Wishmaster (1997)

Director:

Robert Kurtzman

Writer (WGA):

Peter Atkins (written by)

Release Date:

19 September 1997 (USA)

Genre:

Fantasy | Horror

Tagline:

Be careful what you wish for.

Plot:

A demonic djinn attempts to grant its owner three wishes, which will allow him to summon his brethren to earth.

Plot Keywords:

Genie | Wish | Demon | Gem | Gore

Awards:

2 nominations

Cast

Tammy Lauren	...	Alexandra Amberson
Andrew Divoff	...	The Djinn / Nathaniel Demerest
Robert Englund	...	Raymond Beaumont
Chris Lemmon	...	Nick Merritt
Wendy Benson-Landes	...	Shannon Amberson (as Wendy Benson)
Tony Crane	...	Josh Aickman
Jenny O'Hara	...	Wendy Derleth
Kane Hodder	...	Merritt's Guard
Tony Todd	...	Johnny Valentine
Ricco Ross	...	Lt. Nathanson
John Byner	...	Doug Clegg
George 'Buck' Flower	...	Homeless Man
Gretchen Palmer	...	Ariella
Ted Raimi	...	Ed Finney
Angus Scrimm	...	Narrator (voice)

Also Known As:

Wes Craven's Wishmaster

MPAA:

Rated R for horror violence and gore, and for language.

Runtime:

90 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital | SDDS

Certification:

Iceland:16 | South Korea:18 | Singapore:R21 | Argentina:16 | Australia:MA | Finland:K-16 (video premiere) | France:-12 | Germany:18 | Hong Kong:III | Ireland:18 | Portugal:M/16 | Singapore:PG | Spain:18 | UK:18 | USA:R | Brazil:16

Filming Locations:

Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Pierre David

Trivia:

Many crew members, including director Robert Kurtzman (man killed by piano) had small roles in the film, some times appearing in different scenes as different characters.

Goofs:

Continuity: When the tramp presses himself up against the drug store window, the positions of him arms change from up or down between shots.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Narrator: Once, in a time before time, God breathed life into the universe. And the light gave birth to Angels. And the earth gave birth to Man. And the fire gave birth to the Djinn, creatures condemned to dwell in the void between the worlds. One who wakes a Djinn will be given three wishes. Upon the granting of the third, the unholy legions of the Djinn will be freed to rule the earth. Fear one thing in all there is... FEAR THE DJINN.

Movie Connections:

References The Exorcist (1973)

Soundtrack:

Listen to the Heart

Slightly Above Average Film With Cameos Galore

A long time ago, the djinn (basically genies) were an influential force, able to grant wishes while also wreaking horrible havoc on the countryside. One djinn (the Wishmaster) is trapped in a gem and imprisoned inside a statue. Many, many years later in America the statue breaks... and the djinn once again tries to continue his evil ways.

The basic idea of this film is really cool: a genie grants wishes and the wishes go very, very badly. This works well, especially in one scene where a man wishes he had money and then his mother gets killed (allowing him to inherit her life insurance). But I also felt too many liberties were taken with the wishes: many of the things that counted as wishes were simply comments about desires, some of them vague and many sarcastic. This seems like a plot hole if ever there was one.

That concern aside, the effects and deaths were cool... and the film as a whole was very enjoyable. I have not yet seen "Wishmaster 2" but would be interested into doing so.

What makes this film really stand out is the impressive list of horror names associated with it, starting with director Robert Kurtzman (the K in the KNB special effects company) and writer Peter Atkins (who I believe was the man behind some of the "Hellraiser" films. The actors? Kane Hodder, Robert Englund and Tony Todd should be names familiar to any horror fan. What about Ted Raimi or Dan Hicks (both from "Evil Dead") and Angus Scrimm or Reggie Bannister (both from "Phantasm")? They're here, too. Even Verne Troyer (Mini-Me) and Walter Phelan show up.

Who really stands out is Andrew Divoff, who plays The Djinn and his human counterpart Nathaniel Demerest. I know Divoff from "Lost" (as Bakunin) but prior to the show, I think he probably had his best-known roles in the "Wishmaster" series, which I have neglected to watch until now. He is amazing -- both suave and a solid actor, but vicious when he needs to be. Not unlike the character of Bakunin, only far more handsome in this role.

"Wishmaster" is something of a horror classic, if for no other reason than the people who appear in it. It's not a great film. It's a decent film. I'd like to give it some extra credit because Robert Kurtzman signed my copy of the movie, but I won't be a fanboy like that. Let's just put it like this: "Wishmaster" is nothing great like "In the Mouth of Madness" but it's much better than other movies about mythological creatures, like "Leprechaun".