DEMON IN THE BOTTLE (1996)
In my capsule for Frankenstein Reborn!, I noted that Charles Band planned to make four Universal-style monster movies. Turns out, he had a lot of plans. Demon in the Bottle was the first in a proposed series of lightweight genre nuggets that would premiere on the Disney Channel. Yes, there exists a Disney/Full Moon production. I don't think I need to tell you that the deal fell through before any other films could be brokered. If you're wondering why you have never heard of Demon in the Bottle, it's because it wasn't released on home video in the United States. It hasn't been given proper exposure on Blu-ray either, despite the fact that boutique labels are constantly restoring hidden gems (as well as hidden not-gems). So what's the deal with this thing? I believe I am on Earth to tell you that Demon in the Bottle is an exceptional slice of "gateway horror." It's up there with The Gate, in my opinion. The main monster even looks like something out of The Gate, although Bottle utilizes puppets in lieu of stop-motion wizardry.
This is fantasy/adventure material before it's lowercase horror, but obviously, I had to cover it. Synopsis mode engage! Russell and Amanda literally stumble upon a chest of wonders that we know is afflicted with a pirate's curse. Among the jewels within the case is a genie's lamp. Kinda. It doesn't grant wishes, but it does unleash a fiend that reminded me of the Ymir from 20 Million Miles to Earth. When it's not stalking children, it takes the form of a blue tornado (that had to be one of Charles Band's ideas). I don't know how much money Disney lost on Demon in the Bottle, but the special effects are actually...low-key incredible??? There is an impressive shipwreck in the first five minutes. You will notice CGI here and there, but I'm not complaining. Then you have the creature design, which I clearly loved. Putting technicalities aside, the script is...well-written??? What's going on here? This movie rocks. It's a little bit tragic that you won't be able to add it to your collection anytime soon. Thankfully, I have an "in" on Plex, so don't worry. At the very least, I can watch it and tell you about it.
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