Candyman (18.)
Directed by Bernard Rose. 1992.
Starring Virginia Madsen, Tony Todd, Xander Berkeley, Kasi Lemmons and Vanessa Williams. 96 mins. Released by Arrow Video on two disc Blu-ray October 29th.
Candyman is the only horror film to boast of having a Philip Glass soundtrack. With 143 scores to his name you couldn't exactly call the New York taxi driver turned pioneer minimalist composer picky, but he usually lent his services to higher brow stuff or documentary. Supposedly, (which is a euphemism for according to IMDB) he was disappointed by the resulting film and felt hoodwinked. He believed he was working on a low budget independent project, not the Hollywood slasher film he viewed it as. He was half right. Candyman is a bold and original presentation of some bog standard horror norms.
Adapted from a short story by Clive Barker, Rose's conception of the Candyman (Todd) resembles Captain Hook in pimp fancy dress. If someone is unwise enough to look into a mirror and say his name five times he will appear behind you and slash you in half with his hooked hand. Who would do such a thing? Well, only university researcher Helen (Madsen), who is doing a project on urban legends. To find out more she ends up in the Chicago projects, in the notorious Cabrini-Green project, a block run by dealers and gangsters.
The film opens with a helicopter shot of Helen's red car moving through the Chicago freeway, a riff on the credit sequence of The Shining. The film is strongest when it is keeping its distance, exploring the reality, not the horror fantasy. The scenes in the Chicago projects, stark wastelands overseen by the mercantile power of the Sears Tower in the distance, are grimly effective. Merging the supernatural threat with the real-life horror of deprivation sounds crass but is surprisingly potent.
The Candyman himself though doesn't quite fit the scenario. Once summoned, this Candyman really can. His powers seem limitless and vague; can do whatever he wants. He's Freddy Krueger Through The Looking Glass. Crucially, this multi-tasking bogeyman doesn't seem like a product of its environment.
Still, overall I think you score Candyman for its ambition and overlook its deficiencies because I think the good bits will stay with you. And that Glass score is mighty.
Extras.
The second disc contains the UK Theatrical Version which has a longer, gorier version of one of the murders. It also has a half hour interview with author Clive Barker.
The first discs has a brand 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
5.1 DTS-HD MA and Original Uncompressed Stereo 2.0 Audio.
Exclusive packaging featuring newly commissioned artwork by Gary Pullin.
6 Lobby Card reproductions.
Reversible fold-out poster featuring two artworks
Fully illustrated collector's booklet featuring new writing on the film by festival programmer Michael Blyth.
Limited Edition perfect-bound booklet reproducing the original hand-painted storyboards by Bernard Rose
Brand new audio commentary with writer-director Bernard Rose and actor Tony Todd.
Brand new audio commentary with Stephen Jones and Kim Newman.
Be My Victim, a brand new interview with Tony Todd.
It Was Always You, Helen, a brand new interview with Virginia Madsen.
The Writing on the Wall: The Production Design of Candyman, a brand new interview with production designer Jane Ann Stewart.
Forbidden Flesh: The Makeup FX of Candyman, brand new interviews with special makeup effects artists Bob Keen, Gary J. Tunnicliffe and Mark Coulier.
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"
Urban Legend: Unwrapping Candyman, a critical analysis of the film with writers Tananarive Due and Steven Barnes.
Theatrical Trailer.
Three rarely-seen Bernard Rose short films, newly restored in HD: Looking at Alice (30 mins, 1978), A-Bomb With No Name on It (3 mins, 1976), The Wreckers (5 mins)
Directed by Bernard Rose. 1992.
Starring Virginia Madsen, Tony Todd, Xander Berkeley, Kasi Lemmons and Vanessa Williams. 96 mins. Released by Arrow Video on two disc Blu-ray October 29th.
Candyman is the only horror film to boast of having a Philip Glass soundtrack. With 143 scores to his name you couldn't exactly call the New York taxi driver turned pioneer minimalist composer picky, but he usually lent his services to higher brow stuff or documentary. Supposedly, (which is a euphemism for according to IMDB) he was disappointed by the resulting film and felt hoodwinked. He believed he was working on a low budget independent project, not the Hollywood slasher film he viewed it as. He was half right. Candyman is a bold and original presentation of some bog standard horror norms.
Adapted from a short story by Clive Barker, Rose's conception of the Candyman (Todd) resembles Captain Hook in pimp fancy dress. If someone is unwise enough to look into a mirror and say his name five times he will appear behind you and slash you in half with his hooked hand. Who would do such a thing? Well, only university researcher Helen (Madsen), who is doing a project on urban legends. To find out more she ends up in the Chicago projects, in the notorious Cabrini-Green project, a block run by dealers and gangsters.
The film opens with a helicopter shot of Helen's red car moving through the Chicago freeway, a riff on the credit sequence of The Shining. The film is strongest when it is keeping its distance, exploring the reality, not the horror fantasy. The scenes in the Chicago projects, stark wastelands overseen by the mercantile power of the Sears Tower in the distance, are grimly effective. Merging the supernatural threat with the real-life horror of deprivation sounds crass but is surprisingly potent.
The Candyman himself though doesn't quite fit the scenario. Once summoned, this Candyman really can. His powers seem limitless and vague; can do whatever he wants. He's Freddy Krueger Through The Looking Glass. Crucially, this multi-tasking bogeyman doesn't seem like a product of its environment.
Still, overall I think you score Candyman for its ambition and overlook its deficiencies because I think the good bits will stay with you. And that Glass score is mighty.
Extras.
The second disc contains the UK Theatrical Version which has a longer, gorier version of one of the murders. It also has a half hour interview with author Clive Barker.
The first discs has a brand 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
5.1 DTS-HD MA and Original Uncompressed Stereo 2.0 Audio.
Exclusive packaging featuring newly commissioned artwork by Gary Pullin.
6 Lobby Card reproductions.
Reversible fold-out poster featuring two artworks
Fully illustrated collector's booklet featuring new writing on the film by festival programmer Michael Blyth.
Limited Edition perfect-bound booklet reproducing the original hand-painted storyboards by Bernard Rose
Brand new audio commentary with writer-director Bernard Rose and actor Tony Todd.
Brand new audio commentary with Stephen Jones and Kim Newman.
Be My Victim, a brand new interview with Tony Todd.
It Was Always You, Helen, a brand new interview with Virginia Madsen.
The Writing on the Wall: The Production Design of Candyman, a brand new interview with production designer Jane Ann Stewart.
Forbidden Flesh: The Makeup FX of Candyman, brand new interviews with special makeup effects artists Bob Keen, Gary J. Tunnicliffe and Mark Coulier.
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"
Urban Legend: Unwrapping Candyman, a critical analysis of the film with writers Tananarive Due and Steven Barnes.
Theatrical Trailer.
Three rarely-seen Bernard Rose short films, newly restored in HD: Looking at Alice (30 mins, 1978), A-Bomb With No Name on It (3 mins, 1976), The Wreckers (5 mins)
