YMMV / The Forbidden

• Adaptation Displacement: More people have seen the movie more than they have read the original short story. For instance: how many people are aware that the original Candyman was white?
• Fashion-Victim Villain: In the short story, Candyman is described as wearing a brightly colorful patchwork outfit which Helen thinks would almost make him look gaudy and ridiculous if he wasn't splattered with blood. He's also described as wearing rouge as one would put on a corpse during embalming.
• It Was His Sled: In contrast with the movie, the short story's legend of Candyman is confined only to the neighborhood where he haunts and his name is only revealed near the end by himself when he confronts Helen. Given that Candyman is a household name in horror, the reveal about an urban legend brought to life by belief is not a shock to anyone who has seen the movie.
• Nightmare Retardent: While the Candyman in the short story is shown to be a ruthless murderer just like the movie, the description of his bright, gaudy patchwork attire can make him sound less threatening to a lot of readers than Tony Todd's depiction of him even with the fact that blood is splashed on him.
• Magnificent Bastard: The Candyman is a murderous urban legend who kills those who summon him, using this to enhance his own mythology as he proceeds from victim to victim in an almost gentlemanly and refined fashion. Upon encountering Helen, who is debunking his myth, the Candyman intends to make her his victim and lures her to a trap to trick her to her death in front of a massive crowd, ensuring his myth will live for so much longer, with Helen now a part of it.
• Unintentional Period Piece: The original short story paints an accurate picture of the urban decay of a now passed era.