Wishmaster Collection (1997-2002)

[Russhole]

Happy 25th Anniversary Wishmaster!

[bigdaddyhorse]

Originally Posted by Vriess

Is this going OOP? Getting harder to find copies

Copies are showing up at Best Buy again, some with slips still. It's in the small Halloween section and $21.99 (online, I swear it was less in store). My store had 2, one with a slip and one without. The slip was scratched and bent up though. Not sure if this is dumping of remaining stock or not, so I'd say if you have been flip-flopping on getting it, do it now to be safe. If you've been waiting for a better price, it's here. Want a good condition slip, good luck.

[format916]

had no idea mini-me was the small djinn in the hospital scene.

[profholt82]

Originally Posted by bigdaddyhorse

Copies are showing up at Best Buy again, some with slips still. It's in the small Halloween section and $21.99 (online, I swear it was less in store). My store had 2, one with a slip and one without. The slip was scratched and bent up though. Not sure if this is dumping of remaining stock or not, so I'd say if you have been flip-flopping on getting it, do it now to be safe. If you've been waiting for a better price, it's here. Want a good condition slip, good luck.

I haven't been my local BB in a few weeks. Do you recall any of the other movies they had in the Halloween section?

[bigdaddyhorse]

Originally Posted by profholt82

I haven't been my local BB in a few weeks. Do you recall any of the other movies they had in the Halloween section?

1408, Werewolves Within, Planet Terror, Fright Night remake and more.
Also saw the Halloween set with Curse through Resurrection in a separate spot, and one other small rack of Halloween titles with VHS 94, Psycho Goreman, X and a few more.
Oh yeah, They Live 4K was either in that section or right next to it, now 2 copies without slipcovers. Not sure if those are shipping like that now though since Scream is wrapping inside and out, and some ****ing asshat buys shit at BB then returns em without the slips. Seen that a few dozen times already, they recently got VHS 94 and X too.

Slow season for me since I have most of everything on sale, but did grab X and VHS 94 (with slips, beat the asshat!).

[BluPat]

Yea I went today to pick up my in-store Poltergeist 4K and picked up the Wishmaster set for my husband for $21.99.

[DaBargainHunta]

My thoughts on all four films in Vestron's Wishmaster Collection Blu-ray:



(Thanks to Savage_Blu!)

Wishmaster (1997)



When Wishmaster was released in the late '90s, it was barely on my radar and kind of came and went. All these years later, I had no idea what to expect.

The villain is The Djinn - a genie who can grant wishes - but as the film warns us: "Forget Barbara Eden. Forget Robin Williams." This genie is "driven by an ancient and endless malevolence." It is "the face of fear itself."

As grim as that sounds, Wishmaster is actually a delightful hoot! It harkens back to the horror films of the '80s and has its tongue planted firmly in its cheek the entire time. Some of the lines uttered here are absolute whoppers, but it's a credit to the actors that they're able to keep a straight face.

Several names familiar to horror fans show up in small roles or cameos - including Robert Englund, Tony Todd, Kane Hodder, and Angus Scrimm (in a voice role). This is a loving tribute to the genre. I had an absolute blast watching it!

I don't know if I'm going to binge-watch the whole series right away or spread them out a bit, but Wishmaster 2: Evil Never Dies is definitely on the schedule for tonight.

I fully expect diminishing returns from here on out, as is usually the case with most horror sequels, but we'll be in good shape if they capture even a fraction of the fun of the first.

Wishmaster 2: Evil Never Dies (1999)



Wishmaster 2: Evil Never Dies is the rare horror sequel that lives up to the original. While the first Wishmaster is still the best, this is a more than satisfying follow-up.

The practical effects remain great too.

The 1997 original had its tongue planted firmly in its cheek the whole time. This retains a bit of its predecessor's humor, but it's a much more serious film overall.

Andrew Divoff returns as the evil Djinn (genie). This time, he officially refers to himself as The Wishmaster - a title that was never actually uttered anywhere in the first movie.

Divoff fully commits to this character. It's such a shame that a truly impressive performance like this one could never be recognized, acknowledged, and nominated for mainstream awards simply because of the genre the movie is in.

I didn't know what to expect going into the Wishmaster series, but the first two films have turned out to be delightful surprises.

At some point, I anticipate these will take a sharp turn downward. Does that happen with Wishmaster 3, 4, or both? They're crammed onto one disc, so I'm not expecting much.

Wishmaster 3: Beyond the Gates of Hell (2001)



Wishmaster 3: Beyond the Gates of Hell is a cheap and charmless sequel, but it still has its moments.

In a massive blow to the series, Andrew Divoff did not return after Wishmaster 2. Jason Connery tries (with John Novak taking over actual Djinn duties), but they have impossible shoes to fill. At least Connery plays a new character who has been taken over by the evil Djinn (genie), but Divoff's absence is immediately and immensely felt. Along with Divoff, the budget and effects are gone too.

This is straight-to-video fodder in every way imaginable, but I couldn't bring myself to hate it.

Wishmaster 4: The Prophecy Fulfilled (2002)



What the hell is this?

Wishmaster 4: The Prophecy Fulfilled throws out the rulebook established in the previous movies and veers off in a wildly unexpected direction.

Filmed back-to-back with Wishmaster 3, using the same director and writer, this is nonetheless a bold departure from the previous movie - and the entire series in general.

Imagine a Hallmark horror movie, and you have somewhat of an idea of what this feels like.

Jason Connery is gone, even though Wishmaster 4 was filmed right after 3. This time, Michael Trucco steps into the shoes of the hapless victim taken over by John Novak's Djinn (Andrew Divoff superbly played both in the first two films).

The budget is lower than ever.

I did not expect the final Wishmaster to emphasize romance. And swords. There are swords!

[monwobbbo]

Originally Posted by DaBargainHunta

My thoughts on all four films in Vestron's Wishmaster Collection Blu-ray:



(Thanks to Savage_Blu!)

Wishmaster (1997)



When Wishmaster was released in the late '90s, it was barely on my radar and kind of came and went. All these years later, I had no idea what to expect.

The villain is The Djinn - a genie who can grant wishes - but as the film warns us: "Forget Barbara Eden. Forget Robin Williams." This genie is "driven by an ancient and endless malevolence." It is "the face of fear itself."

As grim as that sounds, Wishmaster is actually a delightful hoot! It harkens back to the horror films of the '80s and has its tongue planted firmly in its cheek the entire time. Some of the lines uttered here are absolute whoppers, but it's a credit to the actors that they're able to keep a straight face.

Several names familiar to horror fans show up in small roles or cameos - including Robert Englund, Tony Todd, Kane Hodder, and Angus Scrimm (in a voice role). This is a loving tribute to the genre. I had an absolute blast watching it!

I don't know if I'm going to binge-watch the whole series right away or spread them out a bit, but Wishmaster 2: Evil Never Dies is definitely on the schedule for tonight.

I fully expect diminishing returns from here on out, as is usually the case with most horror sequels, but we'll be in good shape if they capture even a fraction of the fun of the first.

Wishmaster 2: Evil Never Dies (1999)



Wishmaster 2: Evil Never Dies is the rare horror sequel that lives up to the original. While the first Wishmaster is still the best, this is a more than satisfying follow-up.

The practical effects remain great too.

The 1997 original had its tongue planted firmly in its cheek the whole time. This retains a bit of its predecessor's humor, but it's a much more serious film overall.

Andrew Divoff returns as the evil Djinn (genie). This time, he officially refers to himself as The Wishmaster - a title that was never actually uttered anywhere in the first movie.

Divoff fully commits to this character. It's such a shame that a truly impressive performance like this one could never be recognized, acknowledged, and nominated for mainstream awards simply because of the genre the movie is in.

I didn't know what to expect going into the Wishmaster series, but the first two films have turned out to be delightful surprises.

At some point, I anticipate these will take a sharp turn downward. Does that happen with Wishmaster 3, 4, or both? They're crammed onto one disc, so I'm not expecting much.

Wishmaster 3: Beyond the Gates of Hell (2001)



Wishmaster 3: Beyond the Gates of Hell is a cheap and charmless sequel, but it still has its moments.

In a massive blow to the series, Andrew Divoff did not return after Wishmaster 2. Jason Connery tries (with John Novak taking over actual Djinn duties), but they have impossible shoes to fill. At least Connery plays a new character who has been taken over by the evil Djinn (genie), but Divoff's absence is immediately and immensely felt. Along with Divoff, the budget and effects are gone too.

This is straight-to-video fodder in every way imaginable, but I couldn't bring myself to hate it.

Wishmaster 4: The Prophecy Fulfilled (2002)



What the hell is this?

Wishmaster 4: The Prophecy Fulfilled throws out the rulebook established in the previous movies and veers off in a wildly unexpected direction.

Filmed back-to-back with Wishmaster 3, using the same director and writer, this is nonetheless a bold departure from the previous movie - and the entire series in general.

Imagine a Hallmark horror movie, and you have somewhat of an idea of what this feels like.

Jason Connery is gone, even though Wishmaster 4 was filmed right after 3. This time, Michael Trucco steps into the shoes of the hapless victim taken over by John Novak's Djinn (Andrew Divoff superbly played both in the first two films).

The budget is lower than ever.

I did not expect the final Wishmaster to emphasize romance. And swords. There are swords!

agree that Divoff not being in 3 and 4 was a huge blow to series. still found 3 and 4 to be at least entertaining. a larger FX budget would have helped both movies.

[bigdaddyhorse]

Originally Posted by monwobbbo

agree that Divoff not being in 3 and 4 was a huge blow to series. still found 3 and 4 to be at least entertaining. a larger FX budget would have helped both movies.

Him leaving killed the series IMO, although I also think the Jinn makeup in part 2 was huge step down from the first.

[Socko]

I've to watch all 4 soon. Didn't do that yet.
Too bad I got the wrong disc with no 5.1 sound. Then again. it's not screaming to be in 5.1

[DaBargainHunta]

Originally Posted by Socko

I've to watch all 4 soon. Didn't do that yet.
Too bad I got the wrong disc with no 5.1 sound. Then again. it's not screaming to be in 5.1

How can you tell? My case and slip both say 2.0, but this thread seems to indicate that that means I really got 5.1.

[slasherdisc]

Originally Posted by DaBargainHunta

How can you tell? My case and slip both say 2.0, but this thread seems to indicate that that means I really got 5.1.

Yup, my copy from Best Buy today says same but disc plays with the corrected 5.1

[Socko]

Originally Posted by DaBargainHunta

How can you tell? My case and slip both say 2.0, but this thread seems to indicate that that means I really got 5.1.

You can read back a page and see my frustrations of 3 years ago

Anyway:


As advertised

[KilljoyEX]

$22.99 @ Best Buy. Amazon hasn’t matched yet as of this posting.

[MinionGuy]

Now down to $21.99 for shipping on Bestbuy.com.

[bigdaddyhorse]

Showing back up at the Best Buy near me again, now with perfect slips for $21.99. Saw 3 copies Tuesday.

[Bravis Jacobson]

Was AJ Cook in the third movie? I don't actually remember these movies, but I might stream them somewhere.

[bigdaddyhorse]

Originally Posted by Bravis Jacobson

Was AJ Cook in the third movie? I don't actually remember these movies, but I might stream them somewhere.

Yes she was, and is the lead IIRC. Been a while since watching any of these.

[Bravis Jacobson]

Originally Posted by bigdaddyhorse

Yes she was, and is the lead IIRC. Been a while since watching any of these.

Thank you.