Customer Reviews

Wishmaster 2: Evil Never Dies

5 star:		(19)
4 star:		(21)
3 star:		(8)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(6)

 

 

Yeah, I admit it, they're guilty pleasures. Wishmaster and Wishmaster 2 are low-budget horror films featuring a malevolent genie (definitely not of the Robin Williams variety) who grants people's wishes in wickedly ironic ways, then steals their souls. The scripts are comic-book thin, basically an excuse for us to see what horrible but unintended wish the genie will grant next. You'd think one movie like this would be enough.

That is, until you see Andrew Divoff's performance in Wishmaster 2. This has to be one of the great horror performances in history, up there with Lugosi and Karloff's best. Get this -- Divoff spends most of the film out of makeup, with nothing but his own face to convey a sense of inhuman menace. Somehow, he pulls it off. The guy manages to look terrifyingly feral, inhumanly evil as he grins cruelly and sneers at us with a voice that is part Orson Welles, part Vincent Price. Wow! Regardless of what you think of the plot, special effects, etc., Divoff's performance makes the DVD set worth buying.

In the first Wishmaster movie, we are introduced to the Djinn, an evil genie that has a great amount of power, yet it can only be used in the form of granting wishes. Of course, his wishes do not come without a price. When the person who has awoken the Djinn makes a third and final wish, a doorway between a world of evil and the world as we know it opens, allowing the army of the Djinn free reign of the Earth and it's inhabitants. In this first film, a gem specialist named Alexandra comes across the huge fire opal in which the Djinn resides, and upon inspecting the opal awakens the Djinn (Andrew Divoff). As people's souls are being stolen, and lives are being taken by the Djinn, she investigates the Persian legends behind the creature in hopes of finding a way to defeat him and send him back into the confines of the fire opal. Will she prevail, or will human greed win her conscience and cause her to make all three wishes?

In the sequel to the aforementioned film, a few people break into the esteemed Beaumont collection and steal some valuable pieces of art. In doing so, they sound alarms and are confronted by guards. In a hurried rush to exit the building, one of the thieves knocks over a Persian sculpture (the Ahura Mazda) and finds lodged inside a huge fire opal. Morgana (Holly Fields) grabs the opal, thus awakening to Djinn to again wreak havoc on the world. Cops arrive to find the Djinn disguised as a human, and arrest him for the robbery in addition to the murders of some of the guards. During his time in jail, the Djinn tempts several inmates into making wishes. It's up to Morgana to find a way to send back the evil she unintentionally awoke.

Both of these movies are great, and are definitely some of the better films with Wes Craven's name on them. The effects are spectacular. From the very first scene in the first film, the viewer is cringing in disgust. At the same time, one must laugh at the sick and twisted way the Djinn fulfills peoples wishes. He epitomizes the infamous phrase "be careful what you wish for." There is certainly an excellent balance between gore, scares, and dark humor that is pulled off quite well in both of these films. For B horror flicks, the acting is also superb. Andrew Divoff does an excellent job playing a creepy, evil, twisted genie. There are some notable cameos as well by people such as the "Candyman" (Tony Todd) and Jason Vorhees (Kane Hodder), actors who any fan of the genre can appreciate.

Both of these are great horror films that should be added to anyone's library, particularly if you are a fan of Wes Craven, or even just some great splatter/gore films. When you consider the fact that these are basically two movies for the price of one, I don't know why anyone wouldn't want to go ahead and purchase these films!

This sequel is in my opinion a little bit better then the previous one due to the lack of gore and blood that filled the screen until you just could`nt take it any more, dont get me wrong i liked the first one but it kind of felt like the plot all through the movie was based on blood but Wishmaster 2 had more well scripted deathcounts the plot was basicly a lot better although Wes Craven was`nt involved among with a numerous set of actors for example Robert Englund, Kane Hodder and Tammy Lauren

but Wishmaster 2 took the lead in my opinion anyway.

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.

The franchise is as low-profile as it can be, but it hit its height with Wishmaster 2, which improves upon the original in terms of story, but is restricted by a lower budget.

That doesn't stop director Jack Sholder from going completely over-the-top with the gore effects or pushing the series more and more away from horror and into black comedy. Once again, Andrew Divoff is absolutely brilliant as the wisecracking Djinn/Nathaniel Demerest. Words fail to describe how funny and clever he is. He completely owns the movie despite the hotness of Holly Fields as the lead character, a thief who accidentally frees the Djinn from the fire opal.

The series descended into straight-to-DVD trash after this (which Divoff wisely passed on), but don't misjudge Wishmaster 2, it's surprisingly good and more intelligent than you'd expect.

The DVD is old and murky. Lionsgate really ought to issue a Blu Ray double feature.

A double-feature DVD offering one very good fantasy/horror flick and its subpar sequel.

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WISHMASTER (1997)

Though it takes a little effort to suspend disbelief regarding the existence of a character like the djinn--an evil, insidious genie whose granting of wishes never works out as the wishers expect--and in spite of a few gaping lapses in logic in the plot, WISHMASTER is quite an entertaining fantasy/horror flick. The direction of Robert Kurtzman is fairly artful and tight, the special FX are plentiful and aesthetically outstanding (the gore-filled prologue is especially impressive), and the script is replete with fun twists and clever dialogue.

The acting in WISHMASTER is good, too. Actress Tammy Lauren creates a heroine that is both tough and intelligent yet also sympathetic, and she exudes a sort of every-girl sexiness that is appealing but not too intimidating to either gender in the audience. And as the titular granter of wishes, Andrew Divoff's performance is outstanding. In nearly every scene in which he appears, he steals the show with his inexorable smarminess. Also, horror fans will get a kick out of spotting genre regulars Robert Englund, Ted Raimi, and Tony Todd in supporting or cameo roles. (Alert genre fans will also recognize the voice of Angus Scrimm--the Tall Man from 1979's PHANTASM--who narrates this film's opening prologue.)

True, WISHMASTER is certainly not a deep film, and it doesn't really break any new cinematic ground, but it's definitely a fun ride for horror and fantasy fans. With Wes Craven as executive producer, a script from the pen of frequent Clive Barker collaborator Peter Atkins, and FX from the famed KNB Efx Group, how could it miss?

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WISHMASTER 2: EVIL NEVER DIES (1999)

Though Andrew Divoff reprises his delightfully smarmy performance as the insidious djinn who grants wishes in a deceitfully literal way, this sequel from writer/director Jack Sholder is little more than an uninspired and less logical rehash of the original. The script is too predictable and the characters are cliche and one-dimensional. Taking over the role of the female protagonist, Holly Fields is decidedly sexier than her predecessor, but considering that her character is also a thief and a cold-blooded murderer, such overt sex appeal only detracts from her character's likability rather than adds to it. In contrast to Tammy Lauren's protagonist in the first film, it is difficult to accept that Field's character is capable of outsmarting and thereby defeating the cunning and intelligent centuries-old djinn.

Overall, Divoff's performance is the only redeeming aspect of WISHMASTER 2, and even that isn't enough to elicit a recommendation to even the staunchest of genre fans.

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In spite of the fact that it includes the stinker sequel, WISHMASTER alone makes the double-feature DVD from Artisan Entertainment well worth the very reasonable price of admission. Both films are offered in their original 1.85:1 aspect ratio (enhanced for 16x9 TVs)--the digital transfers look pretty crisp and clean--with soundtracks in Dolby 5.1 format. WISHMASTER, the better film, also comes with an optional director's commentary, as well as a pretty cool making-of featurette. Fantasy and horror fans will definitely want to add this one to their film collections.

(NOTE: The four-star rating is for WISHMASTER only. The sequel WISHMASTER 2: EVIL NEVER DIES rates two stars at best.)

This is a Great double Bill with the original WISHMASTER creating the ambience which Divoff carries over to the second film. The Cast in WISHMASTER is great, Ted Raimi, Robert Englund, Tony Todd,Kane Hodder ( the only GREAT "Jason"), and appearances by a special FX team ( who must have appeared for scale I guess :-), and this is the same team who created the masterful opening sequence of the first film. The whole purpose of the Djinn is gradually revealed as the body count mounts, and as Alex realises that she is inexorably tied to the essence of the Djinn, until she finally knows that she holds the solution to the problem of the Djinn in the very thing that the Djinn wants to use to destroy the world; Will Alex triumph ? Of Course, we have Three Sequels :-)

Wishmaster 2 is NOT a formulaic rebuild of the first film, but in my view is a very imaginative reconstrual, and re-presentation of the Djinn's Evil Purpose. Based on the first film, the Djinn moves again from the Statue he/it was entrapped in, and manufactures a pathway to Hell for an entire new Clientele. Divoff exudes menace, even in the presence of more physically intimidating actors ( the prison bully, and the prison guard). And in the newly modified Djinn suit, Divoff still exudes that same other-worldly quality.
Divoff manages to present a quality in his articulation of lines that makes his presence more alien, more foreign to the world of humans; yet, he does this still with an accessable, and very believable style.
Divoff makes the best of good scripts, and elevates their style in his own inimitable manner.

Wishmaster:When an evil Genie (Andrew Divoff) got trapped inside a diamond for years to come. In today`s world of society, the Genie broke free from the diamond and he`s hauting for souls, so he could make himself stronger and he`s planning to take over the world.

Wishmaster 2:When an evil Genie (Divoff) breaks free from High-Priced Art. Now again, he`s rising hell to everyone, who make a wish from Him, so he could have thier souls to make himself stronger and the only man, who could stop him is an Strong Woman (Holly Fields), who could stop the Wishmaster from taking all over the World.

WM:This entertaining Campy Horror Film is actually very entertaining for Horror Fans. Robert Englund has a small part as a Art Dealer. Cameos by Angus Scrimm (Voice Only), Ted Raimi, George `Buck` Flower, Reggie Bannister, Tony Todd and Make-Up Artist:Howard Berger and Robert Kurtzman (Also the film`s director). Written by Peter Atkins (Hellbound:Hellraiser, Hellraiser 3:Hell on Earth). Grade:B+.

WM 2:This Sequel is much more Campy than the Original. Written and Directed by Jack Sholder (Alone in the Dark, A Nightmare on Elm Street Part 2:Freddy`s Revenge, The Hidden). This Sequel is great dumb fun. Grade:A-.

Just excellent and cool! I've never expected that I will own a DVD that has WM 1 and 2 on it...

Cool menus too!

Can't wait until I own WM 3!

I own the double feature DVD. I bought it for a low price.
It's nice that you could get two movies for such a cheap price and both movies have nice features. Wishmaster is one of my favorites. It's scary and gory. Be careful of what you wish for.

One Word! Awesome! His voice itself is worth the watch