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THE MOVIE |
THE DVD |
REVIEWER |
REVIEW DATE |
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Chucky |
24th September, 2004 |
Review Quote
"Wishmaster is a treat for most horror fans. It's got action, horror, suspense and gore to satisfy your needs. This is really a recommendation for all horror fans, I don't see how a slasher fanatic would be bored during the movie, or a gorehound, or someone who likes suspenseful movies that have you on the edge of your seat. This is some entertaining stuff."
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The Plot
A Djinn (rather known as "The Wishmaster") is released through a gem found in an ancient statue. Once the Djinn grants the 3rd wish by his waker, he and his brothers (other Djinn's) are released unto the earth. That's if he can actually get that far...
The Movie
Wishmaster's a favourite of mine. The premise of the movie is really cool and shows off some creative thoughts as to how an evil genie could twist any wish into something bad. The main problem with the Wishmaster films is that the rules of the movie seem to change. For example, in Wishmaster 2 it is said that the Djinn can only grant 1 wish to people for their soul though the security guard in the first movie (played by Jason Voorhees' Kane Hodder) gets 2 wishes. The first he uses to get the Djinn to leave and then he has another to see the Djinn "go through him". I just wish the continuity in these movies had stayed intact all the time, that may have made the sequels more worthwhile.
An impressive note is that this film was only shot in about 4 weeks, maybe a few days more but that surprised me. To get this quality type of movie in such a small time is quite remarkable, reminiscent of John Carpenter's Halloween which was shot in just a few weeks.
The actors did a pleasant job with the movie, especially Andrew Divoff who has the most evil voice to be heard on film (in my opinion). This brings me back to Wishmaster parts 3 and 4 where Divoff turned down the roles which brought John Novak in to replace him. Now, I must say that Divoff is excellent but a lot of people don't give Novak the credit in which he deserves. Think about how hard it is to fill Divoff's shoes with this role, not just in the acting but in the voice. I think Novak took the correct approach in his roles by making the Djinn sound more like a genie (he actually reminded me of a genie when he spoke) instead of imitating Divoff's evil voice.
The music in Wishmaster is your usual horror suspense score, nothing too different in this but it sets the tone well enough. The special effects, although sometimes looking a bit too fake were adequate and saisfying enough. The gore in the movie was nothing short of fantastic though. Also the addition of 4 well known horror actors (Robert Englund, Tony Todd, Kane Hodder and Angus Scrimm) to the cast is a treat, if not a gimmick to gain a wider audience by using the "if they're in it, it's got to be good" trick. That also brings up the fact that the movie is not directed by Wes Craven though is advertised to make people think that he did without actually saying it.
Wishmaster is a treat for most horror fans. It's got action, horror, suspense and gore to satisfy your needs. This is really a recommendation for all horror fans, I don't see how a slasher fanatic would be bored during the movie, or a gorehound, or someone who likes suspenseful movies that have you on the edge of your seat. This is some entertaining stuff.
The DVD
The DVD is simple yet effective. The picture quality isn't great but passable as a DVD, the anamorphic widescreen helps and if you're really obsessed, they've even got a fullscreen, pan & scan version that you can watch (thought pan & scan is the suckiest format to watch a movie in). The audio is fine, which uses 5.1 surround. This transfer is average at best.
Special features on the disc are satisfactory. Extras include audio commentary, a documentary which includes behind the scenes footage and interviews with cast & crew (namely director Robert Kurtzman and actor Andrew Divoff), 8 TV Spots, Talent Profiles and 2 trailers for the movie. More than you can expect from a movie like this.
Overall, a decent DVD. If you like the movie, pick up this copy today.
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Director
Robert Kurtzman
Cast
Andrew Divoff
Tammy Lauren
Tony Todd
Robert Englund
Kane Hodder
Screenplay
Peter Atkins
Tagline
"Be careful what you wish for."
Country
USA
Classification
18
Year
1997
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Format
PAL
Region Coding
2
Aspect Ratio
1.85:1
16x9 Enhanced
Yes
Running Time
88 minutes
Year Released
2000
Packaging
Keep Case
Extra Features
Audio Commentary
Documentary
8 TV Spots
Talent Profiles
2 Trailers
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If you find any errors in this review, know of any other versions of this DVD available or no longer available, send us an e-mail so we can get the word out to the horror community.
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