#10 Candyman
The first time I remember hearing the name “Candyman” was in the 5th grade. I used to ride the bus home from school, and for some reason, the entire 113 bus that day was buzzing with this rumor that a little boy in the next town over had actually been killed by this murderous, hook-handed “Candyman” simply for having said his name five times in the mirror.
Now, I wasn’t the smartest 10-year-old, but even I knew that sounded crazy. So when I made it home, I dropped my bag at the door, made a banana and mayonnaise sandwich, and went straight to the bathroom mirror. I looked deep into my own eyes and mustered up all the available courage I had. I said it twice and got the hell out of there. I would like to think that I didn’t actually believe a guy was going to appear and slice me in half with his hook hand, but I didn’t want to test it.
It would be a couple of years after that before I would see the film for the first time, and to this day it remains one of my go-to Halloween watches.
Synopsis
Candyman, directed by Bernard Rose and released in 1992, revolves around Helen Lyle, a graduate student researching urban legends in Chicago. After hearing about a murder in Cabrini-Green, she becomes fascinated by the legend of “Candyman,” a vengeful spirit with a hook for a hand who is said to appear when his name is spoken five times in front of a mirror.
As Helen delves deeper into her research, she discovers that “Candyman’s” legend is rooted in a tragic history of racial violence and injustice. When she and her friend Bernadette summon “Candyman” as an experiment, they inadvertently unleash a series of horrifying and deadly events. Helen finds herself implicated in a series of gruesome murders and becomes obsessed with uncovering the truth behind “Candyman’s” existence.
Historical Relevance
The backdrop of the film is Cabrini-Green, a dilapidated public housing project in Chicago. The neighborhood known as “Little Hell” had long been perceived as a crime haven until the Chicago Housing Authority, in 1942, paved the way for the first homes to be constructed in the new Cabrini-Green. They featured separate bathrooms, tenant-controlled heating, and sturdy cinder block construction. The iconic white cinder block and red brick high-rises were built in 1957, adding elevators to every building and open-air balconies to encourage socialization. The community was to “symbolize the Chicago that is to be,” according to Mayor Edward J. Kelly.
The “integrated utopia” that was hoped for did not last very long. The community, predominantly African-American, faced three main problems throughout the late ’70s and early ’80s. One, a rising crime rate throughout the entire city. Even though crime in Cabrini-Green was relatively nonexistent, the overflow from surrounding communities proved impossible to prevent. Two, administrative disinterest. As time passed, the community became less and less lucrative to its original investors. Elevators shut down, never to be fixed, pipes froze, and rooms were left vacant, overrun by gangs and drug dealers. And three, proximity. The fact that Cabrini-Green was situated almost adjacent to a wealthy (and very white) Northside made it extremely problematic in the eyes of Northside residents.
Poverty skyrocketed, and single-mother families became the norm as raids and arrests in the community increased. At one point, ⅔ of the residents were children. And despite the administrative abandonment, the narrative remained one of progress and repair. So much so that in 1981, Mayor Jane Byrne moved into Cabrini-Green to display her commitment to this progress. She moved out three weeks later. Throughout the remainder of the ’80s, the community continued to deteriorate until the homicide rate peaked in 1992, the same year Candyman was released.
Review
Candyman is a staple in the Halloween season, not because it’s crafted to fit its genre, but because it elevates the horror genre entirely. It takes the horror rulebook crafted in the ’70s and ’80s by some of the most iconic horror films in history and throws it out the window. Rose embraces the social strife plaguing the world and meticulously manufactures a story that stokes multiple emotions.
Anthony Richmond’s cinematography paired with Philip Glass’ score creates a uniquely chilling canvas on which Rose could paint. Rose’s deliberate restraint of Tony Todd is arguably the most horrifying aspect of the film. Less is definitely more! Todd plays his part perfectly with an imposing stature (magnified by Richmond’s use of a low-angle) and a soul-penetrating voice.
What makes the film great and so rewatchable is Rose’s ability to stretch the tension out as far as it will possibly go. This isn’t the most gruesome horror movie you will ever watch, and (by conventional standards) it’s not the scariest. But somehow through all the urban legend and all the myth, if you’re able to make it to the other side, you will still think twice about saying “Candyman” in the mirror.
Ranking system
I rank all of my movies out of 5 , because I love movies and I love elephants.
