31 NIGHTS OF HALLOWEEN : NIGHT 17 : CANDYMAN

I was 11 years old, when, whilst sat a friends house his older sister came in and blurting on about a film that as out today on video. Being much older than us, she had seen It at the cinema and couldn't wait for us to be exposed to it. She told us it was based on a true story and she called it scariest thing she had ever seen. She was not far off. This is one of the films that started my fascination with the effect that horror films have on people, it was directly responsible for about 3 years of sleepless nights and was probably one of a few that started my love of all things horror.

Helen (Virginia Madsen) is a reporter, looking into the strange deaths that keep referencing a local urban legend, the Candy-Man. Convinced that if has something to do witn gang warfare she soon finds herself the target of a man who carries a hook and claims to be the siad Candy-Man of legend. The man is arrested, but it would seem that the Candy-Man is much more real than she could have imagined and now he wants her.

First up, the film plays on the myth, say his name 5 times in the mirror and he appears behind you. There was a time in my life when this was the scariest thing I could imagine. The True story part is down to the story being loosely based on another urban legend 'Bloody Mary'. However the films narrative is grown up, complex, unlike a lot of the slashers around at the time and that is what leaves the film with you. As a kid I would spend hours each night trying to straighten out the story, and I couldn't look at a mirror for nearly 2 years after watching it. It was the film that showed me exactly how scary films could really be. 

The ending will leave you speechless, it really is an amazing film. That I actually couldn't watch again till far into my 20's. Also its based on a short story by Hellraiser Writer/Director Clive Barker. 

See You Tomorrow. 

MJ