Movies
I Wish I Didn’t Watch ‘Wishmaster’
My God. As horror fanatics we all know how cold and lonely the Netflix instant streaming can be. There are some real gems, but among them are some real pieces of shit, like Wishmaster. A 1997 effects heavy reimagining of genie lore that will numb your brain into jelly before destroying your mind with horrible acting, atrocious editing, and a severe misuse of Robert Englund.
The movie’s heart is in the right place. It’s practical effects heavy and features nods to horror classics like The Exorcist. However, the plot is so ill conceived and inconsistent that the list of things to love is pretty much that short.
Everything begins with a gigantic infodump. Several screens of text are hurled at you in quick succession before whisking you away to Persia, amidst a ton of insanity caused by an evil Djinn who sits at the side of the Sultan whispering sweet nothings into his ears. Chaos erupts and there is a cavalcade of death all brought on by the deceptive wish granting of the Djinn. He’s a tricky bastard with dicks for ears.
The Djinn is trapped in a stone. He quickly escapes and asks a very important question of a bystander in the room where he is revived.
For 1997, there are a lot of good ideas here. The design of the Djinn is super inspired. His body reminds me of Gary Oldman’s Dracula armor, and his slithering head tentacles really captivate when the evil bastard is on screen. It’s just a damn shame he changes into this freak about halfway through the film.
You see now that he’s a human we’re treated to an assortment of scenes that force us to think about the premise of the film. He challenges an assortment of one off supporting characters to make a wish for their soul. Often after the deed is done, he turns to the camera and explains his motivations right to us the viewer. Just look at the photo above, he’s about to do it, I swear.
So just when you’re thinking this movie couldn’t get any worse. Shit like this goes down. I’m not sure if this is awesome or makes everything worse.
So Wishmaster should be watched by those of you brave enough to see the insane depths of hell that horror was at in 1997. This movie had a 5 million dollar budget but looks like it was shot by people who knew nothing about framing or editing. There are a ton of good ideas here, but the execution is just plain awful.
But let’s take a look at some of the excellent deaths it features, because boy it features a lot.
So now I’ll watch the rest of these fucking things, and, I imagine wish that my soul had been eviscerated long before I finish. Wish me luck.
Did any of you ever see Wishmaster, what did you think? Am I being too hard on it?
Movies
SCREAMBOX Investigates UFOs and Extraterrestrials: Several Documentaries Streaming Right Now!
As someone who is obsessed with UFOS (or more recently known as UAPs) and the concept of extraterrestrials, I love a good documentary. Sightings have been on the rise since the 1940s, with the atomic bomb seemingly acting as a catalyst for new visitors. But what are these UFOs/UAPs? Is there an explanation or are they simply beyond our explanation? Why are they here? Who are they? How much do our governments know? The questions are endless and so are the documentaries that attempt to uncover the secrets behind decades of sightings and alleged confrontations.
Whether you’re a seasoned viewer or new to the rabbit hole, there’s always a handful of interesting documentaries to get your neurons firing and leave you with sleepless nights. SCREAMBOX is investigating with the addition of several docs, all streaming now on the Bloody Disgusting-powered service. Here’s the breakdown:
Aliens (2021): Beam into this unidentified streaming documentary for a glimpse into Extraterrestrial life. Aliens are hypothetical life forms that may occur outside Earth or that did not originate on Earth.
Aliens Uncovered: Origins (2021): Before Area 51, hidden deep in the desert, the military discovered a hidden gem that helped them create Project Bluebook.
Aliens Uncovered: ET or Man-Made (2022): The crash of Roswell wasn’t meant for New Mexico. In 1947, a neighboring state had 3 major sightings that were swept under the rug.
Aliens Uncovered: The Golden Record (2023): In the late 70s, the US government launched a message to our distant neighbors.
Roswell (2021): This high-flying documentary examines the July 1947 crash of a United States Army Air Forces balloon at a ranch near Roswell, New Mexico. Theories claim the crash was actually that of a flying saucer, but what is the truth?
Also check out:
The British UFO Files (2004): Since the 1940’s the British Government has been investigating the Flying Saucer phenomenon. High-ranking military and government personnel, speak out for the first time, offering unique eyewitness accounts and inside information.
Alien Abductions and Paranormal Sightings (2016): Amazing Footage and stories from real people as they reveal their personal encounters of being abducted by Aliens.
And do not miss Hellier (2019): A crew of paranormal researchers find themselves in a dying coal town, where a series of strange coincidences lead them to a decades-old mystery.
These documentaries join SCREAMBOX’s growing library of unique horror content, including Onyx the Fortuitous and the Talisman of Souls, Here for Blood, Terrifier 2, RoboDoc: The Creation of RoboCop, Hollywood Dreams & Nightmares: The Robert Englund Story, The Outwaters, Living with Chucky, Project Wolf Hunting, and Pennywise: The Story of IT.
Start screaming now with SCREAMBOX on iOS, Android, Apple TV, Prime Video, Roku, YouTube TV, Samsung, Comcast, Cox, and Screambox.com.
You must be logged in to post a comment.