This gut-wrenching thriller follows a graduate student whose research summons the spirit of the dead! When Helen Lyle hears about Candyman, a slave spirit with a hook hand who is said to haunt a notorious housing project, she thinks she has a new twist for her thesis. Braving the gang-ridden territory to visit the site, Helen arrogantly assumes Candyman can’t really exist … until he appears, igniting a string of terrifying, grisly slayings. But the police don’t believe in monsters, and charge Helen with the crimes. And the only one who can set her free is Candyman.
For thoughts on Candyman, please check out my piece on The Video Attic:
Video Quality
Scream Factory presents Candyman with a tremendous 2160p transfer in its original 1.85:1 aspect ratio sourced from a 4K scan of the Original Camera Negative with Dolby Vision/HDR. Both cuts of the film are presented in 4K via seamless branching supervised and approved by Writer/Director Bernard Rose and Director Of Photography Anthony B. Richmond. One of the most impressive aspects of the disc is the application of HDR for increased color output that will knock longtime fans sideways with its depth and nuance. While the film takes place in dark, abandoned apartments and during the night for extended portions of the narrative, there is a world of nuance to be found during the daytime scenes in the open air. The new presentation features some colors in the production design and effects such as the red of the car or the blood that Helen finds herself covered in that pops off the screen with a vibrant intensity. Lighting is an essential part of establishing the mood of this film and this disc handles every slight environmental change with ease. The black levels are outstanding with nothing in the way of crush present, and white levels are solid as a rock with no evidence of blooming.
The texture on display in the gory makeup, the outfits and within the production design are unbelievable. The special effects present with impressive clarity that makes the work all the more visceral, such as when torsos are being ripped apart. This transfer does not register almost anything in the way of print damage. This presentation is true to the original look of the film with the added resolution making elements seem more stark and natural. The level of detail and clarity is stunning with an excellent amount of natural film grain intact. The grain resolves incredibly well with nothing ever feeling clumpy even during the smoky or murky environments. There does not appear to be any jarring digital anomalies such as compression artifacts, banding or any other such nuisances. This presentation is a top-tier effort from the team at Scream Factory.
Audio Quality
The 4K UHD Blu-Ray disc comes with a new Dolby Atmos track for both cuts of the film along with the previously released DTS-HD 2.0 Master Audio track, both of which serve up exactly what you want. The previous excellent DTS track has been available for a while, so I’ll focus on the new Dolby Atmos track. From the very opening moments with the immersive sound of bees, the new track provides a powerful soundscape that perfectly captures the artistic intent with a fidelity that is accurately maintained. The environmental sounds such as reports from the television and the slashing of the hook into skin are rendered well alongside everything else.
The height channels are put to good use when Candyman speaks and the reverb makes it feel like he is in your head. The score has never sounded richer and is used impeccably to establish the mood of the story. There is never a moment where it threatens to overwhelm competing sounds, and it maintains a good balance so that dialogue comes through clearly. There does not seem to be any noticeable instances of age-related wear and tear. Scream Factory has given fans a whole new way to experience the feature with an audio presentation that thrills. English SDH subtitles are provided for those who want them. Both Blu-Ray discs include the two aforementioned audio tracks along with a legacy DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio track.
Special Features
Disc One (4K UHD)
- Theatrical Cut (1:38:53) and Unrated Cut (1:38:54) Of The Film
- Audio Commentary #1: Writer/Director Bernard Rose and Actor Tony Todd deliver a very informative and amiable commentary track in which they reflect back upon the production and legacy of the film including initial meetings with Virginia Madsen, the attitudes towards horror films at the time, the pacing of the film and more. This is a more free-flowing track where the two bounce off each other really nicely including random thoughts that range from Marvel films to Orson Welles.
- Audio Commentary #2: Authors/Film Historians Stephen Jones and Kim Newman take a more historical and analytical approach to discussing the film while also touching on their friendship with Clive Barker. There are some great insights into the source material, the history of the performers, alternate theories about the film, where this film fits into the horror landscape and more.
- Theatrical Trailer: The two-minute trailer is provided here.
Disc Two (Blu-Ray – Theatrical Cut)
- Audio Commentary #1: Writer/Director Bernard Rose and Actor Tony Todd
- Audio Commentary #2: Authors/Film Historians Stephen Jones and Kim Newman
- Audio Commentary #3: Bernard Rose, Author Clive Barker, Producer Alan Poul and Actors Tony Todd, Virginia Madsen and Kasi Lemmons all come together in a stitched-together form to offer insights from various different perspectives including the larger themes and ideas behind the film and the process of shooting the film.
- Audio Commentary #4: Bernard Rose delivers one final commentary track from The Movie Crypt Podcast hosted by Filmmakers Adam Green and Joe Lynch which covers some of the same material as the previous tracks but delivers some great nuggets of information thanks to the excited questions from the hosts.
- Sweets To The Sweet – The Candyman Mythos: A great 24-minute vintage piece in which many of the key figures on the commentary tracks come together to discuss the creepy legend of the Candyman, how these ideas were developed, the dignity that was brought to the character, the real-life danger faced during filming, working with the bees and more.
- Clive Barker – Raising Hell: An 11-minute extended interview with Clive Barker in which he discusses his style, creative drive, inspiration and more. There is also some footage of him receiving an award in 2003.
- The Heart Of Candyman: A seven-minute piece in which Tony Todd reflects on the place of love within this film, the importance of the costume to the character, shooting on location in dangerous locations and more.
- Bernard Rose’s Storyboards: A five-minute look at some of the storyboards created for the film.
- Theatrical Trailer
- TV Spots: A minute-and-a-half of TV Spots are included here.
- Still Gallery: A collection of promotional material and stills from the film are provided here.
- Original Script (BD-ROM)
Disc Three (Blu-Ray – Unrated Cut)
- Looking Back In The Mirror with Actress Vanessa Williams: A new 16-minute interview with Williams in which she discusses her early career, getting one of earliest movie roles in Candyman, her affection for Bernard Rose, memories of her co-stars, working with her hair and makeup stylist, the legacy of the film and more.
- Be My Victim with Actor Tony Todd: A 10-minute interview with Todd in which he discusses coming to the project, the initial desire for an “Eddie Murphy type”, trying to harness the Gothic elegance of Lon Chaney’s The Phantom of the Opera, the special effects and work with the bees, and more.
- It Was Always You, Helen with Actress Virginia Madsen: A 13-minute interview with Madsen in which she discusses stepping into the role of Helen, her preparation for the role, working with Tony Todd, the genuine scares she experienced during filming, the film’s soundtrack, her appreciation for being a part of this franchise and more.
- Reflection In The Mirror with Actress Kasi Lemmons: A 10-minute interview with Lemmons in which discusses her early film career, how she came to be in Candyman, her relationship to horror films, her friendship with Virginia Madsen, what she learned from Bernard Rose and more.
- A Kid In Candyman with Actor DeJuan Guy: A 14-minute interview with Guy in which he discusses getting discovered by John Singleton, learning he got the role from Virginia Madsen, how he balanced school with acting, memories of his costars and director, how this film impacted his life and career, and much more that is very entertaining.
- The Writing On The Wall – The Production Design Of Candyman: A six-minute interview with Jane Ann Stewart in which she relays an amusing story about Rose wanting a Black production designer before discussing the journey she took alongside Helen to scout the locations and find inspirations to recreate within her work. There are a lot of fun facts dropped throughout including details about Candyman’s layer.
- Forbidden Flesh – The Makeup FX Of Candyman: An eight-minute interview with Effects Artists Bob Keen, Mark Coulier and Gary J. Tunnicliffe in which they discuss how they crafted various gnarly effects within the film including the feces on the bathroom wall, the hook hand and more.
- A Story To Tell – Clive Barker’s The Forbidden: A 19-minute piece with critic Douglas E. Winter in which he discusses Barker’s impact on the horror genre, his transgressive nature, his memories of meeting Barker, new elements that were introduced in the film and more.
- Urban Legend – Unwrapping Candyman: A 21-minute piece featuring authors Tananarive Due and Steven Barnes in which they discuss their own personal experiences with the film, how they have been influenced by the story, the ways in which the film tackles race, the renaissance of the 90s and how Candyman feels like a remnant of the 80s, how the film fails at being a “Black movie” and how it could be turned into such, and much more. This is an intriguing perspective that makes you reconsider certain moments within the film.
Final Thoughts
Candyman remains one of the most important horror films to come out in modern times. The titular character as inhabited by the flawless Tony Todd was instantly iconic and has remained so in the intervening thirty years of nightmares. This first entry is buoyed by the fact that it understands how to utilize its boogeyman effectively while tapping into the psychological terror experienced by the Virginia Madsen character. It is a one-of-a-kind experience. Scream Factory has provided the film with a 4K UHD Blu-Ray release that boasts a terrific A/V presentation and an assortment of special features that are not to be missed. Even if you already own this one on Blu-Ray, you owe it to yourself to upgrade and see this film in the best presentation possible. Highly Recommended
Candyman (Collector’s Edition) will be available to purchase on 4K UHD + Blu-Ray Combo Pack on May 24, 2022.
Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the 4K UHD Blu-Ray.
Disclaimer: Scream Factory has supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.
Dillon is most comfortable sitting around in a theatre all day watching both big budget and independent movies.