Candyman (Special Edition)

Clive Barker's works frequently address issues of xenophobia. "Nightbreed" is an excellent example of the persecution of the "Other." Told from the "Other's" perspective, it allows its viewer a small window into the struggles of "minorities" (not that any film can fully convey this idea, but this is an excellent attempt at beginning a dialogue).On the surface, "Candyman" appears to pick-up this thread. The viewer learns that Candyman was a master portrait-artist in the late eighteenth/early nineteenth century. He was commissioned to capture the likeness of a landowner's young, innocent daughter. Instead, he captured her virginity. For this "crime" he was summarily covered in bees and hanged. Fast-forward to today(ish). The viewer learns that Candyman's name has become an urban-legend in Calibrini-Green (the housing-projects which were constructed on the same grounds on which he was executed). A copycat killer stalks his victims ... but is Candyman more than just a moment in history? More than just a name? Interesting premise, right?So here is where we encounter problems. The depiction of Calibrini-Green (a very real, notoriously violent housing project in Chicago) is "white-washed." The film does not depict the overcrowding of this area: and has encountered opposition as a result (minor stuff though, right?). Now, here is the most serious offense the film commits: this film is supposed to reveal the story of Candyman ... but inevitably, it becomes the story of Helen. She usurps the narrative ... and, thus, his power. When Helen dons the hook and ultimately replaces Candyman in the mythology (as noted in the film's conclusion), her history is being compared with his. And can we really compare the history of a white woman who lives in a condo to that of a black man who was executed without a trial? Doubtful.The film is a bit dated. It plays upon the fears white Americans had of the exodus of middle-class blacks from the "projects" (Calbrini-Green in this case) into suburban areas. It also plays the fears white Americans had upon the destruction of housing projects and, thus, the displacement of blacks during the Regan/Bush era. (The question being, "Are we safe from 'these people'?") While this could be an enlightening film, the approach is painfully flawed. The treatment of the black community is borderline insulting.Still, the film is certainly worth a watch if you are interested in the portrayal of the "other" in film, Clive Barker's work, or if you are simply interested in the evolution of horror film.Suggested reading: Briefel, Aviva and Sianne Ngaî. "'How Much Did You Pay for This Place?': Fear, Entitlement, and Urban Space in Bernard Rose's 'Candyman.'" Camera Obscura: A Journal of Feminism, Culture, and Media Studies 37, (1996 Jan): 71-91.

Most horror movies are just incredibly stupid, boring, gross to be gross or a combination of those. Candyman, and its sequel to bit lesser extent, defy those tired tropes. Candyman is a dread inducing gothic horror film based off a short story "The Forbidden" by Clive Barker. Long, convoluted story short Helen Lyle is a graduate student in Chicago researching Urban Legends. She summons the Candyman who as mean spirited as he can be is really a tragic figure. An artist Daniel Robitaille was the son of a slave on a New Orleans plantation in the 1890’s. A wealthy landowner chose him to paint a portrait of his daughter, Caroline Sullivan. The two fell in forbidden love and Caroline got pregnant. Her father was furious and chased Daniel out of town along with a lynch mob. The mob caught Daniel and tortured him by cutting off his right hand with a saw blade. After they removed his hand they poured honey over his body from a nearby hive. As the sequel expands on this Caroline shows Daniel his reflection in her mirror as he lay dying. His soul becomes trapped inside the mirror. If you tie the two movies together Daniel is basically a very lonely, very angry restless spirit who does not want to be forgotten. He wants to be reunited with the woman and child he loved and was robbed of. His child, Isabelle was raised with no knowledge of his existence. If you pay close attention to the final act of Candyman you realize that Daniel believes Helen to be the reincarnation of Caroline and he steals a baby in the hopes of killing all three to join him in the after life. This is truly a haunting film. The sequel is just different enough and I applaud the sequel for expanding on the mythos. They DID make a third direct to DVD turd in like 1999 and...oh god. just don't watch it. Tony Todd needs to pay his bills I suppose but otherwise it is a lot cheap non scares and an annoying, big boobed playmate screaming throughout the movie. It was really a slap in the face to a series that capped it off perfectly at the end of the first sequel.

At first I was grossed out about this film. Depicting the castration of a little boy in a public bathroom was too much for me. It forced me to read the Wikipedia review before I continued further. What I read piqued my interest so I watched the remainder of the film while at work.The Candyman is insane. Why else would he kill his "own people"? People who themselves are still being oppressed to this very day. This film is a supernatural horror/thriller that gets more into one's mind more than one's body. If you can get past the first 30 to 40 minutes you will get to see an interesting film--a film that showcases a subtle delineation of race and class in America today.Tony Todd and Virginia Madsen have a solid chemistry together despite Todd's appearance only at the 43 minute mark of the film. Todd's brooding, dark intensity make this film. He's truly a film villain extraordinaire. Despite this, I never really knew what it was that Candyman wanted other than to be worshiped as he haunted Cabrini-Green Public Housing buildings.I give this film Candyman Three and a Half to Four Stars rounded up. Buy this film and you won't be too disappointed. Madsen is great and as beautiful as she was in Third Degree Burn. I'm the 147th person to review Candyman.A. Nathaniel Wallace, Jr.

For the first time, I'm disapointed by this Arrow edition ; image is really not better than the Universal release a few years ago .... The sound is indeed improved with a 5.1 instead of stereo on the Universal blu ray . The extra contents seems to be as always very interesting. The film is presented in US unrated and in UK version . No additional scene but just a scene is different ( duration of the movie is the same for the 2 versions ) : so I don't really see a big difference between those 2 scenes ..... I've returned this blu ray and I keep my universal blu ray. ( sorry for my english but I'm french ( from Belgium ) . Regards .

Clive Barker has gone a bit soft in his old age and is quite happy to have censored versions of his films replace the uncut versions originally released (Hellraiser being another one). When I watched this on DVD the cuts were so clumsily done that the music jumped, I was so disgusted that I refused to watch the film again. Thankfully Arrow found and released the uncut version, though I can't understand why it's limited or they are pretending that it's alternate footage as opposed to just being uncut. I wouldn't buy this Blu-ray without that version being included. I also note that Arrow gave their extras to Scream Factory in the US but didn't ask for Scream's extras in return, so dock a point for that as well as the limited status of the only watchable cut of the film.

I did a multi buy to save on postage, this great film was the last to arrive by almost a fortnight and I had been granted a refund for it as it clearly wasn't in my collection in time. I feel bad and apologise, this original Candyman I feel is superior to its remake in most ways but either is worth a watch.

Very good movie. Went to see it in the 1990s, was so scared and spent most of the movie cowering on my boyfriend's shoulder. I found it chilling then, but not so much now. It is good though, just another take on bloody Mary.

Overall presentation is excellent, from extras to packaging, but film wasn’t as good as I remember. Still, fans of horror will delight in this special edition.