10 Bad Horror Movies With AWESOME Effects

9. The Wandering Skeleton - Wishmaster

Thirteen Ghosts
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Despite being a sure-fire cult classic - largely due to Andrew Divoff's admittedly terrific performance as the evil Djinn - the Wes Craven-produced Wishmaster is in no way a genuinely good movie, its lousy script failing to make the most of its enticing setup.

But the film's opening sequence, which explains the origins of the Djinn, nevertheless serves up an all-timer gore effect.

When a Persian emperor asks the wish-making Djinn to "show [him] wonders," he mischievously responds by slaughtering everyone in the vicinity. This culminates in a spectacular beat where one poor sap begs for help as his skeleton comes to life independently and bursts forth from his own body.

Director Robert Kurtzman, also a legendary Hollywood makeup effects artist, lingers on a series of stunning practical effects as the skeleton forces the fleshy human form to break apart, particularly the man's head, which cracks open to reveal a bloody, moving skeleton underneath.

Between that moment and Divoff's scenery-devouring performance, Wishmaster is a bad movie that absolutely earned the "right" to exist.

Contributor
Contributor

Stay at home dad who spends as much time teaching his kids the merits of Martin Scorsese as possible (against the missus' wishes). General video game, TV and film nut. Occasional sports fan. Full time loon.