Based on a story by Clive Barker and skilfully written and directed by Bernard Rose, Candyman rises above most horror films by eerily suggesting that some urban legends--in this case a particularly frightening one--have a spooky basis in reality. The legend of the Candyman is a potent one around the high-rise tenements of Chicago's Cabrini-Green housing complex, where the residents speak of a dark, ominous figure who appears when his victims say his name five times in front of a mirror, then mercilessly slashes them to death. Upon learning that the Candyman is rumoured to live in one of the vacant tenements, a University of Illinois researcher (Virginia Madsen) investigates a recent murder at Cabrini-Green. She learns that the Candyman (played by Tony Todd) is both unreal and chillingly real--a supernatural force of evil empowered by those who believe in his legend. He is a killer made flesh by the belief of others, and the young researcher's investigation is a threat to his existence. What happens next? We wouldn't dare spoil the chills, but rest assured that writer-director Rose has tapped into a wellspring of urban angst and fear, and Candyman serves up its gruesome frights with a refreshing dose of intelligence. --Jeff Shannon
Dare you say his name five times? From the chilling imagination of horror master Clive Barker (Hellraiser, Nightbreed) comes Candyman one of the greatest horror movies of the 90s, now newly restored on 4K UHD from Arrow Video. When grad student Helen Lyle (Virginia Madsen) begins working on a thesis about urban legends, she comes across the terrifying tale of the Candyman a vengeful, hook-handed spirit who can be summoned by saying his name five times in the mirror. As her research leads her into the bowels of Chicago's deprived housing projects and deeper into the Candyman's world, Helen learns that some legends are best left well alone. Expertly directed by British filmmaker Bernard Rose (Paperhouse) and boasting an astounding score by composer Philip Glass, Candyman ingeniously reworks Clive Barker's original short story The Forbidden (originally published as part of his groundbreaking Books of Blood series) into a modern horror parable that remains as timely today as ever. Product Features New 4K restoration from the original negative, supervised and approved by writer-director Bernard Rose and director of photography Anthony B. Richmond 4K (2160p) UHD Blu-ray presentation in Dolby Vision (HDR10 compatible) of two cuts of the film, the US R-rated version and the original UK theatrical version featuring alternate, more graphic footage, presented via seamless branching Original uncompressed stereo audio and optional DTS-HD MA 5.1 and Dolby Atmos surround options Audio commentary with writer-director Bernard Rose and actor Tony Todd Audio commentary with authors Stephen Jones and Kim Newman Be My Victim, an interview with actor Tony Todd It Was Always You, Helen, an interview with actor Virginia Madsen The Cinema of Clive Barker: The Divine Explicit, an in-depth interview with Clive Barker on Candyman and other adaptations of his work The Writing on the Wall: The Production Design of Candyman, an interview with production designer Jane Ann Stewart Forbidden Flesh: The Makeup FX of Candyman, interviews with special makeup effects artists Bob Keen, Gary J. Tunicliffe and Mark Coulier A Story to Tell: Clive Barker's The Forbidden, an interview with writer Douglas E. Winter on Barker's seminal Books of Blood and Candyman's source story Urban Legend: Unwrapping Candyman, a critical analysis of the film with writers Tananarive Due and Steven Barnes Three rarely-seen Bernard Rose short films, restored in HD: A Bomb With No Name on It (1975), The Wreckers (1976) and Looking at Alice (1977) Original theatrical trailer Image gallery Limited edition 40-page perfect-bound booklet reproducing the original hand-painted storyboards by Bernard Rose Fully-illustrated collectors' booklet featuring new writing on the film by festival programmer Michael Blyth 6 postcard-sized original UK lobby card reproductions Reversible sleeve and poster featuring original and new artwork by Gary Pullin
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