Candyman (1992)

The Candyman, a murderous soul with a hook for a hand, is accidentally summoned to reality by a skeptic grad student researching the monster's myth.

Director:

Bernard Rose

Writers:

Clive Barker (story), Bernard Rose

Stars:

Virginia Madsen, Xander Berkeley, Tony Todd

4 wins & 5 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Virginia Madsen	...	Helen Lyle
Tony Todd	...	The Candyman / Daniel Robitaille
Xander Berkeley	...	Trevor Lyle
Kasi Lemmons	...	Bernadette 'Bernie' Walsh
Vanessa Williams	...	Anne-Marie McCoy
DeJuan Guy	...	Jake
Marianna Elliott	...	Clara (as Marianna Eliott)
Ted Raimi	...	Billy
Ria Pavia	...	Monica
Mark Daniels	...	Student
Lisa Ann Poggi	...	Diane
Adam Philipson	...	Danny
Eric Edwards	...	Harold
Carolyn Lowery	...	Stacey
Barbara Alston	...	Henrietta Mosely

Storyline

Helen Lyle is a student who decides to write a thesis about local legends and myths. She visits a part of the town, where she learns about the legend of the Candyman, a one-armed man who appears when you say his name five times, in front of a mirror. Of course, Helen doesn't believe all this stuff, but the people of the area are really afraid. When she ignores their warnings and begins her investigation in the places that he is rumored to appear, a series of horrible murders begins. Could the legend be true?

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Plot Keywords:

Candyman | Mirror | Urban Legend | Hook | Investigation | 

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Taglines:

From The Chilling Imagination Of Clive Barker.

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Genres:

Horror

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for violence and gore

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

16 October 1992 (USA)

Also Known As:

Clive Barker's Candyman

Filming Locations:

Cabrini-Green Public Housing Projects, Near North Side, Chicago, Illinois, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$8,000,000 (estimated)

Gross:

$25,792,310 (USA)

Company Credits

Production Co:

PolyGram Filmed Entertainment, Propaganda Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

99 min

Sound Mix:

Stereo (Dolby Stereo)

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Philip Glass was asked by director Bernard Rose to compose a score for his film "Candyman". Glass accepted and wrote a "gothic" score for chorus and pipe organ. The final version of the film was a disappointment to Glass. He felt that he had been manipulated. What was presented to him as a low budget independent project with creative integrity became (in his opinion) a low budget Hollywood slasher flick. As a result, Glass with held his consent for the release of the recordings of the score for years, until 2001.

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Goofs

Wire visible pulling the Candyman backwards out of the window to escape the psychiatrist's office at the hospital.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Candyman: They will say that I have shed innocent blood. What's blood for, if not for shedding?

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Connections

Spoofed in South Park: Hell on Earth 2006 (2006)
You have to say "Biggy Smalls" three times in a mirror and he'll come kill you. Just like "Candyman".

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Soundtracks

"STATE OF INDEPENDENCE"
Written by Vangelis and Jon Anderson
Performed by Moodswings
Featuring the voice of Chrissie Hynde
Courtesy of Arista Records Inc. / BMG Eurodisc Ltd

User Reviews

A film that truly belongs in line with the other genre greats

We've all heard urban legends, just about every town seems to have a few. The questions of course is whether or not any of them are based on fact. There's the old favorite about the couple in a parked car harassed by a man with a hook, but did that really happen? It sure makes a good premise for a Horror movie and has been done a number of times, though not always successfully. The most recent example is of course the 'Urban Legend' series of films, which started pretty decent, but quickly became tired. A few years prior came a film that not only brought urban legends to the screen, but made many afraid to look into a mirror for a long time, including yours truly.

Pros: Solid performances. Another terrific directing job by Bernard Rose. Phillip Glass's score is both beautiful and haunting. Beautiful cinematography. Great script. Terrifying villain that fortunately doesn't spout one-liners. Well-paced. Suspenseful. Some really powerful scares.

Cons: The last few moments really weren't needed and actually cheapen the film a tiny bit.

Final thoughts: Many say 'The Exorcist' is the scariest film they've ever seen. That film certainly effected me the first time I saw it, but not nearly as much as this one. It would be years before I was OK with being alone in the bathroom alone at night. Any movie that has that kind of effect on a person must be pretty darn scary. 'Candyman' is without question one of the greatest Horror films of not only the 1990s, but period.

My rating: 4.5/5