“Candyman” is a classic horror movie released in 1992 and stars the late Tony Todd as Daniel Robitaille, known informally as “Candyman,” a hook-handed killer who, according to urban legend, appears when you say his name five times in the mirror. Much to her horror and surprise, skeptical graduate student Helen Kyle, played by Virginia Madsen, summons Robitaille unexpectedly when she investigates the myth and connects him to a series of murders in the area.
The character is based on a story by Clive Barker, who co-wrote the film with its director, Bernard Rose. One of the reasons the film was such a hit is because it appealed to the human fascination with urban legends, which create strong, memorable emotions in people. The fact “Candyman” combines several urban legends into one character and story instilled the film with amazing power.
The power of candy
Candy itself is highly appealing. People think of it as a sweet treat, which enables the title to have real impact. Upon hearing it, people would expect a pleasant character and light-hearted movie, not a horror movie with a hook-handed killer aimed at adults. The makers of the game “Sweet Bonanza” have understood this and tried a similar tactic. As cutesy as the game may sound, this slot is definitely aimed at adults only.
Iconic scenes from the movie
Just like any movie, “Candyman” produced scenes that will stay with movie fans, horror and nonhorror ones alike, for the rest of their days. Below are some of the most memorable ones.
1) The opening scene
“Candyman” sets about scaring the audience from the outset, rather than gently setting the scene. Tony Todd gives a monologue off camera and the audience sees the bees before the scene introduces the urban legend through a fellow student telling Helen the story of a girl who was murdered by Candyman. All throughout, you can feel something is about to happen.
2) Candyman’s backstory
“Candyman” defies conventional horror movie norms. Whereas making Robitaille more mysterious by keeping the details about him vague could have made it scarier, in the original movie, character Professor Philip tells Helen Candyman’s backstory. This makes him scarier and more real, in fact, and suggests he has no reason to stop killing, a daunting thought for the characters and for the audience.
3) “I am the writing on the wall, the whisper in the classroom. Without these things, I am nothing. So now I must shed innocent blood”
This is one of the most chilling scenes in the film, one where Helen and the audience find out that Candyman (as far as the film goes) exists. Robitaille confronts Helen in a car park and informs he’s had to come and set her straight because she doubted him.
The scene conveys the powerlessness of those who summon him once he’s arrived. Candyman hypnotizes Helen and while she’s under his spell, with the words in the heading he lets her know his power grows the more people believe in him and spread the legend about him. If the number of disbelievers in his existence increases, he reminds her he has his own special way of persuading them otherwise.
4) Honeybees in the mouth
In this scene, Candyman releases his swarm of bees onto Helen after she sacrifices herself to save Anne-Marie’s son, Anthony. It’s one of the most horrifying scenes in the film, not just because of the fact Candyman either always carries a swarm of bees in him or can just conjure them up out of thin air and release them whenever he wants, but also because Tony Todd released real-life bees from his mouth. At the time of the movie, CGI didn’t exist. The actor had to wear a protective mouthpiece.
5) Helen’s revenge on her philandering husband, Trevor
As the movie comes to an end, viewers see Helen, who has burned to death, take revenge on her unfaithful former husband, Trevor. In the bathroom, Trevor, who is feeling guilty for abandoning Helen, mutters her name unintentionally a few times while looking in the mirror. She appears unexpectedly, with a hook in her hand and asks him “What’s the matter, Trevor? Scared of something?” before gutting him with the hook.
This is a shock not just for Trevor and his new girlfriend, who witnesses the bloody aftermath of the slaughter, but also the audience. It’s a scary thought the Candyman lore is infinite, and he can pass on his curse to others. More people can become like him.
This under-rated classic spawned a series of movies, including a modern sequel which saw Todd return as the killer in 2021. Other scenes that stand out from the movie include the Candyman trying to murder Helen through her bathroom cabinet, a scene inspired by a true-life murder that took place in a Chicago housing project.