History Film / Candyman

''Candyman'' is a 1992 supernatural horror film directed by Bernard Rose and based on the short story "Literature/TheForbidden" by Creator/CliveBarker, starring Creator/VirginiaMadsen, Creator/XanderBerkeley, Creator/KasiLemmons, Music/VanessaWilliams, [=DeJuan=] Guy, and Creator/TonyTodd as the titular character in what is considered by many to be his most famous role (aside from William Bludworth in ''Film/FinalDestination'').

* KilledToUpholdTheMasquerade: [[EvilIsPetty A more petty version]] of this is implied to be part of the reason why the Candyman decides to target Helen. At least a part of his anger towards her seems to be motivated by the fact that with her attempt to investigate him and write about his story, she brought him unwanted public exposure and thereby demystified him somewhat. [[spoiler:Except the other reason he's targeting her is her resemblance to his long-lost lover, if the painting in his lair is any indication.]]

* BlackGuyOnWhiteGalDrama: About as subtle as being gutted with a hook and then kicked to death. The actual Candyman, when he was still alive, was in a relationship with a white woman -- which got him violently murdered by a white lynch mob led by the woman's father.

''Candyman'' is a 1992 supernatural horror film directed by Bernard Rose, starring Creator/VirginiaMadsen, Creator/XanderBerkeley, Creator/KasiLemmons, Music/VanessaWilliams, [=DeJuan=] Guy, and Creator/TonyTodd as the titular character in what is considered by many to be his most famous role (aside from William Bludworth in ''Film/FinalDestination'').

''Candyman'' is based on the short story "Literature/TheForbidden" by Creator/CliveBarker, and was followed by two sequels, ''Film/CandymanFarewellToTheFlesh'' (1995) and ''Film/CandymanDayOfTheDead'' (1999). A fourth installment, ''Film/{{Candyman|2021}}'' (2021), is a direct sequel to this film.

[[caption-width-right:305:BeeAfraid. Bee ''very'' afraid.]]

->''"Be my victim."''

* PoliticallyCorrectHistory: [[AvertedTrope Gutted with a hook and then kicked to death.]] The actual Candyman, when he was still alive, was in a relationship with a white woman -- which got him violently murdered by a white lynch mob led by the woman's father.

* DaylightHorror: The film has plenty of day scenes that are every bit as frightening as many night scenes in other horror movies. In fact, the Candyman's first full appearance is in broad daylight and it's still very shocking.
* DeathByAdaptation: [[spoiler:Trevor and Bernadette.]]

* BeeBeeGun: [[spoiler:When the Candyman opens his coat he's revealed from the neck down to be little more than a skeleton wreathed in the many thousands of bees that killed him. And yes, he weaponizes them.]]

* SettingUpdate: The original story takes place in a fictional British housing project called Butt's Court in the late 70's, while the movie moves the setting to 90's Chicago and the real-life slum of Cabrini Green. The change in setting also makes the bonfire seem out of place, as in the original the bonfire is part of the traditional Guy Fawkes Night celebrations.

** [[spoiler:Trevor's infidelity was just a throw away line in the short story, but in the movie it becomes a subplot where he's having an affair with one of his students and when Helen is sent to the mental ward he allows her to move in, with the strong implication he was going abandon his wife and start a new life with her.]]

* AdaptedOut: Despite the original story being very short, there are some characters were omitted in the movie.

** The [[GossipyHens middle aged, gossipy women]] from Ruskin Court, Josie and Maureen, don't appear at all and their role of recounting the bathroom castration incident (which involved a disabled man in the original) goes to Jake.

** The mentally disabled victim of Candyman's castration goes from a twenty year old man in the book to a [[WouldHurtAChild child in the movie]].

* BadassBoast: Candyman has plenty, but this one is the most well known.

* DisgustingPublicToilet: Not only is the men's room in Cabrini Green a [[TheCanKickedHim great place to get attacked]], it's also filthy, smelly, and broken-down.

* FantasticNoir: The first film plays out partially like FilmNoir. It figures, considering its director had directed the FilmNoir film ''Chicago Joe and the Showgirl'' a couple years prior to the release of this film.

** Towards the beginning, Helen lectures Trevor on how he shouldn't have shared the topic on urband legends before her essay. [[spoiler: Although they're able to sweep it under the rug by talking it out, this hints that this won't be the last time Trevor does something underhanded towards Helen.]]

* HeroineWithBadPublicity: Helen Lyle, due to being suspected for the murders.

* InTheStyleOf: This film is what happens when you have Creator/StanleyKubrick to direct a supernatural SlasherMovie in vein of his last horror outing ''Film/TheShining''.
* InsufferableGenius: Philip Purcell, one of Trevor's academic buddies, is a condescending know it all, who is very dismissive of Helen and her credentials. He also prides himself on being expert on the Candyman legend.

* RippedFromTheHeadlines: The story was partially inspired by a real news article "murdered through the mirror" about a woman named Ruthie Mae [=McCoy=] being murdered in the projects and her killers came through the mirror like in the movie.

* SettingUpdate: The original story takes place in a fictional British housing project called Butt's Court in the late 70's, while the movie moves the setting to 90's Chicago and the real life slum of Cabrini Green. The change in setting also makes the bonfire seem out of place, as in the original the bonfire is part of the traditional Guy Fawkes Night celebrations.

* StrugglingSingleMother: Ann-Marie is raising her son alone in Cabrini-Green, where poverty and violence are common place. [[spoiler: Even worse is the fact that there is a murderous spirit lurking around, which kidnaps him and tries to burn him alive in a plan to make him a part of his legend.]]

** Can also apply to [[spoiler: Helen]] at the end of the movie. [[spoiler: She started out as a graduate student simply studying an urban myth only to become embroiled in a series of supernatural murders of which she was framed for, leading to her being involuntarily committed and learns her husband had planned to let her rot in there while shacking up with his attractive, young student. She is then killed when burned in the pyre, her final act saving a baby from the flames. She then becomes the "new" Candyman, inadvertently summoned by her husband whom she then guts with Candyman's hook.]]

** Other elements of the film are also have their basis in real-life tragedy. The poverty, crime and violence suffered by the residents of Cabrini-Green was very true, and the movie was at least partly inspired by [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ABLA_Homes#Ruth_Mae_McCoy the 1987 murder of Ruthie Mae McCoy]], a resident of Chicago's South Side ABLA homes who was killed when a burglar came through her bathroom mirror. The police were sadly just as useless in real life as they are in the film. Notably, the film has characters named ''Ruthie'' Jean and Ann-Marie ''[=McCoy=]''.

* UrbanLegends: The legend of the Candyman is an InUniverse combination for the "Bloody Mary" and "Hookman" myths, and a few of the kills that happen on-screen in this and other films in the series occur because of people daring each other. Exploring the application of urban legends as a boogeyman in modern living is the reason Helen becomes involved in the Candyman's horror to begin with, and the "urban" part is highlighted with the fact most of the plot of the first film happens within the (now-demolished) Cabrini-Green projects in UsefulNotes/{{Chicago}}.
** Another urban legend mentioned that a young boy associates with Candyman is the infamous story that there are booby-trapped public bathrooms designed to mutilate men and boys who use them.

* YourMindMakesItReal: The entire point of both the short story and the movie, Candyman is myth and urban legend incarnate, and through the fear and belief of the people of Cabrini Green, he'll always have been real.

* YouCantKillWhatsAlreadyDead: Helen tracks down the undead Candyman to his urban lair and attempt to stab him through the neck while he's sleeping. He just pulls it out without issue, and moments later it becomes obvious why: ''most of his upper body is a rotten patchwork swarming with bees''.

* AdaptationalLocationChange: The original story takes place in a fictional British housing project called Butt's Court in Liverpool in the late seventies, while the movie moves the setting to nineties Chicago and the real life slum of Cabrini Green.

According to the legend, anyone who looks into a mirror and chants his name five times [[SpeakOfTheDevil will summon him]], but at the cost of his or her own life, similar to the Bloody Mary urban legend. Helen believes that Candyman cannot exist and jokingly calls his name in the mirror in her house. Little does she know her innocent joke will set in motion a terrifying series of events that will cause her to question what is real and what is legend...

[[caption-width-right:305:BeeAfraid. Bee ''very'' afraid.]]]

[[caption-width-right:305:Okay. [[ExactWords "His name five times."]]]]

** Early on after his lecture, Trevor and an attractive female student share a Longing Look while Helen's back is turned. Said student is also the last one to leave. [[spoiler:He's having an affair with that exact student. If you look closely, Trevor also brushes his hand against the student's breast, with no reaction from either.]]

[[caption-width-right:305:[[EyeScream Dude! Bee! Eye!]]]]

''Candyman'' is a 1992 supernatural horror film directed by Bernard Rose, starring Creator/VirginiaMadsen, Creator/XanderBerkeley, Creator/KasiLemmons, Music/VanessaWilliams, [=DeJuan=] Guy, and last but ''certainly'' not least, Creator/TonyTodd as the titular character in what is considered by many to be his most famous role (aside from William Bludworth in ''Film/FinalDestination'').

Helen Lyle (Madsen), a Chicago graduate student, is conducting research for her thesis on {{urban legends}}. While interviewing freshmen about their superstitions, she hears about a local legend known as Candyman, the son of a slave who was brutally tortured and murdered because of a love affair he had with the daughter of a local (white) plantation owner.

''Candyman'' is a 1992 supernatural horror film directed by Bernard Rose, starring Creator/VirginiaMadsen, Creator/XanderBerkeley, Creator/KasiLemmons, Music/VanessaWilliams, [=DeJuan=] Guy, and last but ''certainly'' not least, Creator/TonyTodd as the titular character.[[note]]The film considered by many to be his most famous role (aside from William Bludworth in ''Film/FinalDestination'').[[/note]]

''Candyman'' is a 1992 supernatural horror film directed by Bernard Rose, starring Creator/VirginiaMadsen, Creator/XanderBerkeley, Kasi Lemmons, Music/VanessaWilliams, [=DeJuan=] Guy, and last but ''certainly'' not least, Creator/TonyTodd as the titular character.[[note]]The film considered by many to be his most famous role (aside from William Bludworth in ''Film/FinalDestination'').[[/note]]