Candyman
Directed by Bernard Rose
In this horror classic, student Helen Lyle learns of the terrifying local legend of The Candyman – a hooked serial killer who appears when you say his name in a mirror, five times.
Student Helen Lyle learns of the terrifying local legend of The Candyman – a hooked serial killer who appears when you say his name in a mirror, five times.
Cast: Virginia Madsen, Helen Lyle, Tony Todd
Member Reviews
I HEARD YOUR LOOKING FOR THE CANDYMAN BI*CH
great atmosphere, great villain
I remembered this being so much scarier as an adolescent. I apparently just scared easier back then, cause this was pretty lame. The story was incredibly messy, the acting was 80s style cheesy, and the political/racial cultural was weirdly exaggerated. I'm not saying racism didn't exist or doesn't exist,...what I mean is, this movie seems like it's being directed by a very sheltered white person, who is trying to highlight the socioeconomic differences of black people living in the projects. The intent may have been to raise awareness, but I feel like it only objectified black people in the projects, showing they live in extreme violence and complete squaller. It just felt like a mockery of the conditions that they have lived through, showing it through a distorted and exaggerated lens of someone who's never witnessed it firsthand and who has a very misinformed perspective. It also felt like they were trying to cram too much into the movie, so the various points and storylines were very disjointed and did not flow at all. For example, the bag of candy with razors, was never brought up or explained or shown anywhere else. Or the fact that Helen had been in the hospital for a month, but the infant was in the exact same place the whole time. The paintings were randomly placed inside the abandoned building, but mixed with current graffiti in a place where people currently lived. It may be a cult classic, but good, it unfortunately, was not.
awesome!
Truly a horror classic. While there are a few hiccups here and there (that's to be expected with any film), the premise, characters, and themes are not only intriguing, but they're also powerful and poignant. As a White person I found this movie to be challenging and thought provoking about the state of racial affairs both in the past and present. Surely no discussion about this movie could go without the mention of its handling of race, but it also covers classism, elitism, and even a bit of sexism all in an hour and 40 minutes. This also isn't to mention the great acting, well-built up suspense, excellent music, and fantastic villain. If this movie isn't deserving of a 5, I don't know what is.