Rating: 
Summary: I have been to Cabrini Green
Review: I accidentally walked through the heart of Cabrini Green once.
Rating: 
Summary: Been waiting to see this one but...
Review: I love horror movies and this was one of the few that I haven't seen. The acting was okay, but the pacing was slow and it really didn't live up to the hype at all. Rent it first as I did.
Rating: 
Summary: This Candy isn't too junky
Review: I've always heard about this movie, but never saw it until last night. For some reason, I had always thought this was a film about a killer clown who liked candy.
I started watching "Candyman" ten minutes into it because I was channel surfing and saw Virginia Madsen, a very talented and much underrated actress who deserves a lot more praise than she sometimes gets!
possible spoilers may follow...
What surprises me most about this above-average horror film (besides its refreshing lack of dim-witted characters) is how close it comes to having the power and depth to deliver a message about society and what we are willing to believe about people without giving them a chance. "Candyman" falls just a bit shy of reaching its true potential, but nevetheless is unforgettable with performances by Virginia Madsen and Vanessa Williams.
If you're laughing at me because I think "Candyman" has depth, don't worry. I can't believe I'm writing this either. There's just something about this movie that's different. For me, the strengths rest in the following:
a) How many times do you see a horror film where the women keep their clothes on (except for the effectively disturbing scene with the police officer) and are portrayed as intelligent females who form non-combative friendship with each other??
b) How many genre films dare to explore themes dealing with society and how we sometimes ignore people who deserve better from us? --An example of this takes place when "Helen" is attacked in the bathroom and the police finally take action. She is sincerely upset that the police noticed her rather than others' plights. It is terribly unfair and hypocritical (and unfortunately realistic) that it sometimes takes a white woman with money to get noticed whereas the everyday, hard-working citizens of the projects get ignored.
c) While films such as "Final Destination" get absurdly carried away with wondering what happens when you try to avoid your fate or destiny, "Candyman" shows (quite creepily) what can result from simple, good-hearted actions. The more Helen tries to intervene and keep people from getting hurt by the Candyman, the more havoc she wreaks until she becomes exactly what she didn't want to.
d) Virginia Madsen, no question about it, is the best thing about this film. She manages to give "Helen" the qualities of intelligence, caring and strength and keeps them in balance until Helen's life starts to fall apart. Ms. Madsen also has the rare knack of steering away from melodrama and uses her talent in the way she keeps Helen from just being patronizing in her concern for the people she meets in the projects.
e) Tony Todd is a cut above Freddy and Jason in the antagonist department and that voice of his is just mesmerizing!
The weaknesses that keep "Candyman" from being a truly "wow" movie are harder to pin down. While the cinematography is a bit shoddy ("Candyman" looks much older than its 1992 release date), I'm not sure that is what holds the movie back. The score could have been much better and a better focus on the urban legend aspects and less blood would have been nice. Just because something has lots of blood, that doesn't mean it's scary. Some of the most disturbing films ever made didn't shed a drop of blood.
Rating:
Summary: Horror of the highest order from a master storyteller.
Review: The incomparable Clive Barker, known for penning such horror classics as "Hellraiser" and "Lord of Illusions", hits the bullseye dead-on with "Candyman," based on yet another of his gripping short stories, "The Forbidden." This is every bit as gory and ghoulishly engrossing as you might expect and plays havoc with your fears more seriously than any sweat-inducing nightmare you've ever had. Unlike the "Scream" trilogy and "I Know What You Did Last Summer," this movie casts a hypnotic spell that haunts your very soul to the core. I dare anyone out there, as a matter of fact, to try and claim they enjoyed a peaceful night's sleep after watching it. The whole urban legend mythos along with the tie-in to Chicago's Cabrini Green really helps in elevating the suspense level for this film. It goes without saying, as well, that Tony Todd makes an imposing ghostly presence. I was thoroughly impressed with this film and find it hard to comprehend how any other serious horror fan could not be. If you haven't seen this rare find of a motion picture, please, do yourself a favor and check it out. It belongs in every horror fan's video collection. God Bless you, Clive Barker!
Rating:
Summary: The Can Do Candyman
Review: When it comes to the horror film, Clive Barker certainly knows how to put a unique spin on the genre. The first Hellraiser, its villian Pinhead, and the vampire flick Nightbreed are two examples of his innovations. Unlike most horror kings though Candyman proves that Barker is comfortable enough with his ideas, to allow someone else to take material of his and still make it work without Barker calling every shot.
Folklore studies graduate student Helen Lyle's (Virginia Madsen) thesis research leads her into the urban underworld of Chicago's Cabrini-Green housing projects, whose residents are genuinely terrified of "Candyman" (Tony Todd), a legendary figure with a hook for a hand. Skeptical, she tests whether or not he really exists, calling to him while in front of a mirror. Soon she discovers with horror that he's real and wants her to join him in his "mythic" world; when she refuses, he murders those in her wake, leaving her to be charged with the crimes. She tries to explain who the real culprit is, but the authorities will hear none of that talk, convinced instead that she has lost her mind.
This horror thriller is based on a short story called "The Forbidden," from Barker, who also executive-produced the film. Written and directed by Bernard Rose, Candyman has enough jolts and carnage to satisfy any thrill seeker. But what makes it really work is Todd. His distinct mannerisms and deep voice is very effective at making you shiver. The make up in the film is pure gross out fun. Madsen, whom I've always had a not so secret crush on, gives a great performance as Helen as well.
The special edition DVD has a solid collection of extras (but nothing as good as the film itself). The audio commentary track, features spliced together comments from Rose, Barker, producer Alan Poul, and stars Madsen, Todd, and Kasi Lemmons. As much as I wish the track were a true free for all and everyone was in the same room at the same time, it's still worth it, as you will hear a lot of key production secrets about the film. This disc also includes two featurettes: one on Clive Barker and the other on the Candyman mythology. Each one is ok but at the same time could have been excluded and I wouldn't have missed them. Storyboards drawn by Rose and a few theatrical/product trailers round things out.
Candyman is a fine horror film. It will both scare and delight at the same time Recommended
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