Candyman: Day of the Dead Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		1.5
Video		4.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		3.5
Overall		2.0

Candyman: Day of the Dead Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Jeffrey Kauffman May 31, 2022

Actors often spend countless years scratching and clawing their way toward "recognition", only to realize that maybe once they're "recognized", things may only get worse. Tony Todd seems to allude to that situation when he mentions in an interview included on this disc as a supplement that he actually didn't want to do the original Candyman because he was afraid he'd be "type cast". And let's face it, my hunch is many general film aficionados will probably be hard pressed to name films other than the Candyman franchise that have featured Todd. Rather interestingly in that regard Todd mentions that he likes to refer to himself as a "character actor", and while that may imply that Todd has been offered a wider gamut of roles than he actually has, he has the good grace to also mention that Candyman is one of the more interesting characters he's been assigned to tackle. And for a horror franchise, the actual character of Candyman has at least a few unusual aspects, as I get into in our now long ago Candyman Blu-ray review of the first film, when it was released on Blu-ray by Shout! Factory. This third Candyman effort evidently did have some theatrical exhibitions overseas (at least according to the IMDb) but stateside was evidently a direct to video release, and as such it certainly shows the signs of a less fulsome budget, one that required a shoot in Los Angeles, which then dictated or at least suggested that a use of local Day of the Dead celebrations could be figured into the proceedings, which gave rise to this entry's subtitle.

Caroline McKeever (Donna D'Errico) suffers from nightmares where she's assaulted by Candyman, although why exactly she's assaulted in a clinical white bathroom with a clawfoot tub and no toilet is never adequately explained (yes, that's a joke). In a none too surprising turn of events, it is soon revealed that Caroline is linked to both our titular anti-hero and not so coincidentally to characters who were focal elements in the first sequel, Candyman: Farewell to the Flesh. As I mentioned in our Candyman: Farewell to the Flesh Blu-ray review, the rampant stupidity of people in horror movies has a perfect example in the Candyman franchise in that seemingly endless supplies of brain dead folks, including Caroline in this particular film, are more than happy to recite Candyman's name in front of a mirror the requisite number of times (five, but who's counting?) to manifest the entity. Why would someone do that?

A somewhat muddled narrative ensues that sees Candyman basically toying with Caroline like a cat with a mouse, and with carnage obviously the repeated result. An almost Dorian Gray-esque element is exploited, at least in terms of paintings having "magical" qualities, but the whole aspect of Caroline needing to eliminate Candyman is kind of comically undercut by the prevalence of people going around chanting his name to make him appear. As some of the rather interesting supplements on this disc get into, this was shot on a veritable shoestring budget, but it has some kind of spookily evocative moments almost in spite of itself.

Candyman: Day of the Dead seems to be moving in the direction of our Damsel in Distress getting blamed for all of the madness, but since there's already another suspect identified (not Candyman, of course), even that potential angst inducing aspect is never able to be fully exploited. The ending is kind of interesting in a couple of ways, and while it can be viewed literally after a fashion, it may almost subliminally suggest that everything Caroline has been experiencing is some kind of nightmare from which she finally awakens.

Candyman: Day of the Dead Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Candyman: Day of the Dead is presented on Blu-ray courtesy of Lionsgate Films' Vestron Video imprint with an AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 1.85:1. Remember the halcyon days of yore when even knockoff straight to video offerings were shot on actual film? Well, if not, this is a perfect example, and Vestron Video provides a rather nice looking transfer for the most part, despite the imprint's typical lack of technical information on its packaging (only the generic and traditional "digitally restored" is included in the marketing verbiage). While there are definitely some rough looking moments, notably in some opticals and composite effects, "normal" shooting conditions reveal a nicely suffused palette and generally very good detail levels. Some close-ups offer better than very good detail levels, as can be seen in screenshot 3. Some interior scenes, notably a long sequence bathed in deep blue tones, show a coarser and less tightly resolved grain field, along with an at least marginal drop in detail levels. There are some intermittent and relatively brief downgrades in image quality, where things can look a bit on the yellow side, and again grain can be noticeably grittier looking than in the bulk of the presentation. Occasional age related wear and tear can be spotted by the most alert viewer, but there's nothing of any major import to worry about.

Candyman: Day of the Dead Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Candyman: Day of the Dead features a DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 track that supports the film's sometimes goofy sound design well enough, though a couple of D'Errico's screams struck me as a little brash sounding. The high end is more balanced in terms of some of the score and other sound effects. Dialogue is rendered cleanly and clearly throughout. Optional English subtitles are available.

Candyman: Day of the Dead Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Audio Commentary with Director / Co-Writer Turi Meyer and Producer / Co-Writer Al Septien is moderated by Michael Felsher.


• Isolated Score Selections Featuring an Audio Interview with Composer Adam Gorgoni


• On the Hook (HD; 9:46) is a fun interview with Tony Todd.


• A Bloody Legacy (HD; 24:42) features Gary J. Tunnicliffe, who did the special makeup effects for the film.


• Decay & Design (HD; 18:59) offers a look at the production design and cinematography with Michael Wojciechowski, Director of Photography and Marc Greville-Morris, Production Designer.


• English & German Trailers (HD; 2:27)


• Home Video Promo (HD; 00:48)


• Home Video Trailer (HD; 1:19)


• Still Gallery (HD; 5:10)

Additionally a digital copy is included and packaging features a slipcover.

Candyman: Day of the Dead Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Candyman famously returned in 2021, as if to suggest there's no dearth in the supply of stupid people in horror movies doing (and/or saying) stupid things. That release may in fact have helped to spark the Blu-ray release of this film, one which just never quite rises to the Grand Guignol madness of the first film in particular, or even the lackluster first sequel. Completists may want to check out this release even if the film itself is no great shakes, and Vestron Video provides generally solid technical merits and some appealing supplements, for those who may be considering making a purchase.