Candyman 2: Farewell to the Flesh (1995)

It’s another sequel, it’s another guilty pleasure, and it’s from the 90’s; “Candyman 2: Farewell to the Flesh”. While most people hate this movie, I really enjoyed it. It doesn’t try to repeat the same story as from the original but it manages to stay honest to it and expand on the history of the Candyman and explore a different motive for his killings. And the film takes place in New Orleans, so that alone gives it extra points and character! It occurred to me today that the Candyman, of all of the famed killers/slashers/insane franchise characters, to come across as a bully. He tends to kill the victims that haven’t called for him in front of his “emotional victim” that he uses to frame his murders around, all in order to fulfill whatever ends he wishes to achieve in that movie. Tony Todd is less commanding in this film than in his earlier appearances but he still has an ominous presence and one of the best voices a horror movie villain could wish for.

Annie Tarrant and her family become deeply involved with the mystery of the Candyman after her father is killed in the same fashion as other Candyman victims. The local authorities believe her brother Ethan is the killer but when more murders occur while he’s in jail, their sights are narrowed on to Annie. Annie makes the mistake of summoning the Candyman while looking into a mirror and saying his name five times, and now that she has his attention at last, he’s going to do everything he can to make her learn the truth about her dark family secret.

Candyman (1992) (edited)

“Candyman” is a 1992 horror film based off of Clive Barker’s short story “The Forbidden”. Like the novella “The Hellbound Heart”, certain changes were made to the story and characters so the narrative could be transferred into a full length feature film. “Candyman” has two sequels and a reboot/spiritual sequel is coming out June 2020.

Many people consider “Candyman” as a classic horror movie and it’s easy to understand why. Besides having a very memorable villain, performed perfectly by Tony Todd, the narrative of the film is taunt is chilling. There is very little violence on screen; “Candyman” is not about senseless killing. Instead, it is a smart movie that builds tension and unease throughout. When the violence is seen, or at least alluded to, it’s effectively shocking. I recently watched the film for the first time in many years and it’s more satisfying than ever.

The Candyman is nothing more than a conglomeration of different urban legends, or so grad student Helen believes. While doing research for her thesis, Helen begins hearing tales of a local legend which has several of the common themes that the most notorious legends have. These include spirits in mirrors, deranged killers, and babysitters in trouble. The one thing that everyone who is telling her about the Candyman is the same; say his name five times and he’ll appear.  As Helen continues her research, her sense of reality and legend blurs as Candyman begins to convince her that he is indeed real

Favorite moment – Whenever Candyman talks! Just how Doug Bradley is the only person worthy of playing Pinhead, Tony Todd is the only man I will ever accept at Candyman. Their voices are perfect for their respective roles and bring so much to the movies.

Author's Note - Clive Barker

Clive Barker is one of the horror industry’s most recognizable names in the world today. First and foremost, Barker is a prolific writer, having completed several collections of short stories and dozens of novels. He is also passionate about painting and his drawings, sketching out and visually creating the worlds and characters that he is writing about. But Barker is perhaps best known for directing two movies that introduced the world to his creations Pinhead and the Candyman, two devilish beings that come directly from his writing. Even though he has been involved in over a dozen major movies, he has only directed three of them;”Hellraiser”, “Candyman”, and “The Lord of Illusions”.

I am truly delighted to be reviewing the work of one of my favorite horror director/writers of all time, Clive Barker. I began to read his work when I was 16 and found that I could not get enough of it. Over the years I’ve the majority of his work and even had the privilege to meet him at a book signing for his book “Sacrament”. One of the aspects about his work that I really enjoy is how he melds horror and fantasy together and how he isn’t afraid to deal with the metaphysical and intangible. His work goes beyond “Hellraiser” or “Candyman”, so I understand how some people who love those films are at times put off by his other less than outright horrific stories. Barker is a man with range and vision, an explorer who is untethered to everyday limits and boundaries.

I follow Clive on Facebook and he had the most insightful quotes. I love that he is so open and commutative with his fan base. Here are a few recent examples.

“Before I did Hellraiser, I went to my local library to find a book on film directing, and they had two but they were both checked out and I thought, "Oh, I'm so fucked, I don't even have a book!"

“Our lives are full of miraculous little things that happen. It's difficult to remember the miraculous moment when you first realize that you're in love, or the miraculous moment when you hear a piece of music for the first time, which moves you in an extraordinary way.”

“I want to be remembered as an imaginer, someone who used his imagination as a way to journey beyond the limits of self, beyond the limits of flesh and blood, beyond the limits of even perhaps life itself, in order to discover some sense of order in what appears to be a disordered universe. I'm using my imagination to find meaning, both for myself and, I hope, for you.”