Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #28726 in DVD
• Released on: 2008-10-06
• Rating: Suitable for 18 years and over
• Aspect ratio: 1.78:1
• Formats: PAL, Special Edition
• Original language: English
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 95 minutes

Amazon.co.uk Review
Based on a story by Clive Barker and skillfully written and directed by Bernard Rose, Candyman rises above most horror films by eerily suggesting that some urban legends--in this case a particularly frightening one--have a spooky basis in reality. The legend of the Candyman is a potent one around the high-rise tenements of Chicago's Cabrini-Green housing complex, where the residents speak of a dark, ominous figure who appears when his victims say his name five times in front of a mirror, then mercilessly slashes them to death. Upon learning that the Candyman is rumoured to live in one of the vacant tenements, a University of Illinois researcher (Virginia Madsen) investigates a recent murder at Cabrini-Green. She learns that the Candyman (played by Tony Todd) is both unreal and chillingly real--a supernatural force of evil empowered by those who believe in his legend. He is a killer made flesh by the belief of others, and the young researcher's investigation is a threat to his existence. What happens next? We wouldn't dare spoil the chills, but rest assured that writer-director Rose has tapped into a wellspring of urban angst and fear, and Candyman serves up its gruesome frights with a refreshing dose of intelligence. --Jeff Shannon

Synopsis
The thesis research of folklore graduate student Helen Lyle (Virginia Madsen) leads her into the urban underworld of Chicago's Cabrini Green housing projects. There the residents are genuinely terrified of Candyman (Tony Todd), a legendary figure with a hook for a hand. Skeptical, she 'summons' him in front of a mirror and discovers with horror that he's real and very deadly. This surprisingly taut horror thriller is based on Clive Barker's 'The Forbidden'. Barker also executive-produces.

Customer Reviews

A GOOD PSYCHOLOGICAL HORROR
Helen Lyle, (Virginia Madsen) a teacher at a Chicago college, hears the urban legend about the Candyman, (Tony Todd) a local legend in the area. She and her friend Bernadette (Kasi Lemmons) begin to search around Chicago's suburbs for clues about the legend, which her husband Trevor (Xander Berkeley) doesn't approve of her doing all by herself. She becomes determined to prove the story of the Candyman is just an urban legend, and the search leads to mere clues instead. Her clues only lead to more questions about the Candyman in the projects on the outskirts of town. Everyone they meet seem to be in fear of the Candyman, and this only intensifies Helen's search. Her search eventually leads her to the belief that the Candyman is a real person haunting the area around her, and she must stop him before he claims the lives of more innocent people.

The Good News: I think that the Candyman is one of the creepiest villains in horror history. He has an incredible aura of menace surrounding him, and the mystery about him is creative, imaginative, and pretty spooky. Tony Todd is perfectly cast in the role, as his brooding voice and intense presence make him the Candyman personified. Even his actions are pretty brutal. When he is unleashed and goes in his spree, it ignites a fire in the film with lots of bloodshed at his hook. He is one of the few types of slasher villains that loves to hack up his victims and produce as much blood as he can during the process. There is a large amount of blood let loose in the film, which isn't until the end, but that is a great way to end the film. No doubt the last twenty minutes are some of the best in horror history, as it's is both thrilling and exciting to see what and how it happens. Even the special effects used are great. The final look of the Candyman is very well done and pretty graphic. His victims are hacked up in brutal ways, allowing for some great FX work as the bodies are shown in gruesome ways. This is also one of the few films I've seen that gets the beginning of the film right: set up characters, introduce villain, and then go from there. There's plenty of suspense as the story about the Candyman is slowly unraveled piece by piece as one clue asks a question that another one answers, which leads to another question until the full history is perfectly explained. His is one of the more gruesome back histories in horror cinema, as the story is very original and induces plenty of chills throughout. We do get plenty of great jumps here, including one classic gag I always fall for: the person leaping out of the darkness to attack someone. Granted, no one is harmed in this gag, but I did jump at it so it did work for the film. Another really great jump is the sight of the Candyman's hand bursting forth from a mirror. There are others, but these two are some favorites that do make you jump. The frequent use of bees in the movie is also a great scare tactic, as many people are afraid of them and the sight of them makes you squirm as you sit and watch. Perhaps the most striking feature about the film is the incredibly realistic sets used in the film. We get some great looking places, such as the site of the first murder. Set in an old, decaying building allows for some real moments of tension and suspense. Dirty floors, dust-covered walls, grime and debris lying everywhere, graffiti everywhere, the almost complete state of disuse it projects is a great touch that adds immensely to the atmosphere. It looks like a real-life project house, and a realistic touch adds to the film.

The Bad News: The deaths probably could've come at a faster pace, but that's my only complaint. It's a really great movie.

The Final Verdict: As far as psychological horror films go, this is one of the best ones. It features a great villain, creepy settings and lots of atmosphere. One of the scarier horror films from the 90s. Required viewing for all horror fans, while all should give it a good look.

Excellent DVD release
What can be said about this excellent DVD?

Good special features, including informative documentaries. Curious if were real bees or not? What Clive Barker thought of the film? Who was behind that haunting soundtrack? It's all there.

The picture quality is probably as good as it's ever going to be outside of the HD realm, but it stands up. The sound is a little bit rusty, but in a good way.

It's a great film, and this is a great release. Don't hesitate!