View source for Candyman (1992 film)


{{About|the film|the franchise|Candyman (film series){{!}}''Candyman'' (film series)}}
{{Use American English|date=January 2025}}

{{Infobox film
| name           = Candyman
| image          = Candymanposter.jpg
|alt             = A shot of a eye of a person with a bee on it with the pupil in dark red with a shadow of a male figure in a coat with a hook. the title "CANDYMAN" appears below the eye along with the credits, the film's tagline reads. "We dare you to say his name five times." 
| caption        = Theatrical release poster
| director       = [[Bernard Rose (director)|Bernard Rose]]
| producer       = {{plainlist|
* [[Steve Golin]]
* [[Sigurjon Sighvatsson]]
* [[Alan Poul]]
}}
| screenplay     = Bernard Rose
| based_on       = {{Based on|"[[Books of Blood|The Forbidden]]"|[[Clive Barker]]}}
| starring       = {{plainlist|
* [[Virginia Madsen]]
* [[Tony Todd]]
* [[Xander Berkeley]]
* [[Kasi Lemmons]]
}}
| music          = [[Philip Glass]]
| cinematography = [[Anthony B. Richmond]]
| editing        = Dan Rae
| studio         = {{plainlist|
* [[Propaganda Films]]<ref name="afi">{{cite web |url=http://catalog.afi.com/Catalog/moviedetails/59207 |title=Candyman (1992) |work=[[AFI Catalog of Feature Films]] |publisher=[[American Film Institute]] |location=Los Angeles, California |archive-url=https://archive.today/20181226222937/http://catalog.afi.com/Catalog/moviedetails/59207?sid=f15f4692-003d-424f-923f-73123465713a&sr=0.8563489&cp=1&pos=0 |archive-date=December 26, 2018 |access-date=January 20, 2018 |url-status=live }}</ref>
* [[PolyGram Filmed Entertainment]]<ref name="afi" />
}}
| distributor    = [[TriStar Pictures]]<ref name="afi" />
| released       = {{film date|1992|09|11|[[1992 Toronto International Film Festival|TIFF]]|1992|10|16|United States}}
| runtime        = 101 minutes<ref name="afi" />
| country        = United States<ref name="afi" />
| language       = English
| budget         = $8–9 million<ref name ="afi" />
| gross          = $25.8 million (US)<ref name="mojo">{{Cite web|url=https://boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=candyman.htm|work=[[Box Office Mojo]] |title=Candyman (1992)|access-date=August 12, 2012}}</ref>
}}

'''''Candyman''''' is a 1992 American  <!---Candyman is NOT a slasher film. The main villain doesn't terrorize a group of people or kill them one by one - he stalks Helen, killing one or two people in the process. This is completely at odds with what slashers are known for.---> [[gothic film|gothic]] [[supernatural horror film]] written and directed by [[Bernard Rose (director)|Bernard Rose]] and starring [[Virginia Madsen]], [[Tony Todd]], [[Xander Berkeley]], [[Kasi Lemmons]], and [[Vanessa Estelle Williams|Vanessa E. Williams]]. Based on [[Clive Barker]]'s short story "[[Books of Blood#"The Forbidden"|The Forbidden]]", the film follows a Chicago graduate student completing a thesis on [[urban legend]]s and [[folklore]], which leads her to the legend of the "[[Candyman (character)|Candyman]]", the hook-handed ghost of an [[African-American]] artist and son of a slave who was murdered in the late 19th century for his relationship with the daughter of a wealthy white man, who now appears whenever his name is chanted 5 times in front of the mirror.

The film came to fruition after a chance meeting between Rose and Barker who later completed his own film adaptation of ''[[Nightbreed]]'' (1990). Rose expressed interest in Barker's story "The Forbidden", and Barker agreed to license the rights. Where Barker's story revolved around the themes of the [[Social class in the United Kingdom|British class system]] in contemporary [[Liverpool]], Rose chose to refit the story to [[Cabrini–Green Homes|Cabrini-Green]]'s public housing development in [[Chicago]] and instead focus on the themes of [[race (human categorization)|race]] and social class in the inner-city United States.

''Candyman'' premiered at the [[1992 Toronto International Film Festival]], and was theatrically released on October 16, 1992, by [[TriStar Pictures]]. It received generally positive reviews and grossed over $25 million in the US, where it was also regarded in some critical circles as a contemporary classic of horror cinema.{{sfn|Badley|1996|p=142}} It was followed by three sequels: ''[[Candyman: Farewell to the Flesh]]'' (1995), ''[[Candyman 3: Day of the Dead]]'' (1999), and ''[[Candyman (2021 film)|Candyman]]'' (2021), which serves as a direct sequel to the original.

[[Category:Films shot in Illinois]]

==Plot==
Helen Lyle is an [[anthropology]] graduate student at the  [[University of Illinois Chicago]]. While researching urban legends, she familiarizes herself with [[Candyman (character)|Candyman]], a spirit who kills anyone that speaks his name five times before a mirror. She learns of a recent murder at the [[Cabrini–Green Homes]] public housing project and several others that have been attributed by locals to Candyman. Skeptical, Helen and her friend Bernadette Walsh repeat Candyman's name to Helen's bathroom mirror, to no avail.

Helen and Bernadette work together on a [[thesis]] on how Cabrini-Green residents use the Candyman legend to cope with racial inequality. She and Bernadette visit the scene of the most recent murder. There, Helen discovers a room where sweets have been left for Candyman. Afterwards, they interview the victim's neighbor, Anne-Marie McCoy, a single mother raising her infant son Anthony. Helen and her husband Trevor, alongside Bernadette, later have dinner with Professor Phillip Purcell, an expert on the Candyman myth. He discloses that "Candyman" was an African-American man born in the late 1800s as the son of a [[Slavery in the United States|slave]] who grew up to become a renowned painter. After he fell in love with and impregnated a white woman, her father sent a [[Lynching in the United States|lynch mob]] after him. The mob sawed off his right hand and smeared him with honeycomb stolen from an [[apiary]], attracting bees that stung him to death. His corpse was burned in a [[pyre]] erected on the site where the Cabrini-Green Homes were eventually built.

When Helen returns to Cabrini-Green, a young boy named Jake tells her of an incident where a [[Developmental disability|developmentally disabled]] boy was [[castrated]] by Candyman in a [[public toilet|public bathroom]]. Helen investigates the site, where a man claiming to be Candyman batters her with a hook. She identifies her attacker to the police, who recognize him as the head of a local gang and charge him for the murders attributed to Candyman. A few days later, however, the real Candyman appears to Helen in a parking garage, hypnotizing her. He explains that due to her discredit of his legend, he must shed innocent blood to perpetuate it. Helen blacks out and awakens in Anne-Marie's apartment, covered in blood, finding Anne-Marie's pet [[Rottweiler]], Annie, decapitated and her son Anthony missing. Anne-Marie proceeds to attack Helen, who stabs Anne-Marie during their struggle. The police arrive and arrest Helen.

After Trevor bails her out of jail, Helen spots Candyman in a photograph she took at Cabrini-Green. Candyman breaks into Helen's apartment and cuts her neck, causing her to bleed and pass out. Bernadette arrives at Helen's apartment, and when Helen comes to, she realizes that Candyman has murdered Bernadette. Framed for the crime, Helen is committed to a [[psychiatric hospital]]. While being interviewed in preparation for her trial a month later, Helen attempts to prove her innocence by summoning Candyman, who appears and murders her psychiatrist. Candyman then frees Helen from her restraints, allowing her to escape.

Helen returns to her apartment to find Trevor now living with one of his students, Stacey. Helen confronts him, then flees to Cabrini-Green to rescue Anthony. When she finds Candyman in his lair, he informs Helen that her surrender to him will ensure Anthony's safety. Offering Helen immortality, Candyman opens his coat, revealing a ribcage wreathed in bees. The bees pour out of his mouth and stream down her throat as he kisses her. He vanishes with Anthony, and Helen awakes to discover a mural of the Candyman and his lover. Helen bears a striking resemblance to her and is hinted to be her reincarnation.

Candyman promises to release Anthony if Helen helps him strike fear into Cabrini-Green's residents. Attempting to feed his legend, Candyman reneges and attempts to immolate both Helen and Anthony in a pyre. Helen stabs Candyman with a flaming plank. The flames destroy Candyman and Helen dies while rescuing Anthony. The residents, led by Anne-Marie and Jake, pay their respects at Helen's funeral. At home, the grief-stricken and guilt-ridden Trevor looks into the mirror and utters Helen's name five times, whereupon Helen's [[vengeful spirit]] appears and kills him using Candyman's hook, leaving a hysterical Stacey to uncover his body in the bathtub. A new mural of Helen dressed in white with her hair ablaze appears in Candyman's lair.

==Cast==
{{castlist|
* [[Virginia Madsen]] as Helen Lyle
* [[Tony Todd]] as [[Candyman (character)|Candyman]]
* [[Xander Berkeley]] as Trevor Lyle
* [[Vanessa Estelle Williams]] as Anne-Marie McCoy
* [[Kasi Lemmons]] as Bernadette "Bernie" Walsh
* DeJuan Guy as Jake
* [[Gilbert Lewis (actor)|Gilbert Lewis]] as Det. Frank Valento
* Carolyn Lowery as Stacey
* [[Stanley DeSantis]] as Dr. Burke
* Marianna Elliott as Clara
* [[Ted Raimi]] as Billy
* [[Michael Culkin]] as Phillip Purcell
* [[Bernard Rose (director)|Bernard Rose]] as Archie Walsh
* Eric Edwards as Harold
* [[Rusty Schwimmer]] as Policewoman
* Latesha Martin & Lanesha Martin as Anthony McCoy
* Terrence Riggins as Gang Leader
}}

==Production==
[[File:Cabrini–Green Tear Down.jpg|thumb|200px|[[Cabrini–Green Homes|Cabrini-Green]], where Rose filmed ''Candyman'']]
Barker's short story, set in his native [[Liverpool]], was about segregation and the culture of the [[slum|poor urban areas]].{{Sfn|Schweiger|1992|p=27}} For ''Candyman'', Rose was so shocked by [[Chicago]]'s "dynamic" architecture{{Sfn|Schweiger|1992|p=24}} and large amount of prejudice{{Sfn|Schweiger|1992|p=27}} that he decided to change the Liverpool location to Chicago.{{Sfn|Schweiger|1992|p=24}} Assisted by members of the [[Illinois]] Film Commission, Rose scouted locations in [[Chicago]] and found [[Cabrini–Green Homes|Cabrini-Green]],<ref>{{cite web|title=Horrorella Talks Tolstoy, Beethoven and Candyman with Writer-Director Bernard Rose!|date=August 12, 2015|publisher=[[Ain't It Cool News]]|url=https://www.aintitcool.com/node/72689|access-date=September 13, 2015}}</ref> a housing project notorious for its poor construction, violence and high robbery rates.{{Sfn|Schweiger|1992|p=25}} The project was also located in between high-class neighborhoods, meaning that the character of Helen could feel Cabrini-Green's chaos from a safe apartment not too far away.{{Sfn|Schweiger|1992|p=25}} This Americanization of the story turned ''Candyman'' into an interracial love story where the ghetto residents are now victims of the titular killer.{{Sfn|Schweiger|1992|p=25}} With this change, Rose wanted to showcase those that are living in the poor neighborhoods as regular human beings that are trying to get by which is why he avoided tropes that are common in most American ghetto stories such as gangs and drugs.{{Sfn|Schweiger|1992|p=28}} 

Rose's screenplay garnered a huge amount of attention in the casting agencies and Virginia Madsen and Tony Todd instantly tried to get parts to have a chance to work with the filmmaker.{{Sfn|Schweiger|1992|p=25}} It was long rumored that [[Eddie Murphy]] was the original choice for the role of Candyman and that the filmmakers could not afford him, but Rose denied this in 2021, [https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/candyman-bernard-rose-clive-barker-created-horror-classic/ calling the notion] "not even a tiny bit true."<ref>{{cite web|last=Evans|first=Bradford|title=The Lost Roles of Eddie Murphy|date=April 7, 2011|publisher=[[Splitsider]]|url=http://splitsider.com/2011/04/the-lost-roles-of-eddie-murphy/|access-date=July 18, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150723072044/http://splitsider.com/2011/04/the-lost-roles-of-eddie-murphy/|archive-date=July 23, 2015|url-status=dead}}</ref> Todd, who was fit for playing the killer as he was six-foot-five [1.96 m] and physically fit,{{Sfn|Schweiger|1992|p=25}} recalled that there was skepticism from his colleagues about him playing the Candyman due to the number of bee sting injuries that he would have to receive. He persisted as he wanted to work with the director and said, "I've always wanted to find my own personal [[Erik (The Phantom of the Opera)|Phantom of the Opera]]."<ref name=video/> While the Candyman's background is unknown in the original story, Todd came up with the backstory for the character in the film.{{Sfn|Schweiger|1992|p=27}} Virginia Madsen was friends with Rose and his then-wife, [[Alexandra Pigg]] and Madsen was originally to play the role of Helen's friend, Bernie while Pigg was to play Helen.<ref name="HNN">{{Cite web |url=http://www.horrornewsnetwork.net/twenty-year-retrospective-of-candyman-with-virginia-madsen/ |title=Twenty Year Retrospective of Candyman with Virginia Madsen |last=Caprilozzi |first=Christine |date=December 14, 2012 |website=Horror News Network |access-date=October 16, 2017}}</ref> The choice was made to make the character of Bernie Black American so Madsen lost the part.<ref name="HNN" /> As the shooting was about to commence, Pigg discovered that she was pregnant so the role of Helen was offered to Madsen.<ref name="HNN" /> Had Madsen been unable to accept, producer Alan Poul was partial to [[Sandra Bullock]] as Helen.<ref name="MentalFloss">{{Cite web |url=http://mentalfloss.com/article/507217/15-fascinating-facts-about-candyman |title=15 Fascinating Facts About Candyman |last=Wood |first=Jennifer M. |date=October 16, 2017 |website=[[Mental Floss]] |access-date=October 16, 2017}}</ref>

Three days of ''Candyman''<nowiki>'s</nowiki> filming were spent on Cabrini-Green while the other days were spent in scenes on [[Hollywood, Los Angeles|Hollywood]] sound stages.{{Sfn|Schweiger|1992|p=27}} With plainclothes law enforcement by their side, Todd and Madsen went into the buildings of Cabrini-Green as part of researching their roles which was a useful, but distressing experience for both actors.{{Sfn|Schweiger|1992|p=28}} For playing the Candyman, Todd tried to act as a "primeval boogeyman" without overacting the part which was tricky to do.{{Sfn|Schweiger|1992|p=62}} He worked with [[Bob Keen]] on the Candyman's look.{{Sfn|Schweiger|1992|p=27}} Keen first had Todd wear a machine-controlled fake right arm, but found the movements of the arm too strict.{{Sfn|Schweiger|1992|p=27}} Then, Keen came up with the idea of having Todd wear a hook to indicate the Candyman's supernatural being. He spent three hours making the hook.{{Sfn|Schweiger|1992|p=27}} Todd suggested the character wear an eyepatch, but Keen rejected the idea.{{Sfn|Schweiger|1992|p=27}} To keep the budget low, Rose instructed a special effects manager named Martin Bresson to use traditional effects instead of [[optical effect]]s.{{Sfn|Schweiger|1992|p=62}} The same team who worked on ''[[Backdraft (film)|Backdraft]]'' also designed the set for the bonfire scene of ''Candyman'' which involved using {{convert|1500|USgal|L}} of propane and its largest section having a {{convert|70|ft}} width and {{convert|30|ft}} height.{{Sfn|Schweiger|1992|p=62}}

The honeybees in ''Candyman'' were controlled by Norman Gary who previously handled the bees on films such as ''[[The Deadly Bees]]'' (1966), ''[[My Girl (film)|My Girl]]'' (1991) and ''[[Fried Green Tomatoes]]'' (1991).{{Sfn|Schweiger|1992|p=28}} Synthesised [[Queen mandibular pheromone|queen-bee pheromone]] was used to calm the bees down.<ref name=":0"/> The film used more than 200,000 real honeybees throughout and most of the crew wore [[bodysuit]]s to be protected from stings, although all of them faced at least one sting.{{Sfn|Schweiger|1992|p=28}} Todd negotiated a bonus of $1,000 for each of the 23 bee stings that he received during filming.<ref name=":0">{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/film/2019/jun/25/how-we-made-candyman-virginia-madsen-tony-todd-bee-sting|title=How we made Candyman: 'I got a $1,000 bonus for every bee sting'|work=The Guardian|author=Hoad, Phil|date=June 25, 2019|access-date=June 29, 2019}}</ref> In shooting the film's climax where the Candyman sends 500 bees into Helen's face, he first had the bees placed in his mouth by using a protective mouthpiece to avoid as many stings as possible.{{Sfn|Schweiger|1992|p=62}} Gary had to use freshly hatched, non-stinging and non-flying bees for the scene as Madsen was very allergic to stings.{{Sfn|Schweiger|1992|p=28}} It took half an hour for all of the bees to get into Todd's mouth and he recalled being "tranced out" when he let all of the bees out of his mouth.{{Sfn|Schweiger|1992|p=62}} Rose also utilized [[hypnosis]] in his movie to work around what he saw as the cliche of excessive screaming in the horror films.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZGZhRqN-f8Y| archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211117/ZGZhRqN-f8Y| archive-date=2021-11-17 | url-status=live|title=Hypno Virginia Madsen hypno'ed during CandyMan|date=September 18, 2010|website=Youtube|access-date=December 10, 2019}}{{cbignore}}</ref> Bernard Rose came up with the idea to have Virginia Madsen hypnotized in the scenes where she confronted the Candyman.<ref name=":1" /> According to Todd, this process would occur prior to filming the scenes where he and Madsen interacted and would take roughly ten minutes to prepare.<ref name=":0" /> This was accomplished through the use of a professional hypnotist who established a key word that Rose would use to put Madsen under a [[trance]]like state.<ref name=":1" />

===Music===
The film's score was composed by [[Philip Glass]]. According to Glass, "It has become a classic so I still make money from that score, get checks every year."<ref>{{cite magazine|last=Asp|first=Jon|title=Philip Glass: 'Without terror, there's no learning' (EXCLUSIVE)|date=January 31, 2014|magazine=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]|url=https://variety.com/2014/film/global/exclusive-interview-with-philip-glass-1201079824/|archive-url=https://archive.today/20181226223111/https://variety.com/2014/film/global/exclusive-interview-with-philip-glass-1201079824/|archive-date=December 26, 2018|access-date=December 9, 2017|url-status=live}}</ref> A compilation of music from the film and from the first sequel was released under the title ''The Music of Candyman'' as the inaugural release of Glass's Orange Mountain Music record company in 2001.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2019 |title=Candyman, The Music of – Philip Glass |url=https://philipglass.com/recordings/candyman_music_of/ |access-date=24 October 2023 |website=PhilipGlass.com}}</ref> A limited edition featuring 7500 copies of the film's soundtrack was released in February 2015.<ref name=video>{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wvnedP6YAvM| archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211117/wvnedP6YAvM| archive-date=2021-11-17 | url-status=live|title=Tony Todd On His Career - From Candyman to VANish|last=IGN|date=February 24, 2015|via=YouTube}}{{cbignore}}</ref>

==Release==
===Theatrical===
''Candyman'' had its [[world premiere]] at the [[1992 Toronto International Film Festival]], playing as part of its Midnight Madness line-up.<ref name="Wilner">{{cite news | last = Wilner | first = Norman | title = Midnight Madness at the movies | work = [[Toronto Star]] | pages = B4 | date = August 13, 1992}}</ref> It was released on October 16, 1992, in the United States where it made $25.7 million.<ref name=mojo/>

===Home media===
It was released on home video in February 1993 by [[Sony Pictures Home Entertainment|Columbia TriStar Home Video]].<ref>{{cite magazine|title=Marquee Values|last=Wheeler|first=Drew|magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]|date=February 6, 1993|volume=105|issue=6|page=60|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=jw8EAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA60}}</ref> A special edition DVD was released in August 2004.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.dvdtalk.com/reviews/11804/candyman-special-edition/|title= Candyman: Special Edition|last=Bovberg|first=Jason|work=[[DVD Talk]]|date=August 4, 2004|access-date=December 10, 2014}}</ref>

''Candyman'' was first released on [[Blu-ray]] format in Australia on September 1, 2011, via [[Universal Pictures Home Entertainment|Universal Studios Home Entertainment]]. The same Blu-ray version was made available in the United Kingdom on October 10, 2011. The set contains DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 for its original English track as well as standard DTS 2.0 surround for its additional French, Italian, Japanese and Spanish tracks with multiple subtitle options including English SDH and no special features. The film was released again in Australia from [[Shock Records]] via their Cinema Cult subsidiary with the only addition being a slipcover. In Germany, a "Limited Edition" Digibook was made available on May 27, 2016, and was, at the time, the most definitive Blu-ray edition to date. It contains both German and English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0, German and English subtitles and special features including audio commentary, featurettes, storyboards and original trailer. A standard edition set was released in Germany on July 29, 2016. Several standard Blu-ray editions eventually became available in France, Italy, Spain, Japan, Denmark, Finland and Sweden throughout 2011 and 2012.

On July 20, 2018, it was announced that ''Candyman'' would be released on Blu-ray in a "Collector's Edition" on November 20, 2018, in the United States via Scream Factory, a subsidiary of [[Shout! Factory]]. The set contains a newly remastered 2K restoration from a new 4K scan as well as a number of new special features including an unrated cut, commentaries and featurettes. The following week, on July 27, 2018, [[Arrow Films]] announced a "Limited Edition" Blu-ray set in the United Kingdom which includes the same scan and special features as the Scream Factory edition. It was confirmed for this edition that the film would contain a new DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track for the first time. The set includes a collector's booklet, six lobby cards, a reversible poster and reversible cover artwork. It was released on October 29, 2018.

Arrow issued a limited edition of ''Candyman'' on [[Ultra HD Blu-ray|4K Ultra HD Blu-ray]] in the UK on May 23, 2022. It features a new 4K restoration from the original negative, both the US R-rated version and the original UK theatrical version featuring alternate footage, two booklets, six UK lobby card reproductions and a poster.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://bloody-disgusting.com/home-video/3704940/the-original-candyman-getting-a-4k-ultra-hd-release-from-arrow-video |title=The Original 'Candyman' Getting a 4K Ultra HD Release from Arrow Video! |last=Squires |first=John |date=February 25, 2022 |website=[[Bloody Disgusting]] |access-date=June 14, 2022}}</ref> Scream Factory also issued a 4K edition in the United States and Canada on May 24.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://bloody-disgusting.com/home-video/3710197/scream-factorys-candyman-4k-release-upgrades-theatrical-cut-and-unrated-cut |title=Scream Factory's 'Candyman' 4K Release Upgrades Theatrical Cut and Unrated Cut |last=Squires |first=John |date=April 7, 2022 |website=[[Bloody Disgusting]] |access-date=June 14, 2022}}</ref>

===Controversy===
There was some [[controversy]] that the film was depicting racism and racial stereotypes. According to Rose, "I had to go and have a whole set of meetings with the [[NAACP]] because the producers were so worried and what they said to me when they'd read the script was 'Why are we even having this meeting? You know, this is just good fun.' Their argument was 'Why shouldn't a black actor be a ghost? Why shouldn't a black actor play [[Freddy Krueger]] or [[Hannibal Lecter]]? If you're saying that they can't be, it's really perverse. This is a horror movie.'"<ref name=independent>{{cite news|last=Rose|first=Bernard|title=INTERVIEW / The sweet smell of excess: Bernard Rose has an oral fixation: Kevin Jackson talked to him about the appetites behind his new horror film, Candyman|date=March 13, 1993|newspaper=[[The Independent]]|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/interview--the-sweet-smell-of-excess-bernard-rose-has-an-oral-fixation-kevin-jackson-talked-to-him-about-the-appetites-behind-his-new-horror-film-candyman-1497390.html|archive-url=https://archive.today/20181226222952/https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/interview-the-sweet-smell-of-excess-bernard-rose-has-an-oral-fixation-kevin-jackson-talked-to-him-1497390.html|archive-date=December 26, 2018|access-date=August 25, 2017|url-status=live}}</ref> At the time of the film's release, Madsen said, "I was and am now worried about how people will respond. I don't think [[Spike Lee]] will like this film."<ref>{{cite news|last=Lovell|first=Glenn|title=Black Slasher 'Candyman' Draws Fire Over 'racist' Depictions|date=October 29, 1992|newspaper=[[Chicago Tribune]]|url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/1992/10/29/black-slasher-candyman-draws-fire-over-racist-depictions/|access-date=September 13, 2015}}</ref>

==Reception==
===Critical response===
On [[Rotten Tomatoes]], the film has a rating of 79%, and an average rating of 6.3/10. The critical consensus reads, "Though it ultimately sacrifices some mystery in the name of gory thrills, ''Candyman'' is a nuanced, effectively chilling tale that benefits from an interesting premise and some fine performances."<ref>{{cite web |title=Candyman (1992) |url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/candyman/ |access-date=September 5, 2022 |work=[[Rotten Tomatoes]]}}</ref> {{Metacritic film prose|61|15|ref=yes|access-date=20 November 2025}}<ref>{{cite web |title=Candyman Reviews |url=https://www.metacritic.com/movie/candyman |access-date=July 18, 2020 |publisher=[[Metacritic]]. [[CBS Interactive]]}}</ref> On [[CinemaScore]], it holds a "C+".<ref name="CinemaScore">{{cite web |url=https://m.cinemascore.com |title=CinemaScore |work=cinemascore.com}}</ref>

Among the more positive reviews was [[Roger Ebert]] of the ''[[Chicago Sun-Times]]''. He gave the film three stars out of a possible four, and praised the performances of Madsen and Lemmons and the subtle direction by Rose. Ebert wrote: "Elements of the plot may not hold up in the clear light of day, but that didn't bother me much. What I liked was a horror movie that was scaring me with ideas and gore, instead of simply with gore."<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/candyman-1992|title=Candyman|last=Ebert|first=Roger|work=[[Chicago Sun-Times]]|date=October 16, 1992|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130901200631/http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/candyman-1992|archive-date=September 1, 2013|access-date=October 28, 2014|url-status=live}}</ref> [[Janet Maslin]] of ''[[The New York Times]]'' compared it to "an elaborate campfire story" with an "unusually high interest in social issues", and also highlighted Madsen's performance and Glass's musical score.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/movie/review?res=9E0CE2DF123EF935A25753C1A964958260|title=Candyman (1992)|last=Maslin|first=Janet|author-link=Janet Maslin|work=[[The New York Times]]|date=October 16, 1992|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140819065907/https://www.nytimes.com/movie/review?res=9E0CE2DF123EF935A25753C1A964958260|archive-date=August 19, 2014}}</ref> [[AllMovie]] called it "haunting, intelligent and poetic" and "the finest Barker adaptation ever committed to film".<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.allmovie.com/movie/candyman-v8015/review |title=Candyman (1992) |first=Cavett |last=Binion |work=[[AllMovie]] |access-date=July 1, 2012}}</ref> In a review for [[Channel 4]] ''Candyman'' has been called "atmospheric and visually stimulating enough to satisfy gore-hounds", as well as an "intelligent social commentary".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.channel4.com/film/reviews/film.jsp?id=101759|title=Candyman Film Review|publisher=[[Channel 4]]|date=2003|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050313234531/http://www.channel4.com/film/reviews/film.jsp?id=101759|access-date=August 10, 2021|archive-date=March 13, 2005}}</ref> ''[[Slant Magazine]]''{{'}}s Eric Henderson positively reviewed both the eponymous character and the leading actor: "Played by Tony Todd (and his velvety basso profundo voice), the Candyman is a svelte, sexual monument, far removed from the silent brutality of your average serial slasher."<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/candyman/|title=Review: Candyman|work=[[Slant Magazine]]|first=Eric|last=Henderson|date=August 3, 2004|access-date=August 10, 2021}}</ref>

Kevin Thomas of the ''[[Los Angeles Times]]'' was more harsh in his review, and called the film Clive Barker's "worst to date"—an ambitious, but pretentious film that "quickly becomes as repellent as it is preposterous."<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1992-10-16-ca-39-story.html|title=MOVIE REVIEW : Ambitious 'Candyman' Serves Large Doses of Repellent Gore|last=Thomas|first=Kevin|work=[[Los Angeles Times]]|date=October 16, 1992|archive-url=https://archive.today/20141210215259/http://articles.latimes.com/1992-10-16/entertainment/ca-39_1_bernard-rose|archive-date=December 10, 2014|access-date=December 10, 2014|url-status=live}}</ref>

===Accolades===
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|- 
! Year
! Award/Ceremony
! Category
! Recipient(s)
! Result
! {{Abbreviation|Ref.|References}}
|-
| rowspan="15" | 1993
| rowspan="6" | [[1993 Fangoria Chainsaw Awards|''Fangoria'' Chainsaw Awards]]
| [[Fangoria Chainsaw Award for Best Actress|Best Actress]]
| [[Virginia Madsen]]
| {{won}}
| style="text-align:center;" | <ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.fangoria.com/original/1993-chainsaw-awards/|title=FANGORIA Chainsaw Awards Flashback: 1993|work=[[Fangoria]]|publisher=Fangoria Publishing, LLC|first=Michael|last=Gingold|date=April 13, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210414124102/https://www.fangoria.com/original/1993-chainsaw-awards/|access-date=August 9, 2021|archive-date=April 14, 2021}}</ref>
|-
| Best Studio/Wide-Release Film
| {{N/A}}
| {{nom}}
| style="text-align:center;" rowspan="5" | <ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.imdb.com/event/ev0001163/1992/1?ref_=ttawd_ev_3|archive-url=https://archive.today/20210809130120/https://www.imdb.com/event/ev0001163/1992/1?ref_=ttawd_ev_3|url-status=dead|archive-date=2021-08-09|title=Fangoria Chainsaw Awards (1992)|publisher=[[IMDb]]|access-date=August 9, 2021}}</ref>
|-
| Best Screenplay
| [[Bernard Rose (director)|Bernard Rose]]
| {{nom}}
|-
| [[Fangoria Chainsaw Award for Best Actor|Best Actor]]
| [[Tony Todd]]
| {{nom}}
|-
| Best Supporting Actress
| [[Vanessa Estelle Williams|Vanessa E. Williams]]
| {{nom}}
|-
| Best Soundtrack
| [[Philip Glass]]
| {{nom}}
|-
| rowspan="4" | [[19th Saturn Awards|Saturn Awards]]
| [[Saturn Award for Best Actress|Best Actress]]
| Virginia Madsen
| {{won}}
| style="text-align:center;" rowspan="4" | <ref>{{cite web|url=http://theenvelope.latimes.com/extras/lostmind/year/1992/1992sat.htm|title=Past Winners Database: 1992 – 19th Saturn Awards|work=The Envelope ([[Los Angeles Times]])|publisher=[[Tribune Broadcasting]]|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061017175755/http://theenvelope.latimes.com/extras/lostmind/year/1992/1992sat.htm|access-date=August 9, 2021|archive-date=October 17, 2006}}</ref>
|-
| Best Horror Film
| {{N/A}}
| {{nom}}
|-
| Best Writing
| Bernard Rose
| {{nom}}
|-
| Best Make-Up
| [[Bob Keen]]; Image Animation
| {{nom}}
|-
| [[Fantasporto]]
| Best Film
| Bernard Rose
| {{nom}}
| style="text-align:center;" | <ref>{{cite web|url=http://cinemafantastique.net/Candyman|title=Candyman (1992) – un film de Bernard Rose|work=CinemaFantastique|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130916145341/http://cinemafantastique.net/Candyman|language=French|access-date=August 9, 2021|archive-date=September 16, 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cinefaniac.fr/film/fiche-16280-candyman.html|archive-url=https://archive.today/20210809131651/https://www.cinefaniac.fr/film/fiche-16280-candyman.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=2021-08-09|title=Candyman 1992 * Action CineFaniac – Tout sur les films d'action|work=CineFaniac|language=French|access-date=August 9, 2021}}</ref>
|-
| rowspan="4" | [[Avoriaz#Avoriaz Fantastic Film Festival|Avoriaz Fantastic Film Festival]]
| Best Actress
| Virginia Madsen
| {{won}}
| style="text-align:center;" | <ref name="plansamer">{{cite web|url=https://www.plansamericains.com/festival-international-du-film-fantastique-d-avoriaz|archive-url=https://archive.today/20210810092057/https://www.plansamericains.com/festival-international-du-film-fantastique-d-avoriaz|url-status=dead|archive-date=2021-08-10|title=Le festival international du film fantastique d'Avoriaz|work=Plans Américains|language=French|access-date=August 10, 2021}}</ref><ref name="notre">{{cite web|url=https://ca.notrecinema.com/communaute/v9_detail_festival.php3?lefest=327|archive-url=https://archive.today/20210810092525/https://ca.notrecinema.com/communaute/v9_detail_festival.php3?lefest=327|url-status=dead|archive-date=2021-08-10|title=Festival international du film fantastique d'Avoriaz|work=Notre Cinéma – L'encyclopédie du cinéma|language=French|access-date=August 10, 2021}}</ref>
|-
| Best Music
| Philip Glass
| {{won}}
| style="text-align:center;" | <ref name="plansamer"/><ref name="notre"/><ref>{{cite web|url=https://filmmusic.pl/index.php?act=kompozytor&id=90|archive-url=https://archive.today/20210810092330/https://filmmusic.pl/index.php?act=kompozytor&id=90|url-status=dead|archive-date=2021-08-10|title=BIOGRAPHIES: Philip Glass|work=FilmMusic|access-date=August 10, 2021}}</ref>
|-
| Audience Award
| rowspan="2" | Bernard Rose
| {{won}}
| style="text-align:center;" | <ref name="plansamer"/><ref name="notre"/>
|-
| Grand Prize
| {{nom}}
| style="text-align:center;" | <ref name="notre"/>
|}

==Legacy==
The film came in at number 75 on [[Bravo (American TV channel)|Bravo]]'s [[100 Scariest Movie Moments]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bravotv.com/The_100_Scariest_Movie_Moments/index.shtml |title=100 Scariest Movie Moments|url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071030070540/http://www.bravotv.com/The_100_Scariest_Movie_Moments/index.shtml |archive-date=October 30, 2007 }}</ref> The character Candyman came in at number 8 on [[Bloody Disgusting]]'s "The Top 13 Slashers in Horror Movie History"<ref>{{cite web|url=https://bloody-disgusting.com/editorials/15182/13-days-of-friday-the-13th-the-top-13-slashers-in-horror-movie-history/|title=13 Days of Friday the 13th: The Top 13 Slashers in Horror Movie History|first=Brian|last=Solomon|date=February 5, 2009}}</ref> and ranked the same on [[UGO Networks|Ugo's]] "Top Eleven Slashers".<ref>{{Cite web |title=Top Eleven Slashers |url=http://www.ugo.com/channels/filmTv/features/eleven/slashers/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090225191138/http://www.ugo.com/channels/filmTv/features/eleven/slashers/ |archive-date=2009-02-25 |access-date=2025-12-11 |website=UGO.com |language=en}}</ref> The actor who played Candyman, Tony Todd, made #53 on Retrocrush's "The 100 Greatest Horror Movie Performances" for his role.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.retrocrush.com/horror/index.html|title=retroCRUSH: The World's Greatest Pop Culture Place|website=www.retrocrush.com|access-date=August 24, 2009|archive-date=September 12, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140912084405/http://www.retrocrush.com/horror/index.html|url-status=dead}}</ref>

The film appears in two sections of [[Filmsite.org]]'s "Greatest Scariest Movie Moments and Scenes"<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.filmsite.org/scariestscenes3.html|title=Scariest Movie Moments and Scenes|website=www.filmsite.org}}</ref> and "Greatest Movie Twists, Spoilers and Surprise Endings".<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.filmsite.org/greattwists8.html|title=Greatest Movie Plot Twists, Spoilers and Surprise Endings|website=www.filmsite.org}}</ref> In 2001, the [[American Film Institute]] nominated this film for [[AFI's 100 Years...100 Thrills]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.afi.com/Docs/100Years/thrills400.pdf |title=AFI's 100 Years...100 Thrills Nominees |access-date=August 20, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110313152608/http://www.afi.com/Docs/100Years/thrills400.pdf |archive-date=2011-03-13}}</ref> ''[[South Park]]'' parodied this film in the season 10 episode "[[Hell on Earth 2006]]", in which [[The Notorious B.I.G.]] appears whenever someone says "Biggie Smalls" three times in a mirror.

==Sequels==
Two stand-alone sequels comprising a single storyline were released in 1995 and 1999 respectively: ''[[Candyman: Farewell to the Flesh]]'' and ''[[Candyman: Day of the Dead]]''. Todd was the only actor to return for both films. Originally, Bernard Rose wanted to make a [[prequel]] film about Candyman and Helen's love but the studio turned it down.<ref name="HNN"/>

In September 2018, it was announced that [[Jordan Peele]] was to produce a direct sequel to the 1992 film,<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://bloody-disgusting.com/books/3520625/jordan-peele-talks-remake-clive-barkers-candyman-exclusive/|title=Jordan Peele in Talks to Remake Clive Barker's 'Candyman' [Exclusive] - Bloody Disgusting|website=bloody-disgusting.com|date=September 10, 2018|language=en-US|access-date=October 3, 2018}}</ref> with [[Nia DaCosta]] signing on as director that November.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://variety.com/2018/film/news/candyman-reboot-nia-dacosta-jordan-peele-1203037897/|title=Jordan Peele-Produced 'Candyman' Reboot Taps Director Nia DaCosta|date=November 27, 2018|work=Variety|access-date=November 27, 2018}}</ref> The film serves as a sequel, taking place back in the new [[Gentrification|gentrified]] Cabrini-Green where the old housing projects development once stood in Chicago.<ref>{{Cite magazine|url=https://ew.com/movies/2018/11/27/candyman-sequel-jordan-peele/|title=Jordan Peele to co-write sequel to horror film 'Candyman'|magazine=Entertainment Weekly|access-date=November 30, 2018}}</ref> [[Yahya Abdul-Mateen II]] was cast in the lead role,<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://variety.com/2019/film/news/mgm-jordan-peele-aquamans-yahha-abdul-mateen-ii-as-their-new-candy-man-1203144190/|title=Jordan Peele's 'Candyman' Finds Its Star (EXCLUSIVE)|last=Kroll|first=Justin|work=Variety|access-date=February 27, 2019|language=en}}</ref> as a grown-up Anthony McCoy, with Todd reprising his role as the title character.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Travis|first=Ben|date=March 18, 2020|title=Candyman: Meet Yahya Abdul-Mateen II's Artist Anthony McCoy – Exclusive Image|url=https://www.empireonline.com/movies/news/candyman-yahya-abdul-mateen-anthony-mccoy-exclusive-image/|url-status=live|access-date=August 27, 2021|website=[[Empire (magazine)|Empire]]|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200322042038/https://www.empireonline.com/movies/news/candyman-yahya-abdul-mateen-anthony-mccoy-exclusive-image/ |archive-date=March 22, 2020 }}</ref> Production for the film took place from August to September 2019 in Chicago, Illinois. The working title of the film was revealed on some of the cast and crew social media pages as ''Say My Name'', which was discreetly used in the revised scripts and production sets to keep things "flying under the radar" with the official title also being ''[[Candyman (2021 film)|Candyman]]''.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://blockclubchicago.org/2019/09/12/jordan-peeles-candyman-sequel-is-now-filming-in-north-park/|title=Jordan Peele's 'Candyman' Sequel Is Now Filming In North Park|website=Block Club Chicago|date=September 12, 2019|language=en-US|access-date=October 5, 2019}}</ref> The film was released on August 27, 2021.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Hughes |first1=William |title=Nia DaCosta's Candyman delayed until August 27, 2021 |url=https://www.avclub.com/nia-dacostas-candyman-delayed-until-2021-1845036132 |website=A.V. Club |date=September 12, 2020 |access-date=22 October 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://variety.com/2020/film/news/candyman-release-date-delayed-2021-1234733147/|title=Nia DaCosta's 'Candyman' Release Delayed to 2021|website=Variety|first=Rebecca|last=Rubin|date=September 11, 2020|access-date=September 11, 2020}}</ref>

==References==
{{notelist}}
{{Reflist}}

==Sources==
* {{cite book|last=Badley|first=Linda|year=1996|title=Writing Horror and the Body: The Fiction of Stephen King, Clive Barker, and Anne Rice|publisher=Greenwood Publishing Group|location=Westport, Connecticut|isbn=978-0-313-29716-8}}
* {{cite magazine|last=Schweiger|first=Daniel|title=Candyman: A Nightmare Sweet|magazine=[[Fangoria (magazine)|Fangoria]]|date=October 1992|issue=117|pages=24–28, 62}}

==External links==

* {{IMDb title|0103919|Candyman}}
* {{Rotten Tomatoes|candyman}}
* {{Metacritic film|candyman}}

{{Candyman (film series)}}
{{Bernard Rose}}
{{Philip Glass}}
{{Clive Barker}}

[[Category:1992 films]]
[[Category:1992 horror films]]
[[Category:1990s ghost films]]
[[Category:1990s supernatural horror films]]
[[Category:American ghost films]]
[[Category:American gothic horror films]]
[[Category:American supernatural horror films]]
[[Category:1992 English-language films]]
[[Category:Films set in apartment buildings]]
[[Category:Films set in Chicago]]
[[Category:Films shot in Chicago]]
[[Category:Films shot in Los Angeles]]
[[Category:Films based on British short stories]]
[[Category:Films based on urban legends]]
[[Category:1990s hood films]]
[[Category:PolyGram Filmed Entertainment films]]
[[Category:TriStar Pictures films]]
[[Category:Films based on works by Clive Barker]]
[[Category:Films directed by Bernard Rose (director)]]
[[Category:Films produced by Steve Golin]]
[[Category:Films scored by Philip Glass]]
[[Category:African-American horror films]]
[[Category:Candyman (film series)]]
[[Category:Films about hypnosis]]
[[Category:Films with screenplays by Bernard Rose (director)]]
[[Category:Films about racism in the United States]]
[[Category:1992 American films]]
[[Category:English-language horror films]]
[[Category:English-language crime films]]
[[Category:Saturn Award–winning films]]

{{Wikipedia attribution|original_title=Candyman (1992 film)|access_date=2026-02-28}}