• Reviews

• All
• Music
• DVDs
• Live
• Cinema
• TV
• Books
• Comic Books
• Video Games

Jan 29, 2015 Web Exclusive By Mike Hunchback

The original Candyman film, based on a short story by Clive Barker, was viewed from the outset as one of the prominent late-additions to the “slasher-hero” canon. Michael Myers, Freddy, Jason, Pinhead, and by proxy Leatherface,became cash cows for their studios; hence Candyman and many others classifiable as less-than-genuine boogeymen were born. Unlike the more naturally born killers, Candyman‘s underlying story—the bloody Mary party game steeped in salacious sexual themes while designed to mesmerize the slumber-party market—has never been strong enugh to support the kind of slasher-fun so many genre fans want from body-count fare. While points are due for effort, this sequel is shockingly ridiculous at every turn. Helmed by none other than Bill Condon, Candyman: Farewell to the Flesh is full of “gotcha” loud-noise scares so heavy-handed and prevalent they betray the film’s at-times’ successful atmospheric Southern Gothic tone. Notable also is the score from Philip Glass, and some tremendous production design, but the directionless plot never stop it from feeling awkward.

If there’s an interest to be had in the film itself, it may be for the genre historians that are interested in the slasher-killer legacies and the mid-‘90s transitional period of theatrically-released films relegatd to direct-to-video fodder. But as far as watchable, smart horror films go, there’s not much here to get excited about.

Shout Factory’s genre imprint Scream Factory doesn’t discriminate as much as it doesn’t disappoint however, and Candyman: Farewell to the Fleshs‘s transfer and features alike supplement the lackluster feature with enough meat to make the disc well worth visiting. A feature length commentary from Bill Condon is a worthy listen for shock value alone, and the featurettes showcase lengthy, illuminating interviews with both Tony Todd and Veronica Cartwright. (www.shoutfactory.com/film/film-horror/candyman-farewell-to-the-flesh)

Author rating: 3.5/10