CANDYMAN (1992)
Why I Fell In Love With Horror.
There haven’t been many films over the years that had enough of an impact on me that I can say that I felt “changed” but Candyman (1992) qualifies. It absolutely scared the hell out of me but it also made me a lifelong fan of all things horror. Books, movies, comics, if it leans horror I’m in—let’s do it. It made me see what a story could be and is one of the many reasons I began writing in the genre.
I was young—eight years old—when I first watched Candyman and the effect was almost instant. I say almost because for nearly a week I couldn’t go to the bathroom if I was the only one awake. I couldn’t walk past the mirror to get to the toilet if I didn’t know there was someone who could potentially rescue me, or at least distract the monster while I got away (I was an only child so I was a bit selfish). You have to remember though, at this point in my life the scariest movie I had come in contact with was probably, Who Framed Roger Rabbit, and let’s face it, that movie was also scary as hell.
I didn’t get to see Candyman when it first came out—I grew up in a small town and the nearest theater was a couple of hours away—but we did have a Blockbuster Video, and we did, just about every weekend, take advantage of the (five movies, five nights, five dollars) deal that they offered. Going to the video store to pick out movies was a huge part of my childhood, some of my favorite memories are tied to that place. I learned a lot about myself by finding things I loved—and even things I absolutely hated—at a very young age. Films, music, and art can teach you so much about yourself if you’re willing to listen.
So why did Candyman scare the hell out of me and how did that make me fall in love with horror? Well, one thing at a time, it scared the hell out of me for the obvious reason. Tony Todd was a monster straight out my nightmares. The grimy coat, the meat hook constantly dripping blood, even his damn voice. If I hear that voice to this day I shudder. It probably didn’t hurt that the summer before I watched Candyman I found out I was allergic to bees when I was stung on my eyelid and had to be rushed to the hospital. Then there was Virginia Madsen just selling the hell out of every scene she was in. When she was confident I felt confident. When she was scared I was terrified. She did an amazing job.
Bernard Rose wrote and directed the movie, it was top tier in my opinion from front to back. Of course it wasn’t until years later when I was deep into my horror obsession that I found out all of this was Clive Barker’s fault, the movie is based on his short story called, The Forbidden, an excellent read on its own. Candyman wasn’t a big hit when it came out but the film persisted. It refused to go away and each year a new generation of scared children discover it.
For the second part of the question, how did it make me fall in love with horror, well, I didn’t know movies could make me feel things like that so strongly. I was scared to death even though I knew it wasn’t real, it made me believe those awful things were actually happening. It made me anxious. It made me generally worried for the people Tony Todd was after. I love all genres of film but others fail to make me react with the level of emotion that horror elicits in such a short period of time. I think it’s chasing that high, horror for me is like riding a roller coaster, you know it’s safe (or hope it is) but you do it anyway for that adrenaline rush. I fell in love with the genre for that reason, I can get that rush without ever having to leave my house or having to be around other humans, it’s a beautiful thing.
In my opinion there still hasn’t been a horror movie that can live up to Candyman (1992). It’s pure terror wrapped in a neat 99 minute package that makes you feel all the feels. A perfect horror film and the perfect place to start for anyone who wants to have a reason to not look in the mirror for a while—as if I needed another.
Threads/Instagram - @CrockettForReal