. By suggesting that the devil is influencing us to do evil, it lets us off the hook, as it were. We have to be proud of the good we do and determine to stamp out the evil that we do. |
| OMNI Muse: | Lunatix2 asks |
| Question: | Is it true you write the first draft of all your novels by hand on legal pads? If so, why? |
| CliveBrker: | I write everything by hand. All three drafts on college-ruled paper. That means that by the time I got finished IMAJICA, I had 14,000 handwritten pages. Why? Because I like to do it that way. Because I'm quirky. Because I'm strange. Joking aside, it's what works for me, and I think that most artists have a kind of superstition about their working methods. That's mine. |
| OMNI Muse: | A question from Jo in ABQ |
| Question: | Is your movie 'OK' for a 12 year old that loves the heck out of "X-files?" I want to take my son. |
| CliveBrker: | I would say, regrettably, no. I would say it would be fine for a 14-year-old, but I would be worried that the violence would be too intense. This is a very subjective area. And finally, you know better than I the kind of personality we're talking about. It is a scary movie, and for the right 12-year-old, I don't think it would be a problem, but I would never want to be advocating the picture for every 12-year-old in America! |
| OMNI Muse: | Folks, I have *hundreds* of questions left in the queue, but our time with Clive is almost over. We're going to take one more question, but don't leave yet! We have something special planned right after the conference! Our last question is from CarrieAnnW |
| Question: | I just saw Lord and I was wondering, is there going to be a sequel, and, if there is, how could they possibly get Nix back again?? |
| CliveBrker: | If there's a sequel to LORD OF ILLUSIONS it will be a completely new story involving Harry and a new set of scares and thrills and villains. Nix is dead and gone. This is one monster who won't be coming back in the sequel. |
| OMNI Muse: | Thanks so much for coming, Clive! |
| CliveBrker: | I know it's time to wrap up. Can I thank everybody out there for your wonderful questions? And my apologies that we haven't been able to get to the hundreds that are still wating to be answered. If you want to contact me, please feel free to write to my PO Box, and I promise you, I'll do my best to answer the questions which we didn't get to tonight. Write to Clive Barker, PO Box 691885, Los Angeles, CA 90069. And I want to thank everyone again. The most important relationship in my life is the one between me and the people for whom I make my stories and my paintings and my films. Thank you for your enthusiasm and your insight and your imagination. Good night! |
| OMNI Muse: | Thanks so much, Clive! I hope LORD OF ILLUSIONS is a great hit! The log of this conference will be available for download tomorrow afternoon at Keyword OMNI > File Libraries (in the scrollbox) > Conference Log Library. |