Candyman

Deeply disturbing, intelligently made and without a screaming teen in sight, 'Candyman' is one of the stand-out horror movies of the decade.

To just list all the elements that make this one of the classiest genre efforts of recent years would probably take up most of the thousand words I am allowed here. Suffice to say, it has a genuinely uncomfortable premise, uncompromising execution and a bone jarringly lonely score by Philip Glass. Tony Todd is exceptional as the hollow-voiced titular creature; a lost soul brought to life by the whispers of myth. At once heartbreaking and terrifying this could be the definitive latter day horror movie monster- if it wasn't just that little bit too close to Hellraiser's Pinhead. But, when you have a winning combination of elegance and disgust in a verbose, cultured villain, why alter it too much?

Virginia Madsen convinces totally as Helen; and you can almost see all the cast acting their little socks off so as not to let the side down. So good, in fact, that I'm struggling to find one bad thing to say about it.

I read here, that in the eyes of one viewer, it "dwells on the nastier things in life" and wasn't a "nice film". I can think of no greater compliment for a truly adult horror movie. No dear, you won't find happy teens in pastel t-shirts having slumber parties and discussing trendy scary movies, while some rap star tries to sell records on the soundtrack. This is a grown up film for grown up people. There is a reason horror films are for adults, and that reason is 'Candyman'.

Being a horror movie buff, I have no idea how this little gem escaped me the first time around. I'd heard a lot about it, read about it, etc but wrote it off as "probably stupid" like most of the other horror movies I had so wanted to see. So, it wasn't until many years after the movie's release that I finally saw it. And boy am I glad I did!

Surprisingly, the acting is fabulous...especially for a horror movie. Each character portrayed fantastically so as to add to the movie, rather than detract. No one really went over the top or became TOO dramatic. Overall, each character was portrayed realistically.

As for the plot: absolutely wonderful premise playing on the Bloody Mary urban legend. Surprisingly, the movie delivers on aspects of believabilty. Of course we don't *really* expect Candyman to pop out of a mirror, but how many of us have started the "Bloody Mary" chant only to stop at the very last one, not daring to continue? Our fears lie behind what COULD happen and the possibility that maybe..just maybe it's all real. Candyman plays on that fear and takes us even further over the edge.

The movie rids itself of the typical cliches (white, undefeatable stalker chasing half naked twits) and allows itself to be an entirely enjoyable, CEREBRAL horror movie. At first we wonder if the Candyman is perhaps just a person pretending to be him, then we start to question Helen's own sanity...wondering perhaps if SHE isn't the "real Candyman". Eventually, the movie leads us to an ending that answers our questions but doesn't shove those answers down our throat. Candyman also does what very few horror movies are capable of: it succeeded in having a strong ending rather than fizzling out during the last 10-15 minutes.

The setting and atmosphere are top notch. Using Chicago and Cabrini Green as its stage was perfect...bringing into play racial issues without going over the top or getting "in your face" to the point of losing its focus. The music in Candyman adds a mysterious mood that matches the dark, dismal atmosphere of the lone apartments in Cabrini Green.

All in all on my horror movie scale, I give Candyman a 10. To me, it was purely artistic and absolutely enjoyable. I HIGHLY recommend this to anyone even slightly interested in horror movies.

Helen Lyle (Virginia Madsen) doctoral student, and wife of a collage professor, is doing research on urban legends and mythological folklore for her school thesis. Though, there is one legend which gets her attention and leads her to rundown housing block where the residents believe that the murders that took place there were done by the hook-handed serial killer The Candyman (Tony Todd). A mysterious figure that can be summoned by repeating his name five times while looking in the mirror. Which Helen does and now her life turns into horrifying nightmare, which teeters between reality and myth, as she gets closer to the truth about the Candyman.

Second time around and this memorable piece hasn't lost any of its effect. It's not only a incredibly brood horror film that manages to create an creeping/ingenious plot with such an unsettling physiological tone, but also providing some generally horrific shocks that creep up on you and aren't for the squeamish. So, it's far from your normal slasher and it just doesn't concentrate on the violence for a change. Not only does the plot build on this mystical legend constructively, but also there's also some solid social commentary on the mindset towards race and sex, which added more to this cleverly layered plot (or should I say tragic love story). What is so great about the screenplay is that you yourself feel apprehensive to what's happening to the protagonist and to where this story is heading by playing on what people believe and how these believes can overcome them. Plus it makes great use of the Chicago's gloomy surroundings. Not only does the film have substance, but also style to boot. The direction by Bernard Rose is quite brilliant, with Rose superbly mixing visuals that gel myth and reality superbly. Particularly the well-crafted encounters between Helen and the Candyman - these sequences were incredibly hair-raising. He creates such a glum and dark atmosphere within these rundown buildings filled with vibrant artwork, the richly layered aura goes hand-to-hand with the moody legend. The slow pacing of the film is perfect; there are no tedious blotches because you are totally wrapped in the story and by the delightful performances. The death toll isn't big, but there are some real gruesome deaths, with A LOT blood. The make-up and special effects are extremely thoughtful and inventive. Phillip Glass' extremely effective score deserves such high praise. Soothing, but also haunting and was incredibly effective towards building towards such an almighty blow. Another bonus was the smooth as silk camera-work; it captured the balanced layout of Chicago with plenty of stunning Ariel shots (great intro). Overall, I was just amazed by this beautifully planned production.

What a horror icon! Tony Todd totally nails down such a terrifying and profound performance as the mythical being The Candyman. I believe this horror character totally wipes the floor clean of the other icons of its genre and who created him? No other than from the dark mind of Clive Baker (Hellraiser), who brings this frightening thriller alive, which is basically based on Baker's short story - The Forbidden. He came up with a unique horror character that's downright unnerving, completely authentic and has a lot of depth. But Tony Todd's towering figure and eerie voice has a lot to owe to that and to make one tremble in his presence! Virginia Madsen gives a stellar performance as Helen Lyle, who we really do care for her and feel what she is feeling. Good supporting roles from Xander Berkley as Helen's Husband, Kasi Lemmons as her friend/student who's also working with her their thesis and Vanessa Williams as Anne-Marie McCoy who lives in the rundown estate. The dialogue was packed with depth, but also laced with interesting topics and Todd's lines were pretty much poetic and smooth.

The one and only "small" negative would be the ending for me. I was somewhat let down by the second ending and I thought maybe it could've done without it. It just felt tact on. Anyhow it didn't stop it from being damn right creepy and it does pack a real unsteadiness.

To get in the mood of it, I say it's definitely a film to watch late at night… alone.

One of the clever horror films (if not the best) of that disappointing decade they call the '90s for horror films. If you're looking for a serious horror (before Scream's imitators made a mockery of the slasher sub-genre), I highly recommend this provocative slasher that doesn't cop out the audience.

`Candyman' is a very frightening and yet intriguing and compelling movie that plays upon and cleverly manipulates old urban legends and myths of folklore and brings to life some of your worst nightmares and horrors. As far as scary movies go it falls into a category of its own in terms of its depth and excellence

One of the main strengths of this movie is that the script and the character performances are so powerful and credible that it doesn't feel the need to inject unnecessary horror/graphic/violent scenes into it to sensationalize it. Sure, there is an extensive amount of blood and gore in the movie but it nevertheless fits in with the plot and isn't added in just to give the film an unnecessary `horror' feel. The chilling and terrifying aspects of this movie come from the dialogue, the sequence of events and the emotions and personas revealed in the characters. The plot and the script is enough to leave you mesmerized throughout the whole movie and to remain on the edge of your seat with the anticipation of what is going to happen next. The producers and scriptwriters must receive top marks for the wonderful way in which they enriched the whole movie by relying on the script and the acting instead of adding cheap gimmicks into it to make it more frightening. In addition to that the lighting and the scenery around the whole movie makes it even more frightening

I have always thought Virginia Madsen to be a highly talented, qualified and excellent actress whose wonderful acting and gifted performances have been consistently overlooked when allocating movie roles. For me `Candyman' confirmed this thesis. Her portrayal of Helen Lyle is truly one of the most excellent portrayals of a character I have seen recently. She gives her character so much depth, dimension and genuine emotions. Tony Todd also emerges from this film as a very talented and wonderful actor. The amount of depth, dimension and persona that he gives to the character of the `Candyman' is amazing. Although the Candyman is in many ways a truly evil and frightening character, you also can't help but feel a great deal of sympathy for him at times and this too is a testament to Todd's acting. The supporting cast –particularly Vanessa Williams and even the young kid who Helen interviews while in the neighbourhood-also deserve an honourable mention for giving their characters such a realistic edge.

I would recommend this movie –it is chilling, frightening, intriguing, compelling, sad and wonderful all in one. One of the best movies I have ever seen in this genre

Before Clive Barker started writing epic fantasy novels,he wrote some truly classic horror stories like "The Midnight Meat Train" and "Scape-Goats." CANDYMAN is based on his story "The Forbidden" and it's on the level of the HELLRAISER movies; Tony Todd honestly scared me with his portrayal of the tragic Candyman. Plus,the filmmakers were not shy about gore and decay,as we explore a side of Chicago where urban legends rule and violence is common. The music of Phillip Glass adds makes the film even stranger.Followed by several needless sequels; the original is the only one you need to see.