Candyman (1992)

Candyman (1992) Dir by Bernard Rose

Helen Lyle is a student who decides to write a thesis about local legends and myths. She visits a part of the town, where she learns about the legend of the Candyman, a one-armed man who appears when you say his name five times, in front of a mirror. Of course, Helen doesn't believe all this stuff, but the people of the area are really afraid. When she ignores their warnings and begins her investigation in the places that he is rumored to appear, a series of horrible murders begins. Could the legend be true? Written by Chris on IMDB.com



I have always felt like Candyman is always a forgotten film. I know in the years after its release it was the topic of many horror discussions. What happened to that? When talking about Top Slasher movies of all time, why isn't Candyman brought up more often? I honestly don't know what happened by Candyman is a movie not to be forgotten. I view it as one of the most surprising, intelligent, and visual slasher movies ever created. It probably doesn't hurt that it was born from the seriously disturbed mind of the insanely creative Clive Barker. The same guy that brought us such mildly gory (sarcasm) movies as Rawhead Rex, Hellraiser, Nightbreed, Lords of Illusion, Midnight Meat Train, Book of Blood, and Dread! That is one hell of a messed up list. I'm not going to ramble on about Clive too much. Everyone knows who he is and what he has done, but why does this movie fall in the shadows then?

The movie is critically acclaimed worldwide. An award winning actress leads the cast in Virginia Madsen (Sideways, The Number 23). Not to mention the iconic performance by Tony Todd as The Candyman. A performance that he would repeat in two less impressive sequels, although his performances were not less impressive. The man is insanely scary and I have thoroughly enjoyed a large amount of his films.



When it comes down to it, the only weakness I can find in this film is the Director, and he wasn't weak in this film. He just didn't use this great film as a stepping stone, and instead let his career fall into a continuous loop of mediocre films, and is still doing so to this day. None the less, Bernard Rose Directed a brilliant, visually stunning, truly terrifying film with an amazing story and great acting. I think this movie is so intelligent and well written that it is more often considered a thriller and not a slasher film. I think if you have forgot about this film then you need to go back and watch for a refresher.

Entertainment Value: 9/10 Bloody Bee Covered Hooks
Cinematic Value: 8/10 Bloody Bee Covered Hooks