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[tab title="Movie Review"]
Chicago is a very beautiful city. From the inspiring architecture to the sports teams, a thriving cultural history – whether being celebrated in seasonal bursts or by the rousing cuisine – absolutely thrives within its city limits. Even the boarded-up ghetto areas offer a beauty that many take for granted. As a result, Chicago is a fabulous location to have as a backdrop for a horror film . . . which is part of the reason that writer/director Bernard Rose’s Candyman, based on a story from Clive Barker, works so incredibly well.
Researching urban legends, two friends – actress Virginia Madsen as Helen Lyde and actress/writer/director Kasi Lemmons (Eve’s Bayou) as Bernadette Walsh – stumble upon the haunting story of Candyman (Tony Todd). Twenty-six murders are attributed to this legendary hook-handed, but his haunting origins – being a successful portrait artist and raised in a different society than that of his fellow African-Americans – involves a relationship with a white woman, a baby, and a resulting lynch mob.
Initially, Helen has a problem with believing in Candyman. She did, after all, say his name five times and nothing happened, so the chance that this legendary figure in just that – a legend – keeps reverberating through her skull. That is, until the day when he makes his presence known to her. . .
. . . and because she doesn’t believe, innocent blood will have to be shed. {googleads}
Suddenly, Helen awakens to find herself covered in blood and wanted by the police due to the abduction of a baby from Cabrini–Green, a public housing development which is featured artfully throughout the film.. And, yes, REAL gang members flesh out the make-up of this movie.
What transpires in Candyman, now appearing through Scream Factory, offering two versions of the film, both from newly remastered 2K restorations of a new 4K scan 9as well as a number of new special features including commentaries and featurettes), is a movie that has CLASSIC written all over it. The horror film is incredibly romantic as, through the REAL hypnotism of Helen (yes, Madsen was victim here), we have a film that is not unlike the original Phantom of the Opera.
This movie, especially in this 2-disc presentation, is damned beautiful as it ascends to the top of the bonfire, crossing dimensions of reality and time. Haunting and original, the film merges the beauty of Chicago – thanks to some fantastic aerial photography and a sharp production design which showcases the city sprawl of the city (all set to great mood by Philip Glass’ ethereal score) – and proves it to be the perfect city for the original narrative to etch its story onto.
From Dr. Norman Gary’s well-trained bees to the strong practical effects running throughout this movie, Candyman remains an unforgettable experience. When it comes to 1990s horror, there is certainly NOTHING better than Tony Todd in this iconic role.
Just don’t say his name five times while looking straight into a mirror . . .
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[tab title="Details"]
MPAA Rating: R for violence and gore.
Runtime: 99 mins
Director: Bernard Rose
Writer: Bernard Rose
Cast: Virginia Madsen, Xander Berkeley, Tony Todd
Genre: Horror
Tagline: You don't have to believe... just beware.
Memorable Movie Quote: "It was always you, Helen. It was always you."
Theatrical Distributor: TriStar Pictures
Official Site:
Release Date: October 16, 1992
DVD/Blu-ray Release Date: November 20, 2018
Synopsis: ollows a graduate student whose research summons the spirit of the dead! When Helen Lyle hears about Candyman, a slave spirit with a hook hand who is said to haunt a notorious housing project, she thinks she has a new twist for her thesis. Braving the gang-ridden territory to visit the site, Helen arrogantly assumes Candyman can't really exist ... until he appears, igniting a string of terrifying, grisly slayings. But the police don't believe in monsters, and charge Helen with the crimes. And the only one who can set her free is Candyman.
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[tab title="Blu-ray Review"]
Blu-ray Details:
Home Video Distributor: Shout Factory
Available on Blu-ray - November 20, 2018
Screen Formats: 1.85:1
Subtitles: English SDH
Audio: English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1; English: LPCM 2.0
Discs: Blu-ray Disc; Two-disc set
Region Encoding: Locked to Region A
Leave it to a British director to make horror in the 1990s look incredibly crisp. Presented by Scream Factory, the 2-Disc Blu-ray combo pack for Candyman offers TWO clean-looking 1080p transfers. Of course, this is 1992 we are talking about so nothing on the image rivals the technical marvel and digital gloss of today’s film and, sure, there are a couple of moments of fuzziness to some scenes in the Unrated version thanks to the condition of the uncensored material. Texture and fine detail are both present and colors are properly saturated. The gore is excessively thick and the make-up work is of a darkly precise matter. There’s no CGI so the effects are all practical and thankfully have clear definition. The sound is presented in a warm DTS stereo surround release. Dialogue is mixed well with everything else in the front channels. But the score from Glass is beyond remarkable.
Supplements:
Commentary:
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See Special Features for specific information.
Special Features:
Once again, Scream Factory has outdone themselves when it comes to their Collector’s Editions. We can only hope to get this strong of treatment from the other two films in the series.
DISC ONE (THEATRICAL CUT):
- NEW 2K Restoration From A New 4K Scan Of The Original Negative, Supervised And Approved By Writer/Director Bernard Rose And Director Of Photography Anthony B. Richmond
- NEW Audio Commentary With Writer/Director Bernard Rose And Actor Tony Todd
- NEW Audio Commentary With Authors Stephen Jones And Kim Newman
- Audio Commentary With Director Bernard Rose, Author Clive Barker, Producer Alan Poul And Actors Tony Todd, Virginia Madsen And Kasi Lemmons
- Audio Commentary With Bernard Rose, Moderated By The Movie Crypt's Adam Green And Joe Lynch
- "Sweets To The Sweet: The Candyman Mythos" Featuring Interviews With Writer/Director Bernard Rose, Executive Producer Clive Barker, Actors Virginia Madsen, Tony Todd, And Kasi Lemmons
- "Clive Barker: Raising Hell" – An Interview With Author/Artist/Filmmaker Clive Barker
- Interview With Actor Tony Todd (2014)
- Bernard Rose's Storyboards
- Theatrical Trailer
- TV Spots
- Still Gallery
- Screenplay (BD-ROM)
DISC TWO (UNRATED CUT):
- NEW 2K Restoration From A New 4K Scan Of The Original Negative With High Definition Inserts For The Uncut Footage From An Archival Film Print
- NEW "Be My Victim" – An Interview With Tony Todd
- NEW "It Was Always You, Helen" – An Interview With Virginia Madsen
- NEW “Reflection In The Mirror” – An Interview With Actor Kasi Lemmons
- NEW "A Kid In Candyman" – An Interview With Actor DeJuan Guy
- NEW "The Writing On The Wall: The Production Design Of Candyman" – An Interview With Production Designer Jane Ann Stewart
- NEW "Forbidden Flesh: The Makeup FX Of Candyman" – Including Interviews With Special Makeup Effects Artists Bob Keen, Gary J. Tunnicliffe And Mark Coulier
- NEW "A Story To Tell: Clive Barker's The Forbidden" – Writer Douglas E. Winter On Clive Barker's Seminal Books Of Blood And Candyman's Source Story, The Forbidden
- NEW "Urban Legend: Unwrapping Candyman" – A Critical Analysis Of The Film With Writers Tananarive Due And Steven Barnes
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