Candyman: Farewell to the Flesh 1995

 

 

 

I went into this with mixed feelings for several reasons.  One reason being horror movie sequels usually disappoint.  A sequel with a different director than the original is almost certainly going to be trash.  Another reason was that while I had liked the original I didn't LOVE the original.  I gave it three and a half out of five taking into consideration how it would have fared back when it was originally released.  It would probably be more of a three out of five by today's standards; if not lower.  With some of the reviews I had read beforehand about Candyman F2F, I was very leery indeed.  So with that in mind let's dive into this one.     

 

 

 Part two picks up with a brief reference to the original but other than Tony Todd playing the legendary figurehead not much else is the same here.  We move from Chicago to New Orleans for the setting which is a nice touch as it is right in the beginning of Mardi Gras.  The southern tradition that happens just before lent begins is based on Carnival which is taken from the Latin "carne vale" meaning "farewell flesh".  This is a reference to the practice of giving up eating meat during lent.  I like the change of scenery, New Orleans feels more horror movie friendly than the inner city of Chicago. 

 

 

What this one also has going for it is we actually get a backstory, an origin story if you will, that explains how the Candyman legend began.  The original does touch on this but only briefly.  Gothic New Orleans makes such a difference for me here as I always felt that the rowdy drunkenness of Mardi Gras was just a thin veil that covers up something far more sinister.   Horror/Sci-Fi movie icon Veronica Cartwright also has a small bit part and suddenly we have a recipe for a great sequel.  I need to give credit to Bill Condon as this was only the second film he directed in his impressive career which also includes Gods and Monsters, Dreamgirls, and the live action version of Disney's Beauty and the Beast.  

 

A pleasant surprise for sure as I enjoyed this more than the original.  Most of the credit goes to Condon and cinematographer Tobias A. Schliessler.  This film marks the first film the two would work together on but certainly not the last.  The two have since collaborated on five more films.  Some good stuff here and I happily give it three and a half swarms of honeybees out of five.  Sweets for the sweetie indeed.  

 

* I want to also add that with today's cancel culture I was very troubled to learn that the new Candyman film removes this and the third film from continuity claiming they are not part of the cannon.  I withhold my full opinion of this development until I have seen the new film.