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145 reviews in total

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20 out of 24 people found the following review useful:
"Fear the Djinn.", 3 March 2003
Author: Backlash007 from Kentucky

Wishmaster marks a huge return for theatrical gore. What a splatterfest! That opening scene, are you kidding me? The KNB crew have blown me away again. From chest exploding skeletons to lizard men, it's well done and I applaud them. It's not just the prologue, it's the whole movie. There's one bit in particular where a guy gets his jaw ripped off. It's jaw-dropping (no pun intended). There is someone from nearly every important horror franchise, and some that aren't so important, in this flick. Cast and cameos include Robert Englund, Kane Hodder, Tony Todd, Angus Scrimm and Reggie Bannister, Ted Raimi and Dan Hicks, Tom Savini, Ricco Ross, Peter Liapis, Joseph Pilato, and Buck Flower. Not to mention KNB effects group, Harry Manfredini did the score, Peter Atkins wrote the screenplay, Robert (K of KNB) Kurtzman directed, and Wes Craven is producing. This is an unreal cast and crew, a who's who of horror. Let's not forget who's leading this cast: Andrew Divoff. He has the one of the scariest, harshest voices of all time. He is the Djinn and he's cool as hell. I just can't understand why this wasn't as well received by the horror community as it should have been. As for the sequels, what sequels? Stick to the original and you can't go wrong.

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23 out of 30 people found the following review useful:
Uh-oh..., 12 August 1998
Author: Gislef from Iowa City, IA

Geez, after reading all the thumbs-down reviews, I feel almost embarrassed. I _liked_ Wishmaster. No, the idea of wishes-gone-awry isn't particularly original, but there are still some interesting elements done with it: a guard says he'd like to see the Djinn go through him and...it does (heh). Tammy Lauren is adequate as the spunky heroine, and Andrew Divoff (mostly consigned to minor B-villain roles - check him out in the Highlander TV series) makes a chilling threat. Jenny O'Hara makes the most of her role as resident supernatural expert. Yes, the gore is excessive, but I'm not sure if that's a concession to the 90's audience, or a directorial conceit - I'm willing to assume its the former. For a supernatural thriller/horror (as opposed to a Scream-type slasher/thriller), Wishmaster strikes me as one of the better efforts to come along since the last Nightmare and the first Candyman.

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15 out of 19 people found the following review useful:
I wish it was more epic, 14 June 2000

Author: Shawn Watson (gator_macready@yahoo.com) from The Underverse

I first saw Wishmaster at a midnight screening at the London Trocadero in summer 1998. I had been awake for nearly 24 hours but needed to kill some time. I was only 17, not old enough to get into the 18-rated movie, and it scared the hell out of me.

As we get older, fewer and fewer movies have the ability to scare us as we all get more savvy and jaded to the formulaic nature of most horror films. I don't know what it was about Wishmaster that spooked me so bad, but I've been a fan of the film ever since.

On a technical level, Wishmaster suffers from shoddy production design and direction that is barely above that of a cheap daytime soap opera. The acting is mostly appalling (with the exception of Andrew Divoff, who ravages the role of the Djinn/Demerest), and some of the dialogue is clunky. But, as a whole, the movie excels on pure energy alone. I mean, not only do you have more in-jokes than you can possibly count but even Jack the Ripper himself turns up before Lemmy sings hard rock over the closing credits.

There's so much potential, imagination, and over-the-top carnage that the film just whizzes by. A lot of the potential isn't taken full advantage of (the 90 minute runtime keeps things to the bare minimum) but it sets up enough mythology to justify three sequels, the first sequel being the only decent one, however.

The plot focuses on the Djinn, that's Wishmaster to you, and his efforts to take over the world. As you can see...it's pure hokum but it's the gory bits in between and the Djinn's wisecracking that make this movie worth the money. The Djinn will never be as infamous or as iconic as Freddy, Jason, Michael Myers etc, but that's not to say that he's not an utterly brilliant character. Divoff is absolutely perfect in the role. Even if all he did was real aloud from phone book he'd be mesmerizing.

If you like gore, ghoulish make-up effects, and don't mind horror humor that feels like it was conjured up by a bunch of drunken frat boys, then you'll find plenty to like about Wishmaster.

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5 out of 6 people found the following review useful:
Original take on a horror project, 25 April 2005

Author: medic249a2 from Langley, Canada

*** This review may contain spoilers ***

'Wishmaster' puts a new spin on most people's perception of genies. Most people think of a genie that fulfills your greatest wishes. But asking the Djinn to do so could have horrible consequences, as he twists your wishes in order to steal your soul.

It begins in the 12th century when a Persian king is locked into a pact with the Djinn, who unleashes unholy suffering on the King's people. A man is frozen into a wall; a woman turns into a tree; another man's skeleton bursts through his skin and walks around; and another man turns into a crocodile. It is only through a magician's work that this suffering ends, as the Djinn is imprisoned in a fire opal that is then buried inside a statue.

Fast-forward to the present day, when the statue is being unloaded at a Los Angeles dock for a collector, Robert Beaumont (Englund). An accident, however, kills Beaumont's assistant and breaks the statue open, revealing the opal. One of the dock workers steals it and turns it over to a gemologist, Alexandra Amberson (Lauren) for appraisal. During her examination, she unwittingly wakes the Djinn inside, and soon he is on the loose. First, he starts collecting souls by granting a single wish to certain people. One of the first is a homeless man, who sees a nasty pharmacist (Reggie Bannister of 'Phantasm') die a violent death from cancer after wishing for it. The Djinn then takes on a human appearance, sneaking into an anatomy lab and peeling the face of a cadaver off then plastering it onto his own face. Now he is Nathaniel Demarest (Divoff, who also plays the Djinn), a classy man-about-town. As Demarest, he continues his mission of misery by collecting souls - including that of a young sales girl by turning her into a mannequin.

Eventually, he tracks down Alexandra to her place of work, and after taunting & killing the guard ('Friday the 13th's Kane Hodder) after the guard challenges Demarest to "go through" him, he confronts Alex's boss. He eventually obtains Alex's home address after granting her boss's wishes, and shows up menacingly in her apartment. Alex, meanwhile, has found out through a friend of Beaumont's that the Djinn are truly evil creatures who are devious & not to be trusted. When Demarest reveals his true identity, Alex is horrified when the Djinn starts asking her to make her wishes. When she wishes him to destroy himself, the Djinn fires a pistol into his head - which instantly regenerates! He taunts Alexandra by warning, 'That which is eternal cannot die. But if it's any consolation at all, sweet Alex - THAT HURT LIKE HELL!!' Alex is then taken by the Djinn into his hideous red world, where she learns about his origins. When she returns to her apartment, she heads immediately for Beaumont's party where her sister is.

Demarest arrives just behind Alex, where he is confronted by Johnny Valentine (Tony Todd, star of 'Candyman' & 'Night of the Living Dead' [1990]). Valentine warns Demarest to leave, but Demarest tricks him - 'would you like to "escape"?'. When Valentine says yes, he finds himself chained in a steel-and-glass box filled with water! 'Houdini did it in 2.5 minutes,' Demarest says as he walks in.

The party soon becomes a horror show, starting when one woman turns into a glass statue and then explodes. Demarest reveals his real identity to Beaumont, who backs up against a wall then flees. As Alex makes her way through the halls of the museum she is attacked by statues of historical warriors, including a Roman Centurion & Genghis Khan. The Djinn then tries to extort Alex's third wish from her - after which he will be able to rule the world. To give Alex some incentive, he shows her sister trapped in a fire, the flames licking at her back. Through some creative thinking, Alex words her wish to suck the Djinn back into the fire opal - the same way he had 8 centuries earlier.

While the Djinn had some particularly bizarre ways of dispatching his victims, he also showed a demented sense of humor in doing so. Wishmaster also brought together several prominent horror film actors (Angus Scrimm & Reggie Bannister of 'Phantasm', Robert Englund of 'Nightmare on Elm Street', Tony Todd of 'Candyman' and 'Night of the Living Dead', and Kane Hodder of 'Friday the 13th') together.

This is an original take on horror since most of us don't consider genies to be evil. It offers more than the standard slasher fare the dominated 1980's horror.

8/10

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5 out of 6 people found the following review useful:
great premise, missed payoff, 17 April 2005

Author: knifeintheeye from Canada

*** This review may contain spoilers ***

Wishmaster is a movie that promises the world and only delivers a continent. It's not a bad movie, in fact, it's a very good horror movie. It's just that the premise was great, but the payoff wasn't.

Andrew Divoff played the title role of the djinn very well, and hammed it up as the human host, Nathaniel Demerest. Good IL' Freddy K, also known as Robert Englund, had a small role, but played it well. I actually don't recall much else of the cast (sorry people, it's been a couple of months since I saw the movie). The make up on the djinn was neato-keen and the special effects are better then average.

If ever a movie was made for the villain to win, it was this movie. I suppose the ending was fine, but oh how I wanted the evil djinn to win. I know I'm human and I should root for the human but I was hoping to see the djinns take over the world.

Why won't film makers, if the main character is a villain/monster let the guy win?

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11 out of 18 people found the following review useful:
I can think of many wishes..to defeat the evil., 12 June 2006

Author: Liakot Ali from London

Wishmaster is a clever horror film, with a different storyline from the others. The movie is about a evil Djinn that grants Wishes and leaves an evil impact. Who ever makes a wish, the Djinn takes their soul. The movie has cameos from many Famous Horror legends. Some include Robert Englund of Freddy Krueger, Kane Hodder of Jason series, Tony Todd of Candyman etc. Andrew Divoff gives a Great performance as the Wishmaster. If you have seen all 4 Wishmasters, you will know in part 3 and 4, There is a different actor playing the Djinn. Andrew proves he is quite talented. Part One is the Best of the Lot. Part Two was pretty good. The others were a complete nonsense. One weakness with the film is the final wish, I'm sure they could think of a better and clever ending then that. The lead actress should of just wished for him to go to Planet Neptune and never return to Earth. She could of tried saying, I wish for you not to grant me this wish. I wish for more wishes. Anyway enough with that, i can go on for ages. The movie was entertaining and worth the watch.

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5 out of 7 people found the following review useful:
Fun, gory slasher thrill-ride, 16 March 2006

Author: Vampenguin from Canada

Right from the opening lines by Angus Scrimm, I knew that I was going to love this movie. It doesn't bother to waste any time, gets right to the good stuff within the first few minutes of the film. The gore, which is quite plentiful, reminded me of a mix of Hellraiser and In the Mouth of Madness, which is certainly a good thing. I had a lot of fun playing "spot the horror star" throughout the film; in case you didn't already know, this is loaded with cameos! It also has it's share of references to The Exorcist...the homeless man's line about being an old alter boy, the Pazuzu statues, etc. I thought that was a nice touch, to be honest. Divoff created a classic horror villain, his voice and mannerisms were spot-on. Creepy and beyond cool, he fits right in among Freddy, Jason, Myers or Pinhead. My one problem with the film was the psychic girl. Why oh why did they need to cheapen this film by making her "psychic"? Oh well, it didn't detract too much, I guess. Overall, this is a great film if you like a nice, gory, somewhat original slasher flick.

8.5/10

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8 out of 13 people found the following review useful:
Make a Wish, but Think First, 18 May 2007

Author: Claudio Carvalho from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

In the beginning of the times, God created life into universe: light gave birth to angels, earth to men and fire to djin, creatures condemned to dwell in the void between the worlds. One who wakes a djin shall be given three wishes. Upon granting the third, an unholy legion of djins are freed through a doorway between the worlds upon the Earth. In 1127 A.D., in Persia, a sorcerer lures and traps a powerful Djinn (Andrew Divoff) in the stone of secret fire. In the present days, a drunken crane operator drops the valuable statue of Ahura Mazda over the assistant of Raymond Beaumont (Robert Englund) on the harbor, and one worker finds the huge and priceless opal red stone where Djin is seized. Alexandra Amberson (Tammy Lauren), who works in an auction house, receives the stone for evaluation and accidentally awakes Djin. The evil creature is released later, charges the stone with people souls and feeds with their fears, while chasing Alexandra to force to make three wishes and unleash the demoniac fiends upon Earth.

The gore and funny "Wishmaster" is good horror movie, with original deaths, great special effects (1997) and a refreshing story. Andrew Divoff, presently working in "Lost", is great in the role of the evil, witty and cynical Djin; the blonde Tammy Lauren performs a smart and clever character, following the Djin's advice ("- Make a wish, but think first") and luring and tricking the demon with her intelligence; and there is homage to horrors movie, with the participation of Robert "Freddy Krueger" Englund and Tony "Candyman" Todd. I have watched this film at least four times along ten years and it is still one of my favorites in the genre. My vote is seven.

Title (Brazil): "O Mestre dos Desejos" ("The Master of the Wishes")

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2 out of 2 people found the following review useful:
It's only a B-movie., 14 May 2010

Author: wazzuk3000 from United Kingdom

Let me begin by saying this film is not as bad as it's been made out to be sure it's a gore-fest at points and yes the dialogue is cheesy but surely that is what a B-movie is meant to be? The film has more substance than sequels that seem to spawn in the realm of horror movies. The film concerns a Djinn, Arabic for genie, who escapes from a statue to wreak havoc onto the world. He can sustain a human form if he can give someone 3 wishes. Andrew Divoff is delightfully malicious as the evil Djinn. The main cast give fair performances which can only be expected in a,remember, B-Movie. At times the film tries a bit to hard to please horror fans with various winks to other horror icons, Candyman and Freddy Kruger to name a few (Tony Todd and Robert Englund, respectively). But if you want a half decent horror movie to watch and don't care too much about substance then this film will not disappoint.

Conclusion.

A fun B-movie and a must for all horror fans. Though it does nothing to forward the genre.

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1 out of 1 people found the following review useful:
No sir i wish nothing, 21 November 2009

Author: peterpants66 from United States

*** This review may contain spoilers ***

People have said this movie "sucks". Well let me tell you something this movie did suck, it sucked the oxygen out of the room! For some reason this film charged up me and my roommates to the point of insanity sitting on the edge of our seats going "Nooo don't make a wish, noooo!" Yeah it was good, it did for granting wish's what Jaws did for being in the ocean. It's and old tale i know, bad genie bad wishes, where the thing goes sideways is what happens to these poor bastards. Also this film is literally loaded like a Gatling gun with horror movie icons. Every ten seconds your sitting there someone walks by, ohh there's Kane Hodder, look over there that's Tony Todd makin a bad wish. You would think they knew, but no and to our delight we see some real tasty gore. The movie was more comical then scary which made the horror very nice. See it for yourself and don't skip on the sequel, just remember if your out and a stranger with a coffee cake face asks you to make a wish, do not do it. Unless your mad clever!

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