John Coon on Substack: "My thoughts on this Macabre Monday turn to a horror film I watched recently called Wishmaster. Released in 1997 with Wes Craven as executive producer, Wishmaster follows an evil djinn who is released from a gemstone and must get the person who released him to make three wishes i…"

My thoughts on this Macabre Monday turn to a horror film I watched recently called Wishmaster. Released in 1997 with Wes Craven as executive producer, Wishmaster follows an evil djinn who is released from a gemstone and must get the person who released him to make three wishes in order for him and his fellow djinn to rule the Earth. Each of the wishes is twisted in cruel and violent ways to punish the person who made the wish.

Wishmaster is an original concept that has a ton of good storytelling potential. Unfortunately, the movie suffers from poor execution of said concept. The acting is hammy, and the scares are sacrificed for gratuitous violence. Wishmaster goes for over-the-top cheesy slasher-style kills rather than fomenting truly unsettling horror.

Here's a question for you: If you watched or read a horror story about the consequences of wishes, what would make it feel truly scary and stick with you long after you reached the end of the story?

Don't forget to check out notes and posts from today's other Macabre Monday participants:

(I'll add to the list below as I see notes and posts that have tagged me.)

Used to be Chris Well

Sean Thomas McDonnell