Candyman

“They will say I have shed innocent blood… But what is blood for, if not for shedding?” I’ve never had the words to describe how this tragedy has impacted my life. It’s an experience beyond words. Beyond numerical ratings for me. But tonight I will find them. I must find them. Because tonight a legend died, one whose work has impacted me beyond exponentially. A transcendental love story, Candyman is a delicate exploration of interracial relationships, putting it up to an often overlooked mirror of queerness. They are two-sides to the same coin, 90’s taboo’s which while arguably mitigated we are yet entirely removed of. The Theatrical Cut is brilliant enough as it is, but the Unrated Cut adds a layer of thematic gore & hypersexuality that elevates the experience to something a lot more Clive Barker, who’s contributions to horror often go under appreciated. Often it’s argued that this film has aged poorly; “it’s just not relevant anymore” they cry out, as if lynchings still do not occur including over black men “overstepping” by getting particular jobs or developing relationships with another race. But I’d argue this Books Of Blood spawned masterwork really lives up to the name, watching it feeling like cracking open ancient scripture covered in cobwebs which completely predict the future through horrifying pictures & beautiful poems all of which tell one story that cannot be ignored. This here is the eternal fate that befalls marginalized communities. Whether you’re Black, Latino, Asian, poor, an immigrant, queer, mentally &/or physically disabled you have a Candyman. A martyr of purist tragedy that brings fear. Fear of the invisible force punishing us. The powers at be & the monsters it creates. Sure, it might not be as common for men to be turned to martyrs due to interracial dating, however, we still have figures like George Floyd who’s death sparked a change in the community we’re still rustling through to this day. A change that I don’t think anyone fully understands but nonetheless he somehow became of a specter for our greatest fears of injustice, motivating us to finally question the powers that brought us here. The real outsiders yet also drained many of hope, brought about a rage which caused an increase in crime & police brutality amongst many other terrible things. The ultimate duality of tragedy & beauty, death bringing a community together as much as it’s tearing it apart from society. Heaven & Hell cross through the Earth, the place that balances it all. Good & evil. Love & hate. The only place where you can hear a man describing castrating a person with a hook in a soft loving tone. The only place asking someone to be your victim can be a profession of love. We need to spend more time praising Tony Todd for his very meticulous performance. Without it, Candyman would surely have not become an icon, the balance never clear & it all would’ve been rediculous. So many lines sound could come across like soap opera junk in the wrong hands but he takes it in stride, blooming it into a gorgeous flower of death & destruction. He earns fear, but never with hatred. Much rather, love. The duality. This is reflected in the score which could just as easily be used for a funeral as it could a romantic date night. I could imagine making love to Helen’s Theme had I not known where it’s from. I could imagine also crying in the rain at my grandmother’s funeral too. It provokes so much emotion out of me, but never the same way twice making sure the film does the same. Philip Glass is a Top 2 film composer at the very least. Beautiful work. If you don’t know, this is the first horror film I ever seen, & it was the first horror film my parents ever saw together at a time when interracial couples were just as taboo. For my dad to ask my mom’s hand in marriage in a way to ask her to be his victim, a victim of societal abuse, a victim of martyrization & to the media a victim of his own monstrous race. Whatever the madness of their relationship would bring it would be used as a legend in some form, & more than likely something to scare children. This is why the film has always had a profound effect on me, I remember my first time at 7 years old watching the film: hearing that gorgeous score sail me across gorgeously composed credits spread across the busy streets of Chicago. It was a simpler time. & the very moment I knew if I did nothing else in my life. If I could do anything in my life. It was going to be that, for as long as my heart kept beating. Tony Todd’s performance brought a superb air of intrigue to the character I wish I could’ve explored with him. He was one of the celebrities I had always wanted to meet. To personally thank for contributing to that revelation & the sensation of crying for the first time at any film. Ever. Up until that point I had no idea a movie could make you feel so vulnerable. But it did. I wish I had the words to describe the absolute chokehold that legend had on my life while he lived his. Someday I will when I myself become one of the paintings of the wall, I just hope mine is even a shed as beautiful as his. Until then he lives on as the writing on the wall, the whisper in the classroom, a story retold by many faithful believers. Eternal. Thank you, Tony. Rest gently.