#394. Candyman (1992)

Directed By: Bernard Rose

Starring: Virginia Madsen, Xander Berkeley, Tony Todd




Tag line: "You don't have to believe... just beware"

Trivia:  Eddie Murphy was considered for the title role

Based on a short story by Clive Barker (titled “The Forbidden”), Candyman introduces yet another iconic character to the world of horror. As played by Tony Todd, Candyman is a killer with a tragic past, and a definite plan for the future. 

Grad student Helen Lyle (Virginia Madsen) is researching her thesis. Assisted by her friend, Bernadette (Kasi Lemmons), she is studying urban legends and the effect they have on society as a whole. It's while interviewing other students that Helen learns of a legend dating back to the 19th century, that of an ominous figure known only as the Candyman. 

Candyman, the son of a slave, was allegedly murdered for falling in love with, then impregnating, a white woman. After cutting off his hand and replacing it with a hook, the angry locals smeared Candyman with honey, then watched as he was stung to death by a swarm of bees. According to the legend, anyone who repeats his name five times while staring into a mirror will bring Candyman back from the dead. 

Hoping to dig a little deeper into this legend, Helen makes a trip to an urban housing project, where many of the residents have attributed a string of recent murders to the dreaded Candyman. Yet through it all, Helen remains skeptical, and even tempts fate one evening by saying Candyman's name five times. She quickly changes her tune a few days later when she's confronted by a very tall, very real individual claiming to be Candyman (Tony Todd)! 

Candyman hits the right note on a number of different levels, starting with the casting of Tony Todd, whose imposing physical presence and unmistakable voice bring tons of charisma to the title role. Though menacing, Todd's Candyman remains a sympathetic character throughout, a man whose hatred is fueled by the injustice he suffered, and whose ultimate goal goes beyond simple revenge. 

Virginia Madsen is also impressive as the strong-willed Helen, who eventually becomes more to Candyman than a potential victim. 

In addition to its spot-on casting, Candyman features a number of strong scenes, most of which are set in the housing project, where Helen at one point interviews a single mother named Anne-Marie (Vanessa Williams) who also figures into Candyman's master scheme. And while most of the murders are committed off-screen (due in large part to a plot point I won't divulge here), there's more than enough blood spattered around to convince us that each one was particularly gruesome (including a kill likely to rub dog lovers the wrong way). 

Along with a number of surprising twists in its story, Candyman has a lot to say about bigotry and urban decay, and features a character who has earned his place among the genre's elite. A horror film with a conscience, Bernard Rose's Candyman stands alongside Scream, Tremors and The Sixth Sense as one of the 1990's finest horror outings.