Review of Wishmaster (1997) by Roman A — 07 Oct 2009

An accident at the docks sends a rare Fire Opal into the hands of an auction house appraiser, who unwittingly releases the evil Djinn trapped within. The Djinn walks the city streets granting wishes to people it meets in exchange for their souls, usually in diabolically unexpected ways. The Djinn seeks out the one who woke it. He must grant her three wishes, apon granting the 3rd the Gateway between the worlds will open and the legions of the Djinn will burst forth to tread humanity beneath their feet.

Taking a decididly twisted version of the Arabian/Islamic legends of the Djinn (the movie presents them as uniformley evil. Islamic belief is that the Djinn like man where created by Allah and like man given Free Will thus they can choose to do good or do evil). Features some nifty effect (a skeleton rips its way out of a mans body and starts attacking people, just one of many) and cameos by modern horror legends (Angus Scrimm aka The Tall Man provides the opening narration, Robert Englund aka Freddy Kruger plays an art collector who inadvertantly brings the Djinn to America, Kane Hodder aka Jason Vorhees and Tony Todd aka Candyman play security guards who meet there fates at the Djinns hands). What elavates this above your average slasher fare is Andrew Divoff as the Djinn in both demonic and human form. Convaying both the Djinns annoyance at its situation (infinate power that can only be used when someone makes a wish) and a devilish delight at seducing, tempting and tricking people into making carelessly worded wishes and then twisting them in amusing ways. Divoff delivers his lines in menacing growls or the honeyed voice of the tempter (come to think of it he should be every directors No.1 choice to play Satan). The film rarely generates any truly horrifying moments but the effects and Divoff's performance elevate the movie from the standard horror fare released in the late 90's and turns it into something worth enjoying over and over.