Caroline McKeever is the last surviving descendant of Daniel Robitaille – the infamous hook-wielding ghost known as the Candyman. Living in Los Angeles, Caroline agrees to have an art exhibition featuring Daniel's paintings & even lets the host use the "Candyman" legend to spice up the show. But she accidentally invokes the Candyman, who proceeds to kill everyone around her in order to force her to surrender to him.
CANDYMAN was one of the 1990s' sleeper hits & an exceptionally well-made film, although it wasn't without its flaws. It spawned two sequels, the first of which was CANDYMAN: FAREWELL TO THE FLESH, a passable sequel of sorts. Candyman: Day of the Dead is the third & final film in the trilogy & follows the series tradition of having a similar plot to the first two.
Candyman: Day of the Dead is probably the weakest link in the Candyman chain. It uses the same tactic that the first two films used, of making a whole heap of false jumps in order to attempt to soften the viewers up. This tactic only worked in the original because we weren't expecting anything to happen, but became overused in Farewell to the Flesh to the point that it nearly collapsed under the strain. Day of the Dead, on the other hand, attains some minor atmosphere & a couple of good moments – particularly the part where Donna D'Errico is forced to climb over the body of a dead cop killed by Candyman while in handcuffs & inside a parked police cruiser.
But with that said, Candyman: Day of the Dead is a shoddy piece of work. The first two films were equally visceral & intellectual but this one uses cheap T&A & a heroine who spends most of the time in her underwear in order to appeal to the lesser discerning horror fans – the same type of fans who relish Roger Corman-styled cheapies with the same formula. In addition to that, the film's formula of the Candyman stalking his relatives is getting a little worn out by this point.
I was never expecting this sequel to make anything new with the formula & was going into it with little expectation. Well, I got exactly what I thought I would get, although the film's chances were lifted a little by the level of ethnic Hispanic culture used in the film. That was an interesting ploy that elevates the film slightly. And I still laugh at the exceptionally long stump arm that Tony Todd's hook-wielding ghost has. Although it is probably due to the series' exceptionally well-conceived concept that I still can't bring myself to try the "Candyman" chant in front of a mirror.
CANDYMAN was one of the 1990s' sleeper hits & an exceptionally well-made film, although it wasn't without its flaws. It spawned two sequels, the first of which was CANDYMAN: FAREWELL TO THE FLESH, a passable sequel of sorts. Candyman: Day of the Dead is the third & final film in the trilogy & follows the series tradition of having a similar plot to the first two.
Candyman: Day of the Dead is probably the weakest link in the Candyman chain. It uses the same tactic that the first two films used, of making a whole heap of false jumps in order to attempt to soften the viewers up. This tactic only worked in the original because we weren't expecting anything to happen, but became overused in Farewell to the Flesh to the point that it nearly collapsed under the strain. Day of the Dead, on the other hand, attains some minor atmosphere & a couple of good moments – particularly the part where Donna D'Errico is forced to climb over the body of a dead cop killed by Candyman while in handcuffs & inside a parked police cruiser.
But with that said, Candyman: Day of the Dead is a shoddy piece of work. The first two films were equally visceral & intellectual but this one uses cheap T&A & a heroine who spends most of the time in her underwear in order to appeal to the lesser discerning horror fans – the same type of fans who relish Roger Corman-styled cheapies with the same formula. In addition to that, the film's formula of the Candyman stalking his relatives is getting a little worn out by this point.
I was never expecting this sequel to make anything new with the formula & was going into it with little expectation. Well, I got exactly what I thought I would get, although the film's chances were lifted a little by the level of ethnic Hispanic culture used in the film. That was an interesting ploy that elevates the film slightly. And I still laugh at the exceptionally long stump arm that Tony Todd's hook-wielding ghost has. Although it is probably due to the series' exceptionally well-conceived concept that I still can't bring myself to try the "Candyman" chant in front of a mirror.