Candyman/B,B

Columbia/1992/98/ANA 1.85/FS 1.33

     There are plenty of ways to rate a horror flick, but on the scream scale, Candyman is front rank. There were four or five times that an involuntary blast exploded from my throat and I nearly tipped the cushy home theater chair over responding to the fright timing of director Bernard Rose. Rose uses sound for maximum effect in distilling chills from the material of Candyman.
    There's probably far too much girl detective in Candyman. I found hard to believe that doctoral candidate Helen Lyle and her friend Bernadette were dense enough to venture into obviously dangerous dark places. The script also by Rose is from a Clive Barker short story. Researching urban legends is at the heart of this darkness

Waiting for the man! ©Columbia
    Virginia Masden is effective as doctoral student Helen Lyle researching urban legends. Kasi Lemmons is fine as a loyal friend and Tony Todd is memorable as the sweet guy of the title.
      There’s some classy ingredients mixed in this horror brew. The score from New wave classicist Phillip Glass emphasizes the intensity the characters are experiencing.
    There's a fare amount of pop in the transfer, though shadow detail might have revealed slightly more, though maybe the fright level would have dimmed. Color is good, saturation natural. Resolution is consistently fine. Strong blacks and good flesh tones. The Dolby Digital Surround is mostly kept in toe until director Rose chooses to rock your chair. It's effective..

 

 

  

 

 


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