Wishmaster 1997

Be careful what you wish for.

6.0 / 10   544 vote(s)
R
Horror Fantasy

The Djinn having been released from his ancient prison seeks to capture the soul of the woman who discovered him, thereby opening a portal and freeing his fellow Djinn to take over the earth.

Release Date 1997-09-19
Runtime 1h 30m
Directors Robert Kurtzman, Jacques Haitkin, Jürgen Baum, Igor Meglic, Allen Kupetsky
Producers Pierre David, Clark Peterson, Noël A. Zanitsch, Wes Craven
Writer Peter Atkins

I haven't seen Wishmaster since I was a kid, I always enjoyed it back then, so I was nervous showing it to some friends that wouldn't withstand the test of time. It totally did though. Sure Wishmaster's pretty dumb and it can't keep its story straight, but those practical effects? Bellissimo.

Final rating:★★★ - I liked it. Would personally recommend you give it a go.

Gimly

This ain’t the Barbara Eden kind of genie

Through a priceless gemstone, a malevolent djinn (Andrew Divoff) is released in Los Angeles where he harasses people by answering their wishes. Tammy Lauren plays the protagonist, Wendy Benson-Landes her sister and Robert Englund a collector of idolatrous artifacts.

“Wishmaster” (1997) is inventive comic book horror with a thought-out script that features a villain/monster that is actually interesting for a change. The Djinn is superbly done and diabolically charismatic. Meanwhile Tammy Lauren is reminiscent of a younger Linda Hamilton. She’s likable and spirited, but doesn’t do much for me personally; and the role of Wendy Benson-Landes is too small to note. The flick isn’t helped by its gaudy low-rent vibe and bland cast, but it entertains well enough with amusingly horrific effects, fun cameos and a unique concept.

As of 2002 it birthed three sequels.

The film runs 1 hour, 30 minutes, and was shot in Los Angeles.

GRADE: B-

Wuchak