Hello, all. Since I went with a film that was probably a little bit more of a suspense/thriller than a horror, per se, it seemed necessary to go with a more conventional horror film for today's pick. With that in mind, I offer up a fairly iconic character plumbed from the depths of Clive Barker's brain: CANDYMAN. The trailer is below, in case you're interested.
Those of you that are familiar with Barker's work were doubtless expecting HELLRAISER [and hopefully not THE MIDNIGHT MEAT TRAIN... just... wow (tho' the scene with Sam Raimi's brother was almost shocking enough to redeem the rest)] but the story - mythology, really - surrounding the titular character in this flick is, to me, just a more compelling and interesting one. There are moments in this film where the tension [and others where the dread] is palpable, setting up the acts of violence rather well. While there isn't a great deal of gore, there's enough to satisfy gorehounds when it does occur.
My standard for a horror film is not whether or not it wakes me up, as the "jump scare" crazy films being churned out in recent years try to do. What I want from a horror film is something that keeps me up... something unnerving or discomfiting that sticks with me well after the credits have rolled. This one meets that standard - even today, I won't say the title character's name five times in a row. Lame, yeah, but it speaks to the effectiveness of the film's conceit.
Tony Todd makes for a good villain here, being both charming and chilling... if only he hadn't taken on the role in the FINAL DESTINATION series that was little more than a caricature of his work in this film. Virginia Madsen offers up a pretty solid performance, as well, and Xander Berkeley once again plays a weasel convincingly enough; but, a movie like this lives and dies on the back of the effectiveness of the villain, and Todd nails it. I'd compare if to Alan Rickman's performance in DIE HARD [tho' I confess that Rickman was better].
You've probably seen this one, or at least heard of it. If you haven't seen it, tho', it's worth your time. Enjoy!
Those of you that are familiar with Barker's work were doubtless expecting HELLRAISER [and hopefully not THE MIDNIGHT MEAT TRAIN... just... wow (tho' the scene with Sam Raimi's brother was almost shocking enough to redeem the rest)] but the story - mythology, really - surrounding the titular character in this flick is, to me, just a more compelling and interesting one. There are moments in this film where the tension [and others where the dread] is palpable, setting up the acts of violence rather well. While there isn't a great deal of gore, there's enough to satisfy gorehounds when it does occur.
My standard for a horror film is not whether or not it wakes me up, as the "jump scare" crazy films being churned out in recent years try to do. What I want from a horror film is something that keeps me up... something unnerving or discomfiting that sticks with me well after the credits have rolled. This one meets that standard - even today, I won't say the title character's name five times in a row. Lame, yeah, but it speaks to the effectiveness of the film's conceit.
Tony Todd makes for a good villain here, being both charming and chilling... if only he hadn't taken on the role in the FINAL DESTINATION series that was little more than a caricature of his work in this film. Virginia Madsen offers up a pretty solid performance, as well, and Xander Berkeley once again plays a weasel convincingly enough; but, a movie like this lives and dies on the back of the effectiveness of the villain, and Todd nails it. I'd compare if to Alan Rickman's performance in DIE HARD [tho' I confess that Rickman was better].
You've probably seen this one, or at least heard of it. If you haven't seen it, tho', it's worth your time. Enjoy!
