Candyman 3

I totally get why they wanted to make a new one.

As a "final" entry in the series, it's okay I actually think it's better than the second, but not by too much, and the fact it was straight to video actually makes a lot of sense now that I know that. So we follow the daughter of Annie from the last movie Caroline who is now all grown up and trying to split the man from the legend of her great great grandfather as more killings and familial drama occur. Yet again centering the plot around a holiday, this time Dia de las Muertos and while it has as much to do with the plot as Mardi Gras did in the last film I do have to commend the filmmakers for not only shifting the setting again this time to Los Angeles, but also giving a fair shake of hispanic culture into it. Now that's not to say the direction is flawless, the flashes of white was unnecessary to say the friggin' least and majorly gave me Halloween 6 flashbacks and while the gore has been upped, there wasn't much to really admire this time around. The director of the last film knew how to work with mirrors, he really nailed the framing and creative shots utilizing this specific detail of the myth, but here I didn't get much from the cinematography. Plus I really miss the musical cues that the second film also retained from the first, though I will say the music was still good. The acting was certainly leaps and bounds better than the second with the entire cast delivering a solid performance with actually really good chemistry and dynamic between certain players, so you can kinda see why I hold it higher than the second film. Plus you get a very healthy dose of Tony Todd throughout, so that I really must applaud. But again it kind of is a mixed bag, with stuff I liked and stuff that did nothing for me. I'm happy I saw the other two films, but you really gotta be hardcore for the Candyman to delve farther than the first which is a movie that improves everytime I see it. 2.5 stars, 6.5/10, high hopes for Friday and I'll be endlessly fascinated how they will handle so much of the mythos in the new movie. Until then everyone.

Candyman 2

How could I resist?

So after one of the in my humble opinion, best and most defining horror films of the 90s how does the sequel stack up? Not terribly good but serviceable I would say. It's definitely a continuation after the first film with mentions of Cabrini Green and Helen from the first film, following a teacher named Annie who gets swept up in a slew of murders and quite unwisely calls upon the Candyman leading to revelations, bloodshed, and drama. Now while I wasn't completely taken by this movie, I do have to say there were aspects I very much enjoyed. I like the setting of New Orleans, it doesn't have to be Chicago again because myths and stories are universal and spread like wildfire, and you get a good sense of the city. It's not just Bourbon Street and the French Quarter, you see the damaged run down side of town, and the inclusion of a semi-narrator brings some flavor and personality. Now do I feel the inclusion of Mardi Gras is just sort of there and doesn't hold much thematic or interesting standing in terms of plot? Yeah, but I mean Jesus wept there is more stuff that happens in New Orleans more than Mardi Gras. The acting is, yikes is it hit and miss. Now of course Tony Todd is just as good as before, really further cementing he is one of the underrated big daddies of horror icons. The man just hooks you in (ha ha ha) and commands the screen! And yes I do like our main lead, she does fine work but this script needed some work boy howdy. Carrie Fisher said it best, "You can write this stuff but you can't say it." like it gets a touch melodramatic for my tastes to be blunt, and yeah there is some spoiler stuff that didn't do much or add anything for me that the first film just let my imagination run with when hearing about it. Now I will say Bill Nunn as the reverend is the second best actor in the film and I really liked his character though not on screen much. Everyone else is a bit...off but in a hard to deduce off, like I can't reckon whether they're playing it for laughs or are just not very good actors. There is a lot of stuff like that in this movie where I really enjoy some stuff but the rest just keeps knocking the score lower. Now if you are more like me and just want some more Candyman action with Tony Todd being really damn good, and you can care less about the intricacies of the story you might have a good time. 2.5 stars, 6/10, it's just a slightly above average film for me and we'll see what number three has in store for us next time.

Candyman

This was a really good movie. And the sad part is not many know of either the urban legend or the film.

Candyman is a truly horrifying and scary film, following a college student writing her thesis on the urban legend of the Candyman, with more and more accounts told and evidence that perhaps he truly does exist, with many twists before the end. This is an undisputed classic in my mind, it takes place in a suburban area of Chicago which makes it feel too real because it's a legit place you can go to. The film looks great, while not being fully extravagant the set design and shots of Chicago give it a realistic and yet somehow still dream like and in the realm of the fantastic. I have to say Virginia Madsen who does very good in this movie, can be misconstrued as a bad actress or just slightly off but I think that was the direction they were going for, a very surreal horror tale that has an urban and more modern look to it. But the man who steals the show is Tony Todd, even though you don't see him much in the film his presence is constantly hanging over you, and you're never quite sure when he'll turn up. He has one of the most amazing voices I have ever heard, he's not just speaking he is invading your mind and filling it with his booming terrifying voice. And while we're at it, the music is fantastic! It is gloriously creepy and easily unnerves me, major props to Philip Glass for making one of the most skin crawling, and just plain disturbing musical scores ever composed. It genuinely horrified me and made me very jittery several times, and I think it is very, very safe to say I will NOT be uttering his name in front of a mirror. Ever. And to close it all out, I loved the ending. Was it good or bad? Well I'd call it all depends on your certain point of a view. I think it's a very happy and downright disturbing ending that I'll never forget.

One more movie for the week, and I think I got another cult classic just right for the season.