How to Kill the Candyman

“The Candyman,” one of cinema’s most underrated slasher movies, was based on “The Forbidden,” a short story by Clive Barker, creator of “Hellraiser.” As portrayed by Tony Todd, Candyman was a vengeful urban legend from beyond the grave, but this creepy killer is more than just a creepypasta. In the annals of ghosts and haunted housing projects, the Candy Man is a cut above the rest, and the first “Candyman” movie is actually a moody, atmospheric film that stands beyond the typical quality of horror movies and scary movies. In the same vein as Bloody Mary, one can summon the “Candyman” ghost to rack up the kill count and keep his myth alive.

Every “Candyman” scene reveals the scary elegance of Tony Todd, and from the first trailer we knew this ghost was unlike any we’d seen before. The first sequel was a step down in quality, but still had plenty of gruesome kills as befitting of a horror movie. The third “Candyman” sequel, “Candyman 3 Day of the Dead,” was even more disappointing and not even suitable for a compilation because there’s hardly any good scenes. We’re at the point where we are actively hoping for a “Candyman” reboot, or anything to bring life back to this sadly neglected horror franchise.