Upon the release of Candyman in 1992, the lore of the Candyman became entwined with that of Bloody Mary. Growing up in the ’90s it was his name – and not Bloody Mary’s – we would stand in front of a mirror and say. Was this the same for you? It was through this silly (and scary) school toilet activity that we were first made aware of Candyman, well before we knew the films existed.
Based on Clive Barker’s short story The Forbidden, Candyman was written and directed by Bernard Rose and released in cinemas in October 1992. The setting was changed from Liverpool, England to Chicago in the US, with Tony Todd cast as the terrifying, bee-covered, hook-wielding title character; with his stature and (post-production) distorted voice, he was the perfect choice for the role.
The supernatural horror film became a trilogy with Candyman: Farewell to the Flesh released in 1995, followed by Candyman: Day of the Dead in 1999.
The films transcend generic horror and gore genres as they deal with the very real societal issues of race and class. We suggest that you take some time to watch some YouTube videos and read some articles to get a new perspective on the Candyman franchise.
In the original film, Tony Todd was apparently paid an additional thousand dollars for each bee sting sustained during filming, while his co-star, Virginia Madsen is allergic to bees, likely making filming even more terrifying for her.
In terms of horror movie villains the Candyman is in our top three of most unnerving characters along with Chucky and Freddy Krueger. You always secretly wonder if your toys will suddenly come to life like Chucky (or be nicer like those in Toy Story) or upon falling asleep you hope not to find Freddy in your nightmares; but looking into a mirror daily, we’re just waiting for the day that the Candyman comes bursting through.
The new Candyman film was set for release this year, however was pushed back due to COVID-19, so enjoy (or be frightened by) these tattoos for the time being.