Sandra Bullock may have been, erm, gutted to not get the part at the time, but, as the insightful commentary by director Bernard Rose, writer Clive Barker and eventual lead Virginia Madsen proves, she got off lightly. Covered in bees and blood and “hypnotised into an almost damaging trance” for the scenes where she meets the titular meanie – himself shot straight into the horror hierarchy by Tony Todd’s ethereal vocal performance – Madsen seems seriously dropped in it in what was, initially, the most underrated shocker since Peeping Tom.
Based on a Barker short story (as outlined over two Making Ofs) and imbued with one of modern horror’s most iconic scores by Philip Glass (though, admits Rose, they kinda conned him into doing it), Candyman’s tale of a doomed romantic with a hook for a hand and true gruey love on his mind comfortably maintains its menace 14 years and two dreary sequels on.
