Candyman might not be some horror classic in my book, but it was incredible enjoyable with a few good twists with taking it down an unexpected path, at least compared to others in the supernatural-horror subgenre; but what was especially noteworthy were the performances from Madsen and Todd.
Candyman
— Collector’s Edition —
(1992)
Genre(s): Horror, Fantasy
Shout Factory | R/Unrated– 99 min. – $34.93 | November 20, 2018
Date Published: 11/20/2018 | Author: The Movieman
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Shout Factory provided me with a free copy of the Blu-ray I reviewed in this Blog Post.
The opinions I share are my own.
Note #1: The screen captures came from the original Blu-ray disc and do not represent the 4K transfer.
Note #2: The video and audio portions will focus on the 4K Ultra HD disc.
THE MOVIE — 3.75/5 |
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Plot Synopsis: Skeptical graduate students Helen Lyle (VIRGINIA MADSEN) and Bernadette Walsh (KASI LEMMONS) befriend Anne-Marie McCoy (VANESSA WILLIAMS) while researching superstitions in a housing project on Chicago’s Near North Side. From Anne-Marie, as well as through interviews with other college students, Helen learns about the Candyman (TONY TODD), a knife-wielding figure of urban legend that some of her neighbors believe to be responsible for a recent murder. After a mysterious man matching the Candyman’s description begins stalking her, Helen comes to fear that the legend may be all too real.
Quick Hit Review: Candyman is one of those movies I’ve certainly heard of but never got around to seeing. This being my first viewing, it is one of the better supernatural-horror films, which says something since I’m generally not a fan of that subset of the horror genre. Tony Todd is wonderful as the titular role and Virginia Madsen certainly shines in the lead role, having a few quite vulnerable scenes. The film was directed by Bernard Rose who has helmed a variety of films ranging from the 1997 adaptation of Anna Karanina as well as a variety of horror films like sxtape (which I have actually seen and own in my collection) and a 2015 version of Frankenstein. This isn’t a wonderment of filmmaking but effective especially when you consider Candyman himself doesn’t make a full-on appearance until the 45-minute mark. |
SPECIAL FEATURES – 5.0/5 |
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This release comes with a matted slip cover. Disc One (Unrated and Theatrical Cuts 4K Ultra HD):
Theatrical Trailer (2:05) Disc Two (Theatrical Cut Blu-ray):
Wow, not often you get one track nowadays, but four? You really get a wide ranging of topics with these tracks. The third track with the ensemble was recorded separately but still rather interesting while the new ones give a different perspective 26 years later. Sweets to the Sweet: The Candyman Mythos (23:49) – This is an older featurette from 2004 featuring interviews with Virginia Madsen, Tony Todd, Clive Barker, and others discussing the idea of urban legends. Clive Barker: Raising Hell (10:46) is an interview from 2004 with the author behind the Candyman short story (as well as Hellraiser). The Heart of Candyman (7:07) is an older interview from 2014 with actor Tony Todd on what drew him to the character. Bernard Rose’s Storyboards (5:22) shows off some of the storyboard artwork. The remainder of the disc contains the Theatrical Trailer (2:05), a few TV Spots (1:36), a Still Gallery (5:19) and the Original Script accessible via the BD-Rom. Disc Three (Unrated Cut Blu-ray):
These are an awesome selection of the interviews, each one talking about their careers and reflecting on their work on Candyman. Highlights for me were the ones with Madsen, the FX team and, oddly, Guy. And new to this release is an interview with Vanessa Williams. |
VIDEO – 4¾/5 |
| Shout Factory releases Candyman once again but this time on 4K Ultra HD. The 2160p transfer was taken from a 4K master of the original negative, which was approved by Writer/Director Bernard Rose and Director of Photography Anthony B. Richmond (and HD inserts for the uncut footage). I have to assume this is the same transfer from their 2018 Blu-ray release just upgraded from 1080p to 2160p. From my eye, this is slightly better compared to the Blu-ray which itself was well done. Here, detail is sharp and colors well balanced as are the black levels. The natural film grain and noise has still been retained and there were no glaring or obviously signs of artifacts, aliasing or other flaws making for another well done picture.
As for whether this is a sizable upgrade over the 2018 Blu-ray… I’m kind of on the fence. Yes it looks great but so did the Blu-ray. If never owned that release, this is well worth the price. |
AUDIO – 4¾/5 |
| The audio also receives an upgrade. This release comes with a new Dolby Atmos track which is certainly stronger in comparison with the DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track (which is also available here) along with a 2.0 option. With regards to the Atmos track, dialogue comes across with great clarity and there is some good depth when it came to when Candyman would appear along with his bees buzzing all around. |
OVERALL – 4½/5 |
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Candyman might not be some horror classic in my book, but it was incredible enjoyable with a few good twists with taking it down an unexpected path, at least compared to others in the supernatural-horror subgenre; but what was especially noteworthy were the performances from Virginia Madsen and Tony Todd. |
Check out some more 1080p screen caps by going to page 2. Please note, these do contain spoilers.