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Our Wishes Have Been Answered With “The Wishmaster Collection”

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Written by Shannon McGrew

I’m not going to pretend that I knew much about the “Wishmaster” series until as of late. Growing up in the 90’s, my main source of horror was from films that were being mass marketed in theaters and on TV, and for whatever reason, “Wishmaster” never made it onto my radar. With that said, this past week, the fine folks over at Vestron Video released the “Wishmaster Collection Series” which includes all four films; “Wishmaster”, “Wishmaster 2: Evil Never Dies”, “Wishmaster 3: Beyond the Gates of Hell”, “Wishmaster 3: Beyond the Gates of Hell”, and “Wishmaster 4: The Prophecy Fulfilled”, that are beautifully restored and remastered. Not knowing what to expect, I took a week to binge watch all four, and let me tell you it was one hell of an experience.

Let’s start with the original “Wishmaster”, the film that started it all. To my delight, I found that I absolutely loved this entire film! The first film in the series introduces us to the evil, demonic Djinn, played spectacularly by Andrew Divoff, who becomes freed from his stone of secret fire, having been placed there by a sorcerer. The Djinn must grant his owner (aka the waker) three wishes so that he can summon his legion of evil Djinn down to Earth. The film is directed by FX legend Robert Kurtzman, and features amazing cameos from Robert Englund, Kane Hodder, Tony Todd, Angus Scrimm and Ted Raimi. What makes this movie so enjoyable is a combination of the talent and charisma that Andrew Divoff brings to the table as the Djinn/Nathaniel Demerest mixed with the unbelievable practical effects.

Moving on to “Wishmaster 2: Evil Never Dies”, I still found plenty of things to delight in, but I will admit, I it felt like it was missing some of that charm that the first movie had. It may be due to the fact that this film had a new director, Jack Sholder, or perhaps the storyline wasn’t as enticing, but regardless, I still found myself highly entertained with the film. This time around, the Djinn must collect 1001 souls so that the can commence the Apocalypse, and what better way to find these souls than in a prison. Andrew Divoff once again returns as the devilish Djinn and is just as mesmerizing as he was in the first film. As for the practical effects, they are not at the same level as the first film, but are still quite impressive and there is a fair amount of blood and gore to whet the appetite of gorehounds.

The third film is where we begin to go south real fast. I was optimistic going into “Wishmaster 3: Beyond the Gates of Hell” because of how much I enjoyed the first two movies, but that was because I assumed that Andrew Divoff would be returning. Spoiler alert: he doesn’t return for this or the next one. In his place is actor John Novak, who isn’t terrible, but he doesn’t bring that same level of diabolic charm and 90’s humor that Divoff has. Once again we have a new director, Chris Angel (not the magician), and there is a definite shift in tone and atmosphere. This time, the Djinn is causing chaos and carnage at a college university, because why not? As for the practical effects that I’ve come to love from the first two movies, they weren’t as detailed or as unique as the ones in the prior films. Also, the “human” form of the Djinn, Professor Joel Barash (Jason Connery) was super annoying and his persona irritated me throughout the entire film.

If I thought “Wishmaster 3” was bad, oh man, was I in for a doozy with “Wishmaster 4: The Prophecy Fulfilled”. I think overall this film just made me mad. Director Chris Angel and actor John Novak return once again for the latest installment and I swear this movie is a cross between a low budget horror flick + soft core porn + that scene where Jack draws Rose like one of his girls in “Titanic”. The film is supposed to be a horror movie yet it played out more like a tragic love story with blood and gore thrown in. Combine that with an evil Djinn who suddenly has a conscious, and terrible, terrible acting, I was left feeling disappointed and annoyed due to how far the quality of these films had fallen. The only thing about this installment that I enjoyed was the Djinn in human form, played by actor Michael Trucco. He was much more bearable than the last version in “Wishmaster 3”.

Though the last two films left a lot to be desired, I still enjoyed the first two films enough to recommend this collection to horror fans across the spectrum. The visuals are sharp and gorgeous with colors that pop off the screen making this one of the better restored films I’ve seen. This collection is also chock full of special features that include interviews, commentaries, behind-the-scenes footage, and more. Overall, I’m glad I had the chance to watch all these films, and though the last two were pretty painful, I’d be remiss if I said a part of me didn’t enjoy them. Fans of “Wishmaster” will definitely want to scoop this collection up.

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The Original ‘Beetlejuice’ Sequel Had an Interesting Location

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Back in the late ’80s and early ’90s sequels to hit movies weren’t as linear as they are today. It was more like “let’s re-do the situation but in a different location.” Remember Speed 2, or National Lampoon’s European Vacation? Even Aliens, as good as it is, follows a lot of the plot points of the original; people stuck on a ship, an android, a little girl in peril instead of a cat. So it makes sense that one of the most popular supernatural comedies of all time, Beetlejuice would follow the same pattern.

In 1991 Tim Burton was interested in doing a sequel to his 1988 original, it was called Beetlejuice Goes Hawaiian:

“The Deetz family moves to Hawaii to develop a resort. Construction begins, and it’s quickly discovered that the hotel will be sitting on top of an ancient burial ground. Beetlejuice comes in to save the day.”

Burton liked the script but wanted some re-writes so he asked then-hot screenwriter Daniel Waters who had just got done contributing to Heathers. He passed on the opportunity so producer David Geffen offered it to Troop Beverly Hills scribe Pamela Norris to no avail.

Eventually, Warner Bros. asked Kevin Smith to punch up Beetlejuice Goes Hawaiian, he scoffed at the idea, saying, “Didn’t we say all we needed to say in the first Beetlejuice? Must we go tropical?”

Nine years later the sequel was killed. The studio said Winona Ryder was now too old for the part and an entire re-cast needed to happen. But Burton never gave up, there were a lot of directions he wanted to take his characters, including a Disney crossover.

“We talked about lots of different things,” the director said in Entertainment Weekly. “That was early on when we were going, Beetlejuice and the Haunted MansionBeetlejuice Goes West, whatever. Lots of things came up.”

Fast-forward to 2011 when another script was pitched for a sequel. This time the writer of Burton’s Dark Shadows,  Seth Grahame-Smith was hired and he wanted to make sure the story wasn’t a cash-grabbing remake or reboot. Four years later, in 2015, a script was approved with both Ryder and Keaton saying they would return to their respective roles. In 2017 that script was revamped and then eventually shelved in 2019.

During the time the sequel script was being tossed around in Hollywood, in 2016 an artist named Alex Murillo posted what looked like one-sheets for a Beetlejuice sequel. Although they were fabricated and had no affiliation with Warner Bros. people thought they were real.

Perhaps the virality of the artwork sparked interest in a Beetlejuice sequel once again, and finally, it was confirmed in 2022 Beetlejuice 2 had a green light from a script written by Wednesday writers  Alfred Gough and Miles Millar. The star of that series Jenna Ortega signed on to the new movie with filming starting in 2023. It was also confirmed that Danny Elfman would return to do the score.

Burton and Keaton agreed that the new film titled Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice wouldn’t rely on CGI or other other forms of technology. They wanted the film to feel “handmade.” The film wrapped in November 2023.

It’s been over three decades to come up with a sequel to Beetlejuice. Hopefully, since they said aloha to Beetlejuice Goes Hawaiian there has been enough time and creativity to ensure Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice will not only honor the characters, but fans of the original.

Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice will open theatrically on September 6.

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Russell Crowe To Star in Another Exorcism Movie & It’s Not a Sequel

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Maybe it’s because The Exorcist just celebrated its 50th-anniversary last year, or maybe it’s because aging Academy Award-winning actors aren’t too proud to take on obscure roles, but Russell Crowe is visiting the Devil once again in yet another possession film. And it’s not related to his last one, The Pope’s Exorcist.

According to Collider, the film titled The Exorcism was originally going to be released under the name The Georgetown Project. Rights for its North American release were once in the hands of Miramax but then went to Vertical Entertainment. It will release on June 7 in theaters then head over to Shudder for subscribers.

Crowe will also star in this year’s upcoming Kraven the Hunter which is set to drop in theaters on August 30.

As for The Exorcism, Collider provides us with what it’s about:

“The film centers around actor Anthony Miller (Crowe), whose troubles come to the forefront as he shoots a supernatural horror movie. His estranged daughter (Ryan Simpkins) has to figure out whether he’s lapsing into his past addictions, or if something even more horrific is occurring. “

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New F-Bomb Laden ‘Deadpool & Wolverine’ Trailer: Bloody Buddy Movie

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Deadpool & Wolverine might be the buddy movie of the decade. The two heterodox superheroes are back in the latest trailer for the summer blockbuster, this time with more f-bombs than a gangster film.

‘Deadpool & Wolverine’ Movie Trailer

This time the focus is on Wolverine played by Hugh Jackman. The adamantium-infused X-Man is having a bit of a pity party when Deadpool (Ryan Reynolds) arrives on the scene who then tries to convince him to team up for selfish reasons. The result is a profanity-filled trailer with a Strange surprise at the end.

Deadpool & Wolverine is one of the most anticipated movies of the year. It comes out on July 26. Here is the latest trailer, and we suggest if you are at work and your space isn’t private, you might want to put in headphones.

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