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The Science Fiction Horror and Fantasy Film Review

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Theme: Genies

The genie is a magical creature in fantasy and children’s fiction. It is a being that usually appears out of a magical lamp after it is rubbed and will grant the summoner three Wishes. Often these wishes are not always what the summoner desires, can have unintended consequences or the wording can be misinterpreted.

Genies are most often found in tales of Arabian Nights, in particular the story of Aladdin. There have also been a number of comedies and Light Fantasy Films about genies appearing in the modern world.

Beneath the Westernised concept of the genie lies the djinn taken from Islamic Mythology. This too is a magic being and is referred to in the Qu’ran/Koran. In conception, the djinn is neither good nor evil. In genre cinema however, the djinn is frequently a malevolent or demonic spirit at far remove from the Westernised genie.


The 7th Voyage of Sinbad (1958)

11 September 20005 August 2020

Rating: ★★★★

Arabian Nights Adventures

Director: Nathan Juran
Actors: Kerwin Mathews, Torin Thatcher, Kathryn Grant, Richard Eyer
Category: Fantasy

Aladdin (1992)

3 July 199912 August 2019

Rating: ★★

Disney Animation/Arabian Nights Adventure

Director: Ron Clements, John Musker
Actors: Scott Weinger, Robin Williams, Linda Larkin, Jonathan Freeman, …
Category: Fantasy

Aladdin (2019)

17 August 201930 May 2021

Rating: ★★

Live-Action Disney Remake/Arabian Nights

Director: Guy Ritchie
Actors: Mena Massoud, Will Smith, Naomi Scott, Billy Magnusson
Category: Fantasy

Aladdin and the King of Thieves (1996)

20 December 200327 September 2019

Rating: ★★½

Disney Animation/Arabian Nights Adventure

Director: Tad Stones
Actors: Scott Weinger, Robin Williams, Linda Larkin, John Rhys-Davies, …
Category: Fantasy

Arabian Adventure (1979)

18 June 19994 May 2020

Rating: ★★

Arabian Nights Adventure

Director: Kevin Connor
Actors: Oliver Tobias, Christopher Lee, Puneet Sira, Emma Samms, …
Category: Fantasy

Arabian Nights (2000)

2 July 20053 July 2022

Rating: ★★★★

Tales of Arabian Nights

Director: Steve Barron
Actors: Mili Avital, Dougray Scott, Jason Scott Lee, John Leguizamo, …
Category: Fantasy

Arabian Nights (2015)

8 August 201614 June 2020

Rating: ★★

Anthology of Portuguese Magical Realist Vignettes

Director: Miguel Gomes
Category: Fantasy

Clash of the Titans (2010)

3 April 201022 April 2020

Rating: ★

Greek Mythology Adventure

Director: Louis Leterrier
Actors: Sam Worthington, Liam Neeson, Ralph Fiennes, Gemma Arterton, …
Category: Fantasy

The Curse of Sleeping Beauty (2016)

13 March 201827 May 2020

Rating: ★★

Horror Version of Sleeping Beauty

Director: Pearry Teo
Actors: Ethan Peck, India Eisley, Bruce Davison, Zach Ward, …
Category: Horror

Djinn (2013)

4 February 201516 August 2020

Rating: ★

Islamic Horror Film/Haunted Apartment Block

Director: Tobe Hooper
Category: Horror

The Djinn (2021)

23 May 202223 May 2022

Rating: ★★

Kid Summons a Djinn

Director: David Charbonier, Justin Powell
Actors: Ezra Dewey, Rob Brownstein, Tevy Poe, John Erickson, …
Category: Horror

The Field Guide to Evil (2018)

6 December 20199 May 2020

Rating: ★★★½

Horror Anthology

Director: Severin Fiala, Veronika Franz, Can Evrenol, Agnieszka Smoczynska, …
Category: Horror

Kandisha (2020)

27 February 202227 February 2022

Rating: ★★

Mythical Boogeywoman

Director: Alexandre Bustillo, Julien Maury
Actors: Mathilde Le Musse, Suzy Bemba, Samarcande Saadi, Meriem Sarolie, …
Category: Horror

Kazaam (1996)

31 December 199630 August 2018

Rating: ★

Kid Befriends Genii

Director: Paul M. Glaser
Actors: Shaquille O'Neal, Ally Walker, Francis Capra, James Acheson, …
Category: Fantasy

The Lamp (1987)

24 January 201730 August 2018

Rating: ½

Malevolent Genie’s Lamp

Director: Tom Daley
Actors: Andra St. Ivani, James Huston, Deborah Winters, Scott Bankston, …
Category: Horror

Long Time Dead (2002)

5 September 200223 May 2022

Rating: ★★½

Malevolent Djinn

Director: Marcus Adams
Actors: Alec Newman, Marsha Thomason, Joe Absolom, Lukas Haas, …
Category: Horror

Red Sands (2009)

22 October 201330 July 2021

Rating: ★★½

US Soldiers in Afghanistan Encounter a Djinn

Director: Alex Turner
Actors: Shane West, Leonard Roberts, Aldis Hodge, Callum Blue, …
Category: Horror

The Return of Jafar (1994)

20 December 200428 September 2019

Rating: ★

Disney Animation/Aladdin Sequel

Director: Toby Shelton, Tad Stones, Alan Zaslove
Actors: Scott Weinger, Dan Castellaneta, Linda Larkin, Gilbert Gottfried, …
Category: Fantasy

Snow White (2001)

29 June 20089 April 2019

Rating: ★★★

Fairy-Tale

Director: Caroline Thompson
Actors: Miranda Richardson, Kristin Kreuk, Tom Irwin, Clancy Brown, …
Category: Fantasy

The Thief of Bagdad (1940)

25 February 200626 June 2022

Rating: ★★★★

Arabian Nights Adventure

Director: Ludwig Berger, Michael Powell, Tim Whelan
Actors: Sabu, Conrad Veidt, John Justin, Rex Ingram, …
Category: Fantasy

Three Wishes (1995)

20 February 201230 August 2018

Rating: ★★★

1950s Coming of Age Tale/Mysterious Stranger

Director: Martha Coolidge
Actors: Patrick Swayze, Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio, Joseph Mazzello, Seth Mumy, …
Category: Fantasy

Under the Shadow (2016)

7 October 201626 July 2021

Rating: ★★★½

Iranian Woman Haunted By a Djinn

Director: Babak Anvari
Category: Horror

Wishmaster (1997)

21 July 200010 July 2020

Rating: ★★½

Evil Wish-Granting Djinn

Director: Robert Kurtzman
Actors: Andrew Divoff, Tammy Lauren, Robert Englund, George Buck Flower, …
Category: Horror

Wishmaster 2: Evil Never Dies (1999)

21 July 200115 September 2019

Rating: ★★

Evil Wish-Granting Djinn

Director: Jack Sholder
Actors: Andrew Divoff, Holly Fields, Paul Johansson, Oleg Vidov, …
Category: Horror

Wishmaster 3: Beyond the Gates of Hell (2001)

5 March 201423 July 2019

Rating: ½

Evil Wish-Granting Djinn

Director: Chris Angel
Actors: A.J. Cook, Jason Connery, Tobias Mehler, Louisette Geiss, …
Category: Horror

Wishmaster: The Prophecy Fulfilled (2002)

21 December 201123 July 2019

Rating: ★

Evil Wish-Granting Djinn

Director: Chris Angel
Actors: Tara Spencer-Nairn, Michael Trucco, John Novak, Jason Thompson, …
Category: Horror

The Wizard of Baghdad (1960)

19 August 201530 August 2018

Rating: 0­

Arabian Nights Comedy

Director: George Sherman
Actors: Dick Shawn, Diane Baker, Barry Coe, John Van Dreelen, …
Category: Fantasy

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Theme Essays

  • Virtual Reality
  • Imprisonment Thrillers
  • Films Depicting NASA and the Space Program
  • Human Bloodsports and Death Games
  • Animals Attack Films
  • Films About Plague and Pandemic
  • Disaster Movies
  • Steampunk Films
  • Documentaries
  • Films About Halloween
  • Films About Prophecy
  • Magicians and Sorcerers
  • Secret Societies
  • Real-Life People in Fiction
  • Techno-Thrillers
  • Twins in Fantastic Cinema
  • Asylums
  • Possession Films
  • Films About Imaginary and Magical Lands
  • Religion in Fantastic Cinema
  • Romantic Comedies
  • Film Noir
  • Spy Films
  • Jekyll and Hyde Films
  • Films That Make Dubious Claims to Being Based on True Stories
  • Coming of Age Stories in Fantastic Cinema
  • Films About Cryogenics and Suspended Animation
  • Alternate History Films
  • Disturbed Psychology as Portrayed on Film
  • Law Enforcement in Fantastic Cinema
  • Weird Westerns

© Copyright Richard Scheib 1999-2022

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