There is a horror movie about almost every holiday, even Labor Day. For Valentine’s Day, we have the original My Bloody Valentine (1981) and the horrible update, My Bloody Valentine (2009)–sorry Jensen Ackles, not even you could save that feature. There’s also the 1999 feature, Lovers Lane, which features a hook-wielding villain, and Valentine (2001), a stalker/slasher Valentine’s Day feature.
While these films are in their own ways entertaining, this Valentine’s Day the movie I’ll be watching is Candyman (1992). Based on the story “The Forbidden” by Clive Barker, this movie looks into the power of urban legends with the Candyman legend, a darker urban legend than most.
Why Candyman on Valentine’s Day? Besides the man behind the myth being killed for love, the main female character, while investigating the myth of the Candyman, discovers that her husband is cheating on her, and then she gets framed for murder. This is kind-of an ultimate anti-Valentine’s Day horror flick.
Did I mention that Tony Todd plays the Candyman? Yep, and he is 6’5” of awesomeness. His portrayal of the Candyman is both mesmerizing and terrifying. As far as villains go, Candyman is both mixture of victim and villain–one of the few slashers you feel for during the course of the film.
As far as slasher flicks go, this one doesn’t follow the typical plot device of the survival girl, screams, and loud score to indicate when to get scared. Philip Glass created the simple, hypnotic score for this flick, which gives no clues as to when the scares will occur.
If you haven’t checked out Candyman yet or if you haven’t seen it a while, I recommend giving it another go, perhaps this Valentine’s. It’s worth the scare.
simplehorrorfan 