Candyman — A Review

8th March, 2020.

OK … I have to confess, I’ve — sort of — got used to watching Dr Who on a Sunday night.

You’ve possibly realised that, if you’ve been following me for a while.

At any rate?

I’ve sort of got used to watching things on Sunday nights.

Tonight … ?

I fancied a movie.

And, frankly?

Consider an upcoming rebooted version is due out, in summer?

I felt watching the original might be an idea … 

~≈¥≈~

Based on Clive Barker’s The Forbidden, Candyman (1992) opens with an aerial view fo the streets of Chicago: and to an aerial view of the Cabrini Green housing project.

Then switched to Chicago’s university: where graduate student, Helen Lyle (Virginia Madsen) is working with fellow graduate, Bernadette Walsh (Kasi Lemmons) on their joint thesis.

On modern urban legends.

Including a strange one: that sawing ‘Candyman’ five times, whilst staring in a mirror?

Would cause the Candyman himself (Tony Todd) to appear behind a live person … and turn them into a dead one, with the aid of hook he has in place of a hand.

It’s only when Helen meets one of the University cleaners — a resident of the Cabrini Green project — she learns of Ruthie Jean.

A young, single mother who’d apparently been killed by the Candyman … 

And whose desperate neighbour, Anne-Marie (Vanessa Estelle Williams) is convinced that Ruthie Jean’s death … ?

Wasn’t caused by the gangsters who later assault Helen: gangsters who pretend to be the Candyman.

It’s only after Helen reports this?

And walks to her car, through a dimly light carpark … ?

That Helen finds out the Candyman, the real Candyman … ?

The one that she and Bernadette inadvertently called?

Isn’t the urban myth she thought he was … 

~≈¥≈~

Now … 

I have to admit, the last time I saw Candyman was many years ago: and with a friend.

I have to ask myself, is Candyman as good, now, as I found it then?

There’s that sound track: Phillip Glass did a job and a half with that.

It’s got to be up there with The Omen or The Godfather, I think.

Let’s move with the performances: especially the main ones.

Madsen as Helen?

Gives us a driven protagonist who’s very watchable: driven in her research, very aware that her marriage was falling apart … and very aware that her research is starting to go in unexpected directions that could go badly for her.

She’s very aware she’s either going mad — and becoming murderous as a result — or that the myth she’s following isn’t a myth.

In all this … ?

I think Virginia Madsen gives us a superb performance.

So does the man she plays against.

It has to be said, Tony Todd is an icon.

There’s been supernatural killers before now: we know this, we’ve seen Freddy, Jason, Michael, et al.

There’s been others since.

Many?   Are simply goons, with little beyond anonymous masks to scare us with.

Todd?   With the aid of a hook, an echo chamber and his own imagination?   It was Todd himself that created the character’s backstory, after all.

In doing that …?   And using that voice?

He came up with a horror icon.

Granted: there’s possibly better horror stories around.

The Babadook* is one: The Awakening*, another.

The last time I saw Candyman?   I gave it three stars.

There’s few in this league: we’ll have to see how the new version compare.

Candyman (1992).
★★★☆

*        If you want nerve jangling psychological horror, see The Babadook.   If you want the beautiful ghost story?   The Awakening.