Review #105: The Candyman (1992)

Cast/Notable Credits:
Bernard Rose (Director): Paperhouse (1988)

Tony Todd (The Candyman): Hatchet

Virgina Madsen (Helen): Dune (1984), The Number 23 (2007)

Xander Berkeley (Trevor): Terminator 2 (1991), 24 T.V. series

Vanessa Williams (Anne-Marie): New Jack City (1991)

Trailer:



Plot:

Two grad students, Helen and Bernadette, are researching urban legends for their thesis. Helen hears of a local urban legend named the Candyman. The Candyman is a son of a slave who was brutally murdered for having an affair with a white plantation owner's daughter. He was chased down by the owner and had his hand cut off and had bees shoved down his mouth, killing him. According to the legend, the Candyman has replaced his cut off hand with a meat hook and anyone who could look in front of a mirror and chant his name five times, can summon the Candyman, but only at a steep price, the cost of their own life.

One night Helen and Bernadette decides to try the experiment. Helen successfully chants his name five times: Candyman... Candyman... Candyman... Candyman... Candyman while Bernadette chickens out after the fourth. The two decide to go to the "projects" of Chicago where it is rumored to be the site of his murder. They find a young woman, Anne-Marie, who they questioned and she fills them in on the legend.

Soon afterwards, mysterious murders take place in Helen's life, and she becomes the police's number one suspect. Now Helen must confront and fight Candyman to save her life and others around her.

Okay, I'm not a huge fan of the series, but I must admit it deserves some props for being a classic horror movie. It's a second or third tier horror movie franchise like Hellraiser or the Leprechaun franchises, but it's deserving of all of it's fame and glory.

The film does create a classic iconic villain in the Candyman. Tony Todd is a perfect fit for the role. His physical statue, tall, dark and deadly bodes well along with his calm, deep, frightening voice. It's truly the make-up of one mean, evil son of a b*tch. Also, the Candyman swings a mean ole' hook, taking names and piling up bodies. Who can't like that?

Unfortunately that's where my liking of the franchise stops. For some reason, the rest of the movie and series doesn't really float my boat. It displays all the good ingredients for a horror movie, lots of blood, scary villain, urban legend, and plenty of deaths. But I find the movie kind of painful to watch, and I'm easily bored watching it. Maybe it's too dense.

Or another reason could be...I just don't like any of the characters except the Candyman himself. The main character, Virginia Madsen, I didn't like. I know she's hotter than the film made her to be (pictured left), but I felt nothing for her character. I didn't care that she was in danger and trouble. My feelings were, "Go ahead...kill her." All the other supporting cast members sucked too. The only one that I had a shred of respect for was her husband Trevor. Mainly because he was a sleaze, and I've recognized in past credits.

I've tried to suffer through it many of times before and still find myself unable to enjoy it. I guess there's always one flick that every one's just doesn't take a liking to even though it's right up their alley. This is probably mine.

The Candyman was supposed to be the next leg in the horror industry, but I don't think it panned out the way it should have. By the early 90's, the antics of Jason and Freddy had gone a little sour, and a fresh new look and bad guy of horror was ready to take stage. But it wasn't the Candyman. It probably just added fuel to the dying fire of the horror industry that even the "end" of Freddy and Jason movies couldn't keep alive. Thank God Scream came along and saved the industry. I can't believe I just said that.

Misc. Movie Trivia:
-Film opened on October 16, 1992 and made $25.7 million at the Box Office ($5.4 million opening weekend)
-Virgina Madsen claims to have been hypnotized for some of the movie scenes
-Real bees were put into Tony Todd's mouth during the film's climax
-Based on a Clive Barker short story named "The Forbidden"
-Sandra Bullock was up for the role of Helen