And so we have the second sequel to a film that worked best as a stand-alone horror outing. Clive Barker's mix of fairytale and the macabre made 1992's CANDYMAN a splendid little movie, evocative and atmosphere and a breath of fresh air amidst the latest NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET or Friday THE 13TH sequel. Sadly, the rules of movie money-making never change, and so two unnecessary sequels followed that added absolutely nothing to the story and served only to besmirch the original's reputation.
CANDYMAN 3: DAY OF THE DEAD offers by way of story a straightforward repeat of the first film's plot: a young woman is haunted by a ghostly killer who nobody else believes exists. She's subsequently blamed for the murders carried out by this ghost, and she must find a way to stop it before either a) she goes mad, b) she faces a life in prison or c) she herself dies. The law of diminishing returns means that everything on screen is a lesser imitation of that which has come before, and the excruciatingly predictable script means that there's nothing in the way of originality or genuine scares here.
Director Turi Meyer had little experience of filmmaking before this, but the direction can't really be faulted – even if it is a little bland. No, the biggest problem lies in the casting of former Baywatch starlet Donna D'Errico as the heroine. D'Errico is a horrible actress, excruciating when it comes to her 'fear' scenes, and she's just paraded around in a variety of tight-fitting vest tops and knickers. Nice body, shame about the talent. The supporting cast are all very bland, with the exception of the sorely underused Ernie Hudson, Jr. – son of the GHOSTBUSTERS actor – who seems to have inherited some of his dad's talent. And then there's Tony Todd, who is menacing and brilliant as the Candyman, and the only real reason to watch this. Todd is one of those actors generally stuck in B-movies who always give a decent performance, and Danny Trejo is another. He isn't required to do anything other than stand around and whisper 'be my victim' but he even does that well.
There are some repetitive gore sequences here, generally involving people being impaled by Candyman's hook, as well as a plethora of nude scenes in a bid to attract some (male) attention. Sadly, these don't distract from the crappy script and general tired air surrounding the proceedings. CANDYMAN is a good film, but the sequels are best forgotten about.
CANDYMAN 3: DAY OF THE DEAD offers by way of story a straightforward repeat of the first film's plot: a young woman is haunted by a ghostly killer who nobody else believes exists. She's subsequently blamed for the murders carried out by this ghost, and she must find a way to stop it before either a) she goes mad, b) she faces a life in prison or c) she herself dies. The law of diminishing returns means that everything on screen is a lesser imitation of that which has come before, and the excruciatingly predictable script means that there's nothing in the way of originality or genuine scares here.
Director Turi Meyer had little experience of filmmaking before this, but the direction can't really be faulted – even if it is a little bland. No, the biggest problem lies in the casting of former Baywatch starlet Donna D'Errico as the heroine. D'Errico is a horrible actress, excruciating when it comes to her 'fear' scenes, and she's just paraded around in a variety of tight-fitting vest tops and knickers. Nice body, shame about the talent. The supporting cast are all very bland, with the exception of the sorely underused Ernie Hudson, Jr. – son of the GHOSTBUSTERS actor – who seems to have inherited some of his dad's talent. And then there's Tony Todd, who is menacing and brilliant as the Candyman, and the only real reason to watch this. Todd is one of those actors generally stuck in B-movies who always give a decent performance, and Danny Trejo is another. He isn't required to do anything other than stand around and whisper 'be my victim' but he even does that well.
There are some repetitive gore sequences here, generally involving people being impaled by Candyman's hook, as well as a plethora of nude scenes in a bid to attract some (male) attention. Sadly, these don't distract from the crappy script and general tired air surrounding the proceedings. CANDYMAN is a good film, but the sequels are best forgotten about.