This week sees the release of one of the most severely underrated horror franchises in my humble opinion, the Wishmaster series. Vestron Video Collector’s Series has seen fit to release all four films, remastered in one Blu-ray box set with the films spread across 3 discs accompanied by a plethora of extras, both old and new.

For those not familiar with the series the Wishmaster’s antagonist is the Djinn, which is essentially an evil genie. The Djinn were a race of creatures that were created by God after man and condemned to dwell in the void between the worlds. The legend goes that once a Djinn is summoned, after filling its quota of souls by granting a series of singular wishes, it must then grant three wishes to its ‘Waker’. Once that transaction takes place the legions of Djinn will be free to take over the earth. Of course one of the hallmarks of this series are the wishes don’t go exactly as you expect, borrowing a page from one of my favorite stories the Monkeys Paw. While this basic premise holds true for most of the series its particulars do vary a bit from entry to entry.


The first film for me is the perfect embodiment of the wish fulfillment sub-genre as well as a showcase for special effects master Robert Kurtzman one of the founders of K&B Effects. Wishmaster(1997) was his follow-up after co-producing From Dusk Till Dawn and had Kurtzman pulling in some of the biggest names in horror (Tony Todd, Kane Hodder, Robert England, Reggie Bannister, Angus Scrimm and Ted Raimi) to tell the story of a beautiful young appraiser (Tammy Lauren) that gets ahold of the Fire Opal. This stone acts as the lamp in the series and once rubbed releases the Djinn (Andrew Divoff) from his slumber. Divoff who would play the charismatic Wishmaster in the first two installments leaves an indelible mark on the franchise, with his mixture of humor and menace as he grants wishes to his unsuspecting victims.

The first film sets up the formula to the series going forward as once the Djinn is released those around the ‘Waker’ fall prey to the Wishmaster and ultimately become his leverage to get the third and final wish. The first film was the only one to be released theatrically and it definitely shows budget-wise in the films opening and closing gore filled set pieces as the Djinn lays waste to a room of people in some pretty spectacular and hilarious ways. There is an odd humor to the first two entries thanks to Andrew Divoff’s take on the Dijnn, as he twists the wishes of those he encounters with a perfectly timed quip thrown in for good measure. The first film of course ends with the Djinn imprisoned once again in the Opal as the appraiser manages to outsmart the him at his own game, giving him no wiggle room in her wish.


The second film in the series, the direct-to-video Wishmaster 2: Evil Never Dies (1999) sticks close to the foundation setup in the first film, but adding that now the Wishmaster must grant 1,001 wishes before he can grant his final three. This time the Wishmaster is summoned during a museum heist that goes south, which damages the statue where the Fire Opal was encased. The botched robbery also results in the death of the ‘Waker’s’ boyfriend and the guard on duty. The Djinn in his human form then confesses to the crime so he can go to prison to get working on that rather steep wish quota. This pushes the focus of the film more on the Djinn in this film rather than his ‘Waker’ Morgana who is the embodiment of the 90’s goth personified. Played by Holly Fields, she has this strange romance subplot with a former boyfriend whom she looks to for help with the Djinn who became a priest after dating her. It’s an odd contrast as we follow the Djinn’s adventures in prison, which lead him to the wish capital Las Vegas for riff off the climax of the first film as the Djinn unleashes his wraith on a casino full of eager gamblers.

Wishmaster 2: Evil Never Dies was helmed by Jack Sholder (A Nightmare on Elm Street 2: Freddy’s Revenge) when Kurtzman left the franchise when he learned the next installment was going direct-to-video. The film feels a bit rough around the edges, but was a fun follow up to the original that smartly shifted the focus to the Djinn who was well on his way to becoming a horror icon. While leaning in a more comedic direction Wishmaster 2 was worthy addition to the franchise while not trying too hard to bring anything new to the table.

The second two remaining direct-to-video sequels were shot back to back with only a weekend separating the filming in Canada. Wishmaster 3: Beyond the Gates of Hell is definitely the weakest film on the set since it feels like it was written in a day pulling every trope it could from late 90’s horror. This time the Djinn is let loose on a college killing spree when awakened by Diana Collins (A.J. Cook), your typical 30 something horror actress playing a teenage college student. Taking the form of her Professor the Djinn, now played by John Novak is a less humorous take on the monster as the film stumbles through its 92-minute running time finding a conclusion. Along with ditching the 1,001 souls quota the film introduces the archangel Michael into the series who then possesses the body of Diana’s boyfriend, Greg to take on the Djinn and save Diana from having to make her final wish.

Wishmaster 3: Beyond the Gates of Hell(2001) was definitely the low point of the series as a whole with its lack of budget and script on full display. With an uncharismatic antagonist and a ‘Waker’ who fails to engage any sympathy, its surprising that one of the more interesting installments would follow. Wishmaster: The Prophecy Fulfilled (2002) actually gives the Wishmaster someone who intends on using her wishes when the Opal finds Lisa (Tara Spencer-Nairn) who’s boyfriend was paralyzed in an auto accident. The Wishmaster this time takes the form of the Attorney arguing the case that has been going on for sometime as Lisa and her boyfriend have started to drift apart thanks to his handicap. Sympathetic for his new master the Djinn concludes her case and gives Lisa’s boyfriend the use of his legs again without the usual backfiring that accompanies the wishes.

Lisa’s third wish however for her to love the Attorney for “who he really is.” This means the Djinn must attempt to win the affection of Lisa so he can finally unleash the Djinn on the earth and fulfill the prophecy. Strangely enough, in this film an Angel is brought into the mix this time to kill the ‘Waker’ before the Wishmaster can grant her final wish. Wishmaster: The Prophecy Fulfilled is an interesting addition thanks to its premise, which genuinely brings something different to the series and changes up the dynamic between the Djinn and his master. The fourth and final installment ends the series on a high note as the third wish is finally made and we get some real stakes as we find the Djinn can indeed be slain, but the angel’s sword.


Presentation-wise the films look leaps and bounds better than their previous DVD incarnations. A quick comparison below shows that there is a brightness and clarity to the transfers of the films, with the only limitations being the elements themselves. While there is a clarity there is also a slight softness to the image that was probably due to film’s production. If you’ve seen the films in their previous DVD releases you are in for a treat as Vestron’s discs give these films a new life since you can really appreciate the practical effects of the series. Each film comes paired a subdued DTS-HD track that does a fair representation since most of these films were released direct to video.



Extras-wise the set brings forward most of the features from previous releases with the bulk of the new material dealing with the first film. While they do discuss the whole series in respects, it would be nice to get some retrospective thoughts on the other entries to give them some context now that is has been almost 15 years since the last film was released. Still it’s a comprehensive package that presents at least a commentary for each film coupled with some vintage featurettes, so you can finally ditch those DVDs.

While the quality of some of the entries story-wise may be hit or miss, Vestron has given fans of this franchise a set that give this great franchise its due. With each film remastered and presented with the best quality picture and sound its worth picking up for fans and those looking for some old-school 90’s horror with a sense of humor. While the first film definitely still stands as the best the second and fourth entries are definitely worth your times if you dig the premise. Its great that Vestron has given this series a decent release that will allow these films to be rediscovered by fans, both old and new who will definitely see something new on this great set.