I watched it together with my parents a few weeks later, and we all loved the
hell out of it. It scared us a lot, but it also made us joking around with
mirrors and hook-like items :)
Then it disappeared off my radar (just
like Beetlejuice did) and I didn't see it for
almost 20 years - until I found a cheap copy in the bargain bin a few weeks
ago. I was browsing through the DVDs, not expecting to find anything worthwhile
- and suddenly, the cover of "Candyman" jumped at me. I immediately
felt like I was 11 years old again, the little boy who stood in the horror
section of the old rental store, looking at that cover for what felt like
hours.
I took the DVD, bought it and left the shop feeling like a king. And now that I
finally re-watched it, I feel even better :-)
My goodness, "Candyman" is such an
incredible and outstanding-looking movie! It's intelligent, excellently made,
highly thought-provoking and SCARY AS
HELL!! It's such a shame that director / writer Bernard Rose never made
another film like that. The direction is pitch perfect, plot and script are
unique and completely unpredictable, and the look of the movie is simply
striking. Also, love the awesome build-up: the first half is eerie and thrilling,
the second half ranges from mysterious to frightening, from brutal to batshit
insane. The ending is amazing, not only because of a simple but immensely
effective twist, but also because it's unexpectedly strong and wonderfully
over-the-top.
"Candyman" possesses an uncanny
atmosphere that is completely unique in horror. I've never seen anything like
that. The bizarre opening (gigantic bee
swarm over Chicago) sets a haunting tone that carries on throughout the
whole movie. The shabby, rundown and graffiti-covered apartment buildings at
the Cabrini-Green housing project all look extremely eerie and gave me an
uneasy feeling because I instantly thought of a few similarly eerie buildings
in my area.
Also, the movie is able to make your dwelling place a lot more scarier. What if
I look into one of my mirrors and say "Candyman" five times? Will he
really come and get me? What's with the medicine chest in my bathroom? Is it
connected to the apartment next door? What if someone crawls through it into my
apartment?
Maestro Philip Glass ("Koyaanisqatsi") composed a stunningly
beautiful and totally exceptional score with lots of intriguing organs and
spooky choirs. At times, it feels like it was created for a religious horror
film like "Omen" or "Exorcist".
Anthony B. Richmond's ("The Man Who Fell The Earth") smooth
cinematography / camera work is powerful and breathtaking. Lots of great angles,
many superb bird's-eye shots, and tons of creepy images that will cling to you
long after watching (the huge and fucking
scary Candyman-Graffiti, the arrow on the wall that points down to the
bee-filled toilet, undead Helen...).
The costumes all look simply beautiful, make-up / gore effects are brilliantly
done.
The uber-gorgeous Virgina Madsen gives a compelling and authentic performance as Helen, a
curious college student who tries to finish her thesis on urban legends. Tony Todd, the man with the creepiest voice in horror, is stellar as Candyman, one
of the most fascinating horror icons in history. Candyman a.k.a Daniel Robitaille,
son of a slave on a New Orleans plantation, a poor sod who got tortured and
killed by a lynch mob (sawed off his
hand, poured honey over his body, getting stung to death by bees), but
ultimately resurrected as restless ghost who became a myth and can be summoned
by saying his name five times into a mirror.
More great acting: Vanessa
Williams as
lonely mother Anne-Marie, Kasi Lemmons as Helen's college fellow Bernie, and Xander
Berkeley as
Helen's cheating husband.
"Candyman" = a top-notch horror film,
a modern classic, a work of art.
---
Maynard has good taste. Now to share Karina's contribution to our Ultimate Candyman Post Extravaganza! Her personal thoughts and review on the legend:
I first watched
Candyman at a sleepover when I was no more than 12 years old. I am now 27 and even to this day I will not
tempt fate by uttering Candyman anyway near a mirror.
I was obviously
far too young when I watched the film so it was interesting to see how my mature
adult mind would cope with a film that absolutely terrified me as a child.
PLOT: Helen (Virginia Madsen) is writing a thesis
based on modern folklore when she stumbles upon the local urban legend of the
Candyman (Tony Todd), a vengeful spirit with a hook for a hand. Helen is rightfully sceptical but when her
research takes her to a rundown inner city area she finds that the residents
truly believe in the story and that there may be some truth to the legend. END PLOT
Candyman is a
slow burner with the first half of the film focusing on Helen’s research into
the legend. This helps to keep the film
grounded as Helen is not a shrieking, idiotic teenager; she is an educated
woman writing a thesis.
Once the
Candyman finally arrives the pace picks up however the film never descends into
a violent slasher – oddly the final scene is the only moment when Candyman ever
feels like a traditional horror film.
There are no true
scares but the eerie tone does make for some unsettling viewing – I can see
why, at 12 years old, the film scared the hell out of me. As an adult the film plays out like a
psychological thriller with a hefty dose of the fear of the unknown and word of
mouth hysteria thrown in for good measure.
The theme of
social/racial class is a prominent feature but unfortunately it is laid on with
a trowel. Luckily the performances of
Vanessa Williams and DeJuan Guy are strong which means that their characters
are not completely reduced to stereotypes.
Virginia Madsen
is excellent as Helen as it Tony Todd however he isn’t required to do much
other than provide sinister narration. Todd commits fully to the role and his scene with the bees feels like it
lasts forever. It was not pleasant to
watch.
The unsettling
tone of film is helped by the simple yet creepy score – Music Box and The Slave
Quarters are excellent but it is the instantly memorable Helen’s Theme that
really stands out. I have, rather
predictably, now added the soundtrack to my i-pod.
Candyman absolutely terrified me as a kid
however re-watching the film as an adult has made me realise that it is a lot
cleverer than typical horror movie fare.
It gets 8/10.
Will there be a
time that I could ever say Candyman in the bathroom mirror? No.
---
And last, but not least, I wanted to do something a little different to share in the Candyman love fest. Something that showed how this movie captured my imagination, as well as my sanity. So I wrote this little piece that I hope was sent safely by UPS HELL to my lover. Sweeney said he paid full postage on it, but you can never trust a singing Demon Barber with your mail.
A Love Letter to Candyman
Hello my darling!
It’s me again Kweeny. I know I've written you many letters, but I figure if I write enough of them it would be the same as calling your name in the mirror 5 times. This is my fifth letter. Maybe when this reaches you we will finally be together…or you’ll gut me with your hook.
Both options excite me honestly.
In all my letters I profess my love to you, but I feel a little sad that you've never crooned a word at me in your sensual voice. Not even one soft syllable to tickle my ear and make me want to be your victim. Hell, I NEED to be your victim. To have you torment me as you did Helen, driving her to the point of madness, dog-killing and baby kidnapping would be divine. Okay, maybe YOU killed the dog and took the baby, but I don’t care about that really. All I want is for you to understand that I would be better suited to you than Helen ever could be.
First off, she didn't believe you were real, and because of this, tried to disprove your existence. This only mad your job harder didn't it my love? You had to steal that baby and frame her, just so she would have to face you in a showdown at the end. And after you go through all the trouble of proving that you’re real, she betrays you. She never wanted to stay with you, never understood your message or your plight.
I do. I understand what “Sweets to the Sweet” really means.
And sure, my only friend thinks I’m crazy for loving you. He says you’re not real either. But he’s a demonic spirit trapped in my head with a pension for meat pies and razors. He really doesn't get to comment on my choices for a mate.
Though I do have other friends, and I shouldn't forget them. I sometimes wonder if they really are my friends, or just hallucinations I developed from being a werewolf possessed by a demon barber. My friends include a super intelligent bear and a Jester who escaped a mental ward…but they tell me I might scare you away if you actually met me. Mad Jester says you’ll take one look at my razors and toss your hook away in shame. Lord Bearington just claims I’m a stalker. But Sweeney says it’s not stalking if I can’t crawl into your bedroom window and watch you sleep! Going to Cabrini–Green and sleeping in piles of candy with razors in them doesn't make me a stalker! It makes me devoted!
No one appreciates true devotion these days…except maybe Clive Barker.
Well my darling, I should end this letter. I have a beehive to kick, and a hand to cut off. I have to say, the last time I did this I regenerated it all back after my shift. I make a terrible vengeful spirit I’m afraid. Being cursed as I am already means that if I pile too many curses on, some start negating each other. It’s rather sad. I’m trying to collect the whole set.
Forever enslaved to love…
And constantly getting stung by bees,
~Kweeny Todd
Hope you enjoyed our posts readers! Please feel free to visit my blogging chums http://www.horrormoviediary.net/ and
http://karina-mundanerambling.blogspot.com/,
who both have excellent sites. They were great sports, and I had a blast doing our Candyman posts together. Please tell us what you think in the comments and feel free to visit their sites to let them know personally what you thought. Also, check out more of Clive Barker's work at his site: http://www.clivebarker.info/
To me, the man is a magician of words.
I am off now to pick candy from my teeth and to shove some hooks into folks.
