Candyman

Rating:
Summary: Refreshing, different, and most importantly, original.
Review: Forget the sequels, the Scream movies, and the 'I Know Who You Killed After Sleeping With Them Last Independance Day'-type movies. 'Candyman', the original urban-legend-based horror movie is definitely one of the absolute best horror movies of the 90's, and even today, with a decent body of work being produced in this genre, stands the test of time as a truly scary and original picture.

Attractive, intelligent and wry university researcher Helen Lyle (an excellent, hitherto overlooked Virginia Madsen) stumbles onto the horrifying legacy of The Candyman, while compiling a research paper on Urban Legend. She and her friend Bernadette (Kasi Lemmons) investigate further, and what ensues is a genuinely disturbing movie, choc-full of decent performances, excellent direction and an exquisite score by Phillip Glass.

The premise is simple: Urban Legend comes to life, starts rampage, must be stopped. It's the actors that make 'Candyman' a treat, and Madsen and Lemmons give great performances, believable as disaster-plagued Women-Of-The-Ninties. Madsen, in particular, does a brilliant job in the role of the hapless Helen, being by turns businesslike and frail. Tony Todd as the titular Candyman is one of the most memorable villains of modern Horror, and gives a sensual, menacing performance as the Villain. His voice and screen presence make the flesh crawl, while simultaneously exuding charisma.

Bernard Rose's direction (he also wrote the screenplay, from an old Clive Barker story) is standard-setting. The grim, gritty vistas of Cabrini Green and the sepia-toned flashback sequences are memorable and chilling, and spiralling arial shots coupled with choppy cut-sequences make for a visual feast. The score, too, helps the picture enormously, and Glass' solo piano is the stuff of horror classics.

An original and excellent horror, 'Candyman' deserves its place as a true classic of the Genre. Neither pretentious nor ironic, it's a brilliantly realised vision of a modern nightmare. Get it.

Rating:
Summary: As terrific as slasher movies come.
Review: Virginia Madsen is Helen Lyle, a grad student studying the Candyman urban legend, where if you state his name five times in front of a mirror, he'll come and slash you from the groin up. Initially, she laughs it off as superstition until she encounters the Candyman himself...or has she? Scary and stylish horror film based off Clive Barker's short story mixes psychological and visceral thrills into one deft and extremely well-made blend. Bernard Rose's superb direction and script make this one of the most frightening films ever made. Great performances from the lovely Madsen and Tony Todd as the titular character. Sorry, Hellraiser fans, but this is THE definitive Clive Barker adaptation.
**** 1/2 out of *****

Rating:
Summary: Just say his name 5 times and see what happens....
Review: The slasher genre was pretty much tapped out by the early 90s when "Candyman" came along, and despite what would happen to the series later on (two abysmal sequels), it stands as one of the most original and terrifying horror films of the 90s.

Based on the short story "The Forbidden" by Clive Barker (you can find it in the Books of Blood vol. 5) , it delves into urban legends and the supernatural rather than gratuitous bloodshed, though there is plenty of that here. A Chicago University researcher (Virginia Madsen), working on her thesis, decides to examine the legend of "Candyman", a murderous spirit said to haunt a local slum. His ghost is motivated by spite and anger, having died under violent and unjust circumstances when alive. He has a hook for a hand, and will shed innocent blood if he is called upon. The legend has it that if you look into a mirror and say his name 5 times, he will come for you. This variation of the Bloody Mary story was thought only to be an urban legend, until the researcher decides to immerse herself in the legend, only to find out that the danger is very real. The Candyman comes for her, and needless to say, blood is shed.

As a villain, Candyman is more formidable than most. He is dark, sinister, and appears out of nowhere. Owing to the circumstances of his death, his hook for a hand and his penchant for honey bees (I would be giving too much away if I were to explain it) make him fearsome. Where the movie succeeds in scaring the audience is in the atmosphere. From the semi-gothic music score to the Candyman's deep and raspy voice, the viewer is on their toes from the very beginning. The horror is mainly psychological, but there are a few jump scenes that will get the heart rate up. People who like their bloodshed will enjoy some extremely gruesome murders, which are unavoidable seeing as how the villain has a hook for a hand!

The Columbia DVD is as bare bones as they get, save for a theatrical trailer and the option to have either full screen or widescreen (which makes more sense than releasing two separate versions). The DVD transfer itself is quite good, with a nice fuzz-free transfer and clear picture quality. The sound is nicely pumped up, making to ominous music of the movie even more ominous. Sure, the extras are sparse, but for a budget DVD, it is to be expected.

"Candyman" is by no means a masterpiece, but it is one of the better horror films to come along in quite some time, and it could never simply be classified as a slaher movie. It is a well made psychological chiller in the similar vain to "Hellraiser" and countless other urban-legend based horror movies. Horror fans need not hesitate to add this to their collection.

Rating:
Summary: Barker"s best?
Review: The Horror Fan website "Terror Trap" refers to Candyman as probably the last great, traditional horror film. It wasn't long after Candyman that Scream came out, revitalizing the genre, but also diluting it of the actual "horror".

Candyman plays upon the Bloody Mary urban legend. If you look in a mirror and say "Candyman" several times, the real Candyman will appear behind you and gut you. Of course idiots are bound to do it. Then again the characters don't realize they are in a horror film. Virginia Madsen plays a woman doing a thesis on urban legends and becomes fascinated in the Candyman legend. Her research leads her to Cabrini-Green, one of the roughest neighborhoods in Chicago. There, a Candyman murder was supposed to have occurred. Unfortunately for her, her poking around draws the attention of the other-worldly Candyman and he teaches her a lesson about inspiring fear in others.

A Clive Barker creation, Candyman is grim, very grim. It leaves you at times wondering "How will she ever get out of this?" Well, who says she will? The Candyman (played by Tony Todd who portrayed Worf's brother on Star Trek:TNG) weilds a hook jammed into the stump of his bloody wrist and embodies all the nastiness hinted at by the better urban legends. Someone you can't get away from and isn't restrained by the laws of the physical world. Run away from him, keep running, and an hour later when you stop to catch your breath, there is Candyman just standing there. Lock your door and turn around, and there he is. Heck, even Jason Vorhees has to take the time to bash in the door.

The Candyman DVD only offers trailers, but does have both full screen and widescreen on one disk, but that's about it. It would have been nice to hear Todd and Madsen talk about the experience of making the film. Hopefully we will see a special edition in the next year or so. Still, this is a great scare and worth the money.

Rating:
Summary: Candyman
Review: 'Candyman' is by far the most horrifying movie I have ever seen in my whole life..and I've seen almost every horror movie there is. Not only does this movie make you jump out of your seat, but there is something eerily creepy about it and it made me scared in a way no other movie can. This is not one of those horror movies that you watch for fun or to watch with some friends.It will scare you for days afterwards and you will be scared to go anywhere near a mirror...The things that make this movie so scary are...
1.The setting and atmosphere-It takes place in Cabrini Green, Chicago in the projects.
2.The music-I always say the music makes all the difference in a movie
3.Candyman's voice-He has this very low voice that is just haunting
4.Candyman's hook-It's all bloody and there's something about it that just creeps me out.
The reason I gave this movie 5 stars is because it is the only movie i've ever seen to scare me in the way it did.I would reccomend it only to people who have seen a lot of horror movies.I wouldn't reccomend it to people who are easily scared because i am not but i still was terrified by "Candyman".

Rating:
Summary: The best horror film of the decade
Review: Candyman is the best horror film of the decade and one of the best in the history of horror films. The movie is about an urban legend that states that if you say Candyman five times in the mirror he'll come and split you from the groin up. I've heard people say this is a slasher flick. Well, if it is then it's a slasher flick with an imagination. Candyman is a very creative movie with a very chilling concept.

The acting in this movie is solid. Virginia Madsen is the best as the woman who tries to convince others that Candyman is real. Tony Todd, who played the hero in the remake of Night of the Living Dead, is menacing in his subtle performance as the villain Candyman. Another great thing about this movie is the musical score from Philip Glass. It really sets the mood and atmosphere of the movie. Bernard Rose's direction and writing skills prove excellent.

This is hands down the best adaptation of a Clive Barker book or story. It seems the best film is the one Barker didn't adapt himself. I'm disappointed that not many people have seen or heard of Candyman. This film did well at the box office back in 1992, opening with 5 million dollars and earning a solid domestic gross of 26 million dollars in less than 1500 theaters. Still, it's not as well known as Hellraiser, which I consider a below average film of any genre. Candyman is an example of how good horror films can still be.

Rating:
Summary: Candyman (1992)
Review: Director: Bernard Rose
Cast: Virginia Madsen, Tony Todd, Xander Berkeley.
Running Time: 98 minutes.
Rated R for violence, gore, language, and mild nudity.

"Candyman" begins with a haunting tone of a piano exercising the musical score. As the camera pans overhead of the great city of Chicago, there already a sense of terror that hangs over the metropolitan. This terror, created brilliantly by the unknown director Bernard Rose, is the urban legend of the ghostly hooked slave Candyman. The legend has it that whenever a person speaks his name five times into a mirror, the Candyman will appear based on this invitation and kill those who spoke his name.

Virginia Madsen plays an up-and-coming graduate journalist who is out to find the juiciest, most cunning story that she can find. She chooses to study urban legends in an urban area--the slums of Chicago. As she learns more about mysterious killer, Virginia's character is thrust into a world of horror as she is arrested for the very crimes that the Candyman has committed. Attempting to both get out of jail and save those who are close to her, she is on a relentless path that she not only hopes will lead to her survival, but the truth of the Candyman.

Excellent script is one of the better adaptations of a Clive Barker story. Madsen gives a fine performance in the leading role and Tony Todd is hauntingly fresh as the tormenting hooked murderer. Will keep the audience on the edge of their seats throughout the entire film, only to have their entire bodies lifted out in shock with a superb climax. One of the better horror films of the early 1990s and a hidden gem in the slasher genre. Truly scary.

Rating:
Summary: A Mixed Bag
Review: Let me give it to you in a nutshell.

Acting- 10/10

Fright factor- 8/10 ( but lessens after the second viewing )

Special Effects- 5/10

Candy Man was a much ignored film in 1992. Surprisingly the film wasn't that famous back then but has lately become a major horror classic and has spawned two sequels. It's the acting of Virginia Madsen that keeps this film going folks. There are a lot of silly, stupid unnneeded elements that will straight bore you. You'll be happy you can skip these scenes on DVD. All and all Candy Man is very entertaining but loses it's spunk as it ages. It probably won't scare you if you're over eight but if you're turned on by blood and excessive gore, Candy Man is the number one choice for you.

Rating:
Summary: Barker"s best?
Review: The Horror Fan website "Terror Trap" refers to Candyman as probably the last great, traditional horror film. It wasn't long after Candyman that Scream came out, revitalizing the genre, but also diluting it of the actual "horror".

Candyman plays upon the Bloody Mary urban legend. If you look in a mirror and say "Candyman" several times, the real Candyman will appear behind you and gut you. Of course idiots are bound to do it. Then again the characters don't realize they are in a horror film. Virginia Madsen plays a woman doing a thesis on urban legends and becomes fascinated in the Candyman legend. Her research leads her to Cabrini-Green, one of the roughest neighborhoods in Chicago. There, a Candyman murder was supposed to have occurred. Unfortunately for her, her poking around draws the attention of the other-worldly Candyman and he teaches her a lesson about inspiring fear in others.

A Clive Barker creation, Candyman is grim, very grim. It leaves you at times wondering "How will she ever get out of this?" Well, who says she will? The Candyman (played by Tony Todd who portrayed Worf's brother on Star Trek:TNG) weilds a hook jammed into the stump of his bloody wrist and embodies all the nastiness hinted at by the better urban legends. Someone you can't get away from and isn't restrained by the laws of the physical world. Run away from him, keep running, and an hour later when you stop to catch your breath, there is Candyman just standing there. Lock your door and turn around, and there he is. Heck, even Jason Vorhees has to take the time to bash in the door.

The Candyman DVD only offers trailers, but does have both full screen and widescreen on one disk, but that's about it. It would have been nice to hear Todd and Madsen talk about the experience of making the film. Hopefully we will see a special edition in the next year or so. Still, this is a great scare and worth the money.

Rating:
Summary: Candyman, Candyman, Candyman, Candyman...Candyman
Review: Do you dare say the name five times?
Helen Lyle did. Helen, (Virginia Madsen) is doing a thesis on Urban Legends with her friend Bernadette. Their favorite is that of Candyman.
If you say his name 5 times in the mirror, he appears behind you and guts you from groin to gullet.
The two investigate in an area of Chicago called Cabrini-Green, where a woman was killed and a boy castrated. Helen doesn't believe the rumours, until HE appears. Candyman.
Her life begins to crumple around her as she's accused of 1st degree murder and kidnapping, and her husband reveals a devastating secret.
Candyman is by far the best horror movie I've seen since Texas Chainsaw Massacre.
There is gore, but not the kind that makes you gag. Its semi-subtle.
Plus, acting from Madsen and Candyman Tony Todd is far above average.
And the ending is fantastic. Gosh, I saw it a mile away but it still scared the crapper out of me.