Rating summary

Movie		1.5
Video		3.5
Audio		2.5
Extras		3.0
Overall		3.5

Candy Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Brian Orndorf May 7, 2016

I’m not sure how much cocaine was snorted and acid was dropped during the production of 1968’s “Candy,” but it wasn’t nearly enough. A psychedelic journey into amorous encounters and farcical adventures, “Candy” is meant to represent the shifting creative interests of the time, taking a freewheeling look at sex and control, with a screenplay by Buck Henry trying to make sense of a novel by Terry Southern and Mason Hoffenberg. It’s loud, wild, and carefree movie, and it’s an absolute mess that mistakes length for importance. “Candy” is difficult to digest, more appealing as a road map of bad ideas than the mind-bomb experience director Christian Marquand intends to create.

Perhaps “Candy” wasn’t meant for a cinematic exploration, finding its oddity an extravagance that’s more troubling than beguiling. Marquand has assembled an impressive cast (including Marlon Brando, Richard Burton, James Coburn, and Walter Matthau) to bring the darkly comic story (allegedly a parody of pornography) to life, but as snowballing silliness goes, the feature doesn’t have momentum. It’s stillborn, relying on overacting and aggressive directorial style to help pose this corpse of a movie. Henry whiffs when it comes to lampooning religion, medicine, and education, and his take on the predatory habits of men registers angrily, keeping “Candy” at odds from the cheeky sexual romp it aims to be, while Marquand doesn’t know when to cut away, filling two hours with shockingly little material.

Candy Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Dealing with a kaleidoscopic visual palette, "Candy" shows some age during the AVC encoded image (1.85:1 aspect ratio) presentation. Colors are slightly muted, looking a little flavorless with costuming and set decoration, while skintones are more neutral than natural. Detail is passable but never wonderful, at its best with close-ups, which identify thick make-up application. Distances are satisfactorily preserved. Delineation is passable, while grain holds filmic texture. Source reveals speckling and scratches, but no overt points of damage.

Candy Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The 2.0 DTS-HD MA sound mix deals with extensive ADR work, making dialogue exchanges pronounced and inherently artificial, preserving intelligibility. Clarity isn't threatened, but shrillness remains, hitting painful peaks with scoring and soundtrack selections, which register thin and sharp. Atmospherics are detectible but not pronounced.

Candy Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Interview (16:51, HD) with Buck Henry is an illuminating conversation with the screenwriter, who makes it clear by the end of the featurette that "Candy" didn't provide the creative satisfaction he was looking for. Admitting that the project began life through professional favors and a free trip to Rome, Henry identifies the whirlwind production, while reserving respect for director Christian Marquand. Talk of lead actress Ewa Aulin is included, and Henry adds to the collective opinion that Marlon Brando was an insufferable human being. Regrets are also recounted in this interesting conversation.

• Interview (9:30, HD) with film critic Kim Morgan is offered.

• 60 Second (:56) and 30 Second (:32) Radio Spots are provided.

• And a Theatrical Trailer (2:47, SD) is included.

Candy Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

"Candy" comes from the "Beyond the Valley of the Dolls" school of screen insanity, but little presented here is worth the time invested, especially when it becomes clear that Marquand doesn't have a vision for the picture, just a loose appreciation for excess, fueled by an abundance of cashed-in favors.