Candyman

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Summary: Candyman is one of the best horror films of all time
Review: During the eighties, the silver screen was littered with poor slasher films. Then in 1987, a man named Clive Barker came along. He wrote and directed the adaptation of one of his short novels and the film became known as Hellraiser. I wasn't too big a fan of that movie as a lot of others are, but at least it was a little bit different from the piling slashers.(The chain scenes in Hellraiser can be counted as slashing) Still, I noticed that Barker had a creative touch. In 1992, Bernard Rose wrote and directed the adaptation of Barker's short story, The Forbidden. The film became known as Candyman. I watched it and I must say it is brilliant! Mixing issues of class, racism, and urban legends, Candyman comes across as a film that is both frightening and thought provoking. The musical score from Phillip Glass was excellent and helped bring out the atmosphere. This was certainly a well thought film that deserved all its praise for being the best horror film of the decade, which it is so far but I can't see any film coming out this year that could rival it. I also watched Barker's Lord of Illusions and was disappointed that it didn't reach the heights of Candyman. Candyman is certainly the best Barker adaptation with Lord of Illusions next and then Hellraiser.

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Summary: Sweets for the Sweet
Review: This movie focuses on one emotion and one emotion only: Fear. It gripping, its evil, and its GREAT! I was thumbing through the video store and I saw the picture of the eyeball with the fly in it. I had heard a few things about it so i thought i'd pick it up. I honestly had nightmares for 2 months, I also couldn't sleep that night. Thats how terrifying it was. Sure you all think, well he must be a wuss, trust me, watch this movie, I promise it would make the most fearless human being on earth wet his pants.

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Summary: more than just a simple story.
Review: in terms of speaking, candyman is more than just the usual gory horror film typical of most clive barker screen adaptations. candyman in a sense pulls ahead of the rest of the pack because of the rather subliminal psychological implications that the occurences of the story seem to indicate. although it may seem simple enough to dismiss the chaos experienced by the character helen lyle and her obsession with the legend of the candyman, it also seems more and more likely that the story incorporates the idea that perhaps the candyman doesn't exist and that the strange occurences are all perpetrated by helen herself as she sinks into madness driven by her obsession with the legend of the candyman. not only does this seem likely if the movie is observed with the idea of the candyman as a figment of everyone's imagination, only helen seems to believe that he is real and is incapable of understanding let alone explaining her madness created by her obsession. now this is only a mere speculation but it seems like a viable option for explaining the nature of the chaos in the film. i see it as not only a well-made original horror film but a psychological thriller as well, outlining helen's downward spiral into violent psychosis. well. up until the last scene. that part is what makes me doubt the validity of my claim.

Rating:
Summary: One of the best horror films of all time
Review: Candyman is definitely one of the scariest movies in the past ten years. The premise itself is chilling. Helen Lyle, played by Virginia Madsen, is writing a thesis on Urban Legends and is particularly interested in the Candyman stories because of how people seem to really believe in it. All you have to do is believe the legend, say Candyman five times in the mirror, and he will appear behind you and use his hook to split you from the groin up. This movie has quite a few bloody and gory scenes that may gross out some viewers (especially the cut off dog's head) but it isn't overdone and it also adds more to the scare factor.

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Summary: It was terrifying If yu want a scary movie get the Candyman.
Review: it was the only movie ever made that got me scared and I have have seen alot of horror movies. It was GORY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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Summary: The best horror film since HELLRAISER
Review: There is no way you are going to tempt your fate by standing infront of the mirror and saying the word 'Candyman' five times. Another one of Clive Barker's original stories bringing the most unimaginable pain to the screen. No video shelf is complete without a copy of 'CANDYMAN' is complete without a copy of 'CANDYMAN'

Rating:
Summary: Good movie, good music, good transfer
Review: Candyman is a very good horror film, dark, eerie, and frightening. The soundtrack is by Philip Glass, and it is wonderful. The DVD transfer is excellent, but it has no extras (apart from the trailer). It is adapted from the short story The Forbidden, by Clive Barker. You can found it in his book In The Flesh.

Rating:
Summary: One of the best films from the mind of Clive Barker
Review: Clive Barker has done it again! Once again, the REAL master of horror has shown us past superstition and into reality. Candyman is the perfect horror film for anyone!

Starring Virginia Madsen as the powerfully portrayed Helen Lyle, is doing a graduate student thesis with her friend Bernadette Peters(Kasi Lemmons). Her paper is on urban legends, which soon leads her to Cabrini Green, a ghetto residence of ganstas and poor african american families. Here Helen finds out about Candyman(played perfectly by the horrifying Tony Todd), a african american young man who was killed in the early 1900's. He haunts people's lives with his hook, and his poetic words. Soon, Candyman kills everyone Helen loves because of her disbelief in him.

Candyman also stars Xander Berkley, and Vanessa Williams. See it! END

Rating:
Summary: An overlooked psychological thriller
Review: Candyman starts out pedestrian enough. Helen Lyle (Virginia Madsen) is a graduate student attempting to wow her instructor while dealing with her cheating professor husband. Helen chooses the local urban legend Candyman to blow her teacher away. Being the detailed and dedicated researcher, she investigates the area where most of Candyman's victims are found; the Cabrini Green housing project. Helen and her fellow student interview residents of the rundown apartment complex, explore an abandoned apartment that has been transformed into a shrine to the title character, and form an unusual bond with a young, struggling mother (Vanessa Williams).

All proceeds as one would expect until a murderer using the Candyman legend as a cover is caught by the police. Helen comforts a boy by telling him that the Candyman is not the boogeyman, just a bad man trying to scare and cause harm. This is the turning point of the movie.

By destroying the boy's belief in Candyman, Helen invites the entity who describes his state as "to be but not to exist". Candyman is because others believe in him. Helen has destroyed this so he must now revive his legend and resuscitate belief in him. Helen encounters him in a parking garage where he commands her to "be my victim". The next thing she knows, she is lying in the young mother's apartment next to her dead dog with a bloody knife in her hand.

From this point Helen descends into madness with murders and a kidnapping surrounding her while her husband's cheating ways are revealed. Eventually Candyman asks Helen to join her in the non-existence of legend. To save a child, Helen agrees and sacrifices her life so the child might live. The worst thing about the movie is a rather cheesy ending that confirms Helen's entry into Urban Legend-hood.

Candyman is a well written thriller. It's overabundance of gore overshadows the existential elements. All the actors perform their parts with aplomb. Virginia Madsen is more than believable as a woman on the edge of a breakdown, while Tony Todd was born to play the Candyman. His tall and imposing stature combined with a deep and creepy voice can be truly unnerving at times. Forgive the ending and you have a great horror film.

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.