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Wishmaster Collection: Collector's Series 4-Film Set
[Blu-ray]
Blu-ray A - America - Lions Gate Home Entertainment Review written by and copyright: Anthony Arrigo (11th July 2017). |
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The Film
 Pop quiz: how many films are there in the “Puppet Master” (1989) series? How about “The Howling” (1981)? Did you know “Witchcraft” (1988) has spawned thirteen sequels? Horror has plenty of series that somehow managed to remain on life support; a few still going, while others saw producers (grudgingly, I’m sure) pull the plug. Did anyone want any of the sequels that followed “Pumpkinhead” (1988)? How many readers even know a third and fourth installment exist? This is likely the scenario many will find themselves in when staring down Lionsgate’s latest Vestron Video Collection title, the “Wishmaster” collection, which features all four of the demonic Djinn’s outings. If you enjoyed the first film but never got around to seeing the others, don’t let the prospect of three sequels excite you. Just like the “Species” (1995) franchise, these films make a hasty plunge into the subterranean depths of swill right after the first entry. Everyone has fantasized about how they would fulfill their dreams if a genie popped out of the proverbial lamp and offered up three wishes, but few stop to consider the genie’s true intentions. In director Robert Kurtzman’s “Wishmaster” (1997), that consideration is the focus of a story by screenwriter Peter Atkins. The “genie” in this case is from an ancient race, known as djinn, which are trapped in a void between the worlds of light and darkness. When a person summons the djinn they are given three wishes, though upon fulfilled of the third all of the djinn trapped in limbo will be released upon the world. In 1100's Persia, an emperor has woken the djinn (Andrew Divoff) and used two of his wishes, the latter of which has been violently twisted to inspire a quick follow-up. Before the prophecy-fulfilling third wish can be made, a sorcerer traps the djinn within a fire opal. Present day. A dockworker (Joe Pilato), who is drunk, is lowering an ancient statue belonging to art dealer Raymond Beaumont’s (Robert Englund) from a ship when it slips and crushes Beaumont’s assistant (Ted Raimi). The statue breaks, revealing the fire opal hidden within, which one of the workers steals and later pawns. The gemstone eventually makes its way into the hands of Alexandra (Tammy Lauren), an appraiser for Regal Auctioneers. Her inspection wakes the djinn but she has to leave before finishing, handing the job over to her co-worker, Josh (Tony Crane), who soon after releases the djinn and, in a gruesome scene, winds up a dead mess. Alexandra is determined find out why Josh died, so she does some sleuthing and uncovers the history of the fire opal and the djinn, learning of the three wish prophecy as well as the djinn’s acquisition of power via taking souls. The djinn has now fully reformed and made use of a “new” face (off a dead body, still Andrew Divoff) and he ventures out in public to grant wishes and steal souls. And, boy, does he have way too much fun doing it. Watch as he revels in the agony of a shopkeeper (Reggie Bannister) after killing the man with cancer per a hobo’s (Buck Flower) wishes. Alexandra and the djinn, now going by “Nathaniel Demerest”, finally meet and the rules of this “game” are explained. Alexandra makes her first wish – to know what the djinn is – and soon realizes how her words can be manipulated, as she is transported into the fire opal and the world in which he has lived for the past few millennia. She quickly uses her second wish to escape. The djinn figures the best way to force Alexandra into making her third wish is by threatening her family, specifically her sister, Shannon (Wendy Benson), who is attending a big soiree at Beaumont’s estate. Alexandra has to play by the djinn’s code if she wants to have any chance of coming out on top. What “Wishmaster” lacks in directorial finesse it makes up for with top-notch FX work, a script full of fun barbs, and a compelling villain as played by Divoff. As the third and fourth sequels clearly prove, Divoff is the heart of this series; find no more proof than the fact he is able to make the second film watchable despite a horrid premise and an equally-appalling script. Anyone who has followed Divoff’s career knows he is a chameleon, able to play persons of any nationality with an appropriate accent to match. As the djinn, he conjures up a throaty, gravelly tone that is like the Middle Eastern cousin of Candyman. Combined with devilish charm and acerbic wit, his djinn crafts a persona that is captivating and entirely creepy. It is a real testament to Divoff’s abilities that the djinn often seems more malevolent when in human form than when his true form is revealed. Being that the film is directed by a notable special effects artist expect to see all sorts of magnificent practical FX work on display. Both the opening and closing of the film feature an orgy of violence that has so many mutilated moving parts you’ll have to pause just to catch all the gory details. The djinn’s rebirth is one of a few standouts, featuring the creepiest wriggling humanoid character since Rev. Kane’s nubby appearance in “Poltergeist II: The Other Side” (1986). “Wishmaster” has been called “The Expendables of horror” and while it might not be exactly that in the terms you think – everyone’s favorite icons slashing it up together on screen – the recognizable faces (and voice) include Angus Scrimm, Kane Hodder, Robert Englund, Tony Todd, Reggie Bannister, Ted Raimi, and a blink-or-you’ll-miss-it cameo by Tom Savini. I remember being stoked on seeing all those faces in the theater, and seeing them again now, all these years later, is still a minor thrill. It’s comfortable, like hanging out with old friends. Since the first film was a minor hit, a sequel was soon commissioned. “Wishmaster 2: Evil Never Dies” (1999), directed by Jack Sholder, is a terrible, dumb movie. This much is indisputable. But again, it does feature a sly performance from Divoff, who makes a strong case for arguing this series might have enjoyed a better life had he stuck around. After an opening art heist, wherein both the fire opal is revealed and Corey Haim is killed, the djinn is once again reborn in gnarly fashion to prey upon the souls of the weak. Why does he have the same face after the last film explained he needed fresh skin to grow one? Because Divoff owns this role, that’s why. Police arrive on the scene and immediately arrest the man they suspect committed the robbery and killed a guard: the djinn, once again posing as “Nathaniel Demerest”. The djinn thrives in prison, granting wishes to one prisoner after another – each with horrify fulfillment – stockpiling a couple hundred souls in the process. Morgana (Holly Fields), the one surviving robber who managed to escape the opening heist, turns to Gregory (Paul Johansson), a former lover who banished himself to the Friend Zone by becoming a priest, for assistance to defeat the djinn. This mainly involves checking a lot of hilariously dated web pages. Nathaniel, meanwhile, has acquired nearly every soul in the prison but he’s still short several hundred, so he and his new Russian bestie, Osip (Oleg Vidov), walk out the front door in search of more victims. Eventually the djinn strikes it soul-rich after setting up shop in a casino (wishes galore!) but Morgana, repentant as ever for her actions in the opening, confronts the djinn and tries to reset his evil deeds in order to free her own soul. There is a scene in this movie where a prisoner tells the djinn that he wishes his lawyer would “go f**k himself”, at which point the prisoner is immediately called in for a meeting with his lawyer. You already know where this is going but, rather than imply the act by hearing screams/etc. from behind a closed door, Sholder allows us to watch as the lawyer’s lower half twists around 180 degrees and thrusts as the lawyer clings to the edge of the table like a life preserver. Divoff is still devilish as ever but you could have replaced him with Rob Schneider and this script wouldn’t have known the difference. The latter sequels in this series are so terrible their summary will be brief (unlike the films, which are an endurance test even at 90 minutes). In “Wishmaster 3: Beyond the Gates of Hell” (2001) yet another beautiful babe, Diana (A.J. Cook), unlocks the djinn (although how it wound up inside another ancient relic post-“Wishmaster 2” is never explained) and he wreaks havoc – this time on a college campus! How original, although I will admit to being somewhat partial to bad horror movies set on a sprawling college campus. I cannot explain why. At least this time the djinn follows his own rules and claims a fresh face for his own, taking on the persona of Prof. Barash (Jason Connery – yes, Sean’s son). And thanks to a lower budget, he spends even more of the film in human form than before. Though, to be fair, his djinn form (played by John Novak) looks like the store brand version of Divoff’s so this isn’t such a bad thing. Just look at those friggin’ earlobes! If I met the djinn and he gave me three wishes, I would use two of them to erase these films from existence. “Wishmaster 4: Why Are You Back For More?”… ok, it’s actually “Wishmaster 4: The Prophecy Fulfilled” (2002) gets a modicum of credit for trying to do some things differently. The djinn is back again – who cares how it happened? – and this time he spends 90% of the running time inhabiting the body of Steven (Michael Trucco), a lawyer who is arbitrating a settlement for Lisa (Tara Spencer-Nairn) and her crippled alcoholic husband, Sam (Jason Thompson). Steve is able to trick plenty of people into making wishes and stealing their souls, including Lisa, but he’s practically over the moon when she actually makes that third wish! Time for a djinn party! Except her wish had something to do with love, and human love must be earned, and blah, blah, blah now the djinn is ambivalent about whether or not to free his djinn buddies and take over the world or just hang back here, love Lisa, and be Steve for all of eternity. I wish I could have been Steve, who died at the beginning of this movie and thus did not have to endure it. I have written in my notes “HOLY SH*T I’m only 45 min. into this” which should probably be taken as a sign this is a rough road. I’m going to give director Chris Angel (no, not that one) some kudos for trying to shake up the djinn routine a touch but the ambitions never quite take off and the end result is still another by-the-numbers genie slaughter-fest – and we have so few of those in horror that if it’s already gotten to the point of being routine you know someone screwed up. Do yourself a favor and stick to the first two films, recognize the steep drop in quality, and then just file this set away and pretend no further entries were made. As a completist I’m glad Lionsgate decided to toss every film in this set – and at around $10/each this collection is a decent value – because I can’t say I would have ever purchased them solo. - "Wishmaster": B - "Wishmaster 2": C - "Wishmaster 3": D+ - "Wishmaster 4": D
Video
“Wishmaster” features a 1.78:1 1080p 24/fps AVC MPEG-4 encoded image that appears to be an outdated master. Definition and fine detail look average, with the best moments coming via close-ups and brightly lit scenes. Colors look a bit wan, lacking in rich saturation. Film grain looks natural and mostly fine, though it does get a bit clumpy at times. This is not a bad image by any means but a bit more spit-and-polish might have really spruced things up a bit. “Wishmaster 2” is framed at 1.85:1, with a 1080p 24/fps AVC MPEG-4 encoded image that is emblematic of direct-to-video 90's titles. This serviceable image is very similar to the first; in fact, all of the above statements would apply here, too. “Wishmaster 3” and “Wishmaster 4” are virtually identical in appearance, and not so dissimilar from the first two films, with each sporting a 1.85:1 1080p 24/fps AVC MPEG-4 encoded image that only bests the earlier pictures in terms of fine detail and a more refined grain structure. Otherwise, expect a similar DTV aesthetic as seen in the second film. None of the films features a striking video presentation, though none of them are a bust, either.
Audio
English DTS-HD Master Audio is the codec of choice here, but the channel options are all over the place. “Wishmaster” says it features a 5.1 surround sound track but it in fact only has a 2.0 stereo track available. Harry Manfredini’s score is very typical of his work and it does the job well enough without getting TOO cheesy. Dialogue is balanced and sounds great. “Wishmaster 2” gets an actual 5.1 surround sound track, although the additional channels don’t exactly take advantage of their existence. There is some terrible ADR during the casino scenes. “Wishmaster 3” goes back to 2.0 stereo, while “Wishmaster 4” ends things with a 5.1 surround sound track, both of which have their own share of faults that mainly includes lacking impact and sounding “boxy” at times. All four films feature subtitles in English and Spanish.
Extras
Only the first film gets loaded up with extras but the sequels get a little love, too. DISC ONE: "Wishmaster" There are two audio commentary tracks available – with director Robert Kurtzman and screenwriter Peter Atkins; and, with director Robert Kurtzman and stars Andrew Divoff & Tammy Lauren. Additionally, there is also an option to view the film with an isolated score selections and an audio interview with composer Harry Manfredini. “Out of the Bottle – Interview with Director Robert Kurtzman and Co-Producer David Tripet” (1080p) featurette runs for 21 minutes and 55 seconds. “The Magic Words – Interview with Screenwriter Peter Atkins” (1080p) featurette runs for 13 minutes and 55 seconds. “The Djinn & Alexandra – Interview with Stars Andrew Divoff & Tammy Lauren” (1080p) featurette runs for 25 minutes and 57 seconds. “Captured Visions – Interview with Director of Photography Jacques Haitkin” (1080p) featurette runs for 12 minutes and 43 seconds. “Wish List – Interview with Actors Robert Englund, Kane Hodder, and Ted Raimi” (1080p) featurette runs for 12 minutes and 4 seconds. A teaser trailer (1080p) runs for 45 seconds. The film’s theatrical trailer (1080p) runs for 1 minute and 37 seconds. A handful of TV spots (SD) runs for 3 minutes. Some radio spots run for 1 minute and 9 seconds. "Vintage Making-Of" featurette (SD) runs for 24 minutes and 45 seconds. "Vintage EPK" (SD) featurette runs for 5 minutes and 39 seconds. “Behind-the-Scenes Footage Compilation” (SD) featurette runs for 11 minutes and 58 seconds. A storyboard gallery (1080p) runs for 7 minutes and 37 seconds, while a still gallery (1080p) runs for 6 minutes and 42 seconds. DISC TWO: "Wishmaster 2" There is an audio commentary track with director Jack Sholder. A theatrical trailer (1080p) runs for 1 minute and 7 seconds. A still gallery (1080p) runs for 5 minutes and 22 seconds. DISC THREE: "Wishmaster 3"/"Wishmaster 4" “Wishmaster 3” Bonus Features: Audio commentary with director Chris Angel and cast members John Novak, Jason Connery, and Louisette Geiss. “Behind-the-Scenes” (SD) is a featurette that runs for 5 minutes and 51 seconds. A theatrical trailer (SD) runs for 1 minute and 52 seconds. “Wishmaster 4” Bonus Features: There are two audio commentary tracks: one with director Chris Angel and cast members Michael Trucco & Jason Thompson, the second with director Chris Angel and actor John Novak. “Wishmasterpiece Theater” (SD) featurette runs for 7 minutes and 13 seconds, done in the style of “Masterpiece Theater” this is actually pretty funny. A theatrical trailer (SD) runs for 1 minute and 21 seconds.
Packaging
The three-disc set comes housed in an eco-case, with a disc on the inside of each cover while a third is on a swinging hinge. There is a slip-cover available on first pressings.
Overall
I can only recommend the first film with the suggestion that it be followed up by the second only if you are a big fan of what Divoff brings to the role. For him alone, I find the first two films make for a nice double feature. The sequels, however, are unfortunate garbage despite trying to do things slightly different than what came before. Vestron’s “Wishmaster collection” does a fine job of bringing all of the series films into one package, along with some great new bonus features, but the line still has some work to do if it wants to compete with Scream Factory and Arrow Video.
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