Review of Candyman: Farewell to the Flesh (1995) by Joe J — 16 Jun 2012

In New Orleans, the legend of Candyman (Tony Todd) is alive and well, especially during Mardi Gras time.

But for teacher Annie Tarrant (Kelly Rowan), this is not a time for celebration. Her father has been murdered, and her brother Ethan (William O'Leary) is the prime suspect because he was the one who discovered the mutilated body.

After talking with Ethan at the police station, she begins to discover the Candyman mythos, and decides to call upon the spirit herself, thinking he doesn't exist. To her horror, she realizes he does, and wants her to go with him on a journey. As the film continues, we find out a connection that Annie - and the entire Tarrant family - have with Candyman, and the secrets that lay dormant until recently.

Clive Barker is a horror genius. He doesn't just take a pointless killer and kill people needlessly, but he creates these extremely complex, highly flawed villains (Pinhead, Candyman) who the audience actually feels sympathy for due to their own pasts, and they're not necessarily blood thirsty, evil killing machines, but rather creates a unique balance to life. Candyman is evil because of the evil people who killed him, and even in death he's just looking for the lost companion he had in life.

This film is pretty much equal to the original in my opinion - both had well-conceived stories, great acting, and a truly thrilling experience all around.