The Candy Tangerine Man Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.0
Video		3.5
Audio		3.5
Extras		2.5
Overall		3.5

The Candy Tangerine Man Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Brian Orndorf July 27, 2016

1975’s “The Candy Tangerine Man” is blaxploitation with a different attitude, trying to turn a ruthless pimp into a something of a screen hero. Director Matt Cimber adds a dash of James Bond to the violent mix of attitude and intimidation, working to celebrate the actions of The Black Baron (John Daniels): hustler during the week, suburban dad on the weekends. While the feature struggles to maintain focus on critical elements of the genre, it gets by on oddity, with Cimber attempting to raise hell with limited resources and a wild imagination for screen excess.

“The Candy Tangerine Man” doesn’t deliver a superhero origin story, but it strives to find the noble side of The Black Baron, who’s dedicated to exploiting his stable of women…unless one of them registers as too virginal. He profits off misery…but he’s providing for his wife and kids, who have no idea what he actually does for a living. Cimber is tossing everything into a cinematic blender, spraying the screen with gunplay (Baron drives a tricked-out car that’s armed with machine guns), street life, and rivals, with another pimp, the cops, and the mafia looking to shut The Black Baron down. “The Candy Tangerine Man” is graphic at times (one goon’s hand is chewed off by a garbage disposal), but its seediness is really its most powerful weapon, detailing bedroom kinks and professional hostilities with a palpable zeal and iffy technical aim.

The Candy Tangerine Man Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The AVC encoded image (1.85:1 aspect ratio) presentation is truly a case of personal preference. The source for this Blu-ray is in rough shape, displaying lengthy vertical scratches, jumpy frames and reel changes, and there's red spotting throughout. For most movies, this would be problem, but the grindhouse look tends to sweeten the viewing experience, with Vinegar Syndrome keeping the rest of the feature alive with refreshed colors and passable detail that does battle with inherent focal issues and general softness. Delineation is adequate and grain is managed to satisfaction. Those who crave cleaner viewing events for Blu-ray releases won't be satisfied, but issues found here will provide a more filmic high for certain viewers.

The Candy Tangerine Man Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The 1.0 DTS-HD MA sound mix also runs into a few problematic moments with damage, but the track is mostly clear and approachable. Dialogue exchanges are never lost, and scoring efforts aren't precise, but they register with passable instrumentation and funk intentions. Atmospherics lack potency, but street activity is appropriately lively.

The Candy Tangerine Man Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Introduction (4:12, HD) is a brief chat with director Matt Cimber, who shares the real-world inspiration for The Black Baron, also discussing the effort's quest to celebrate a traditionally villainous character.

• A Theatrical Trailer has not been included.

The Candy Tangerine Man Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

"The Candy Tangerine Man" loses its way in late in the movie, caught up in a financial scheme that's not nearly as inviting as the Baron's evening dealings with enemies. Still, the picture's peculiarity and tonal insanity (a sad trombone is deployed as punctuation for a character mishap) is something to see, along with Cimber's insistence that The Black Baron is someone to be celebrated, not condemned.