Candyman: Farewell to the Flesh (1995)

Hot on the heels of Arrow's release of Bernard Rose's CANDYMAN comes, somewhat appropriately and in an exploitational masterstroke of timing, 88 Films' Blu-ray release of the follow-up to the 1993 original.

This time we're in New Orleans where, after a brief resume of the Candyman backstory courtesy of first film survivor Michael Culkin, we learn that there has been a series of murders where the weapon used was a hook. 

Ethan Tarrant (William O'Leary) gets arrested for the latest death. He confesses to the crime despite the fact that both he and we have seen a familiar hook-handed velvet voiced individual perpetrate the atrocity.

It turns out that the rich, influential Tarrant family may have more ties to the Candyman legend than alcoholic matriarch Octavia (Veronica Cartwright) has been prepared to let on and it's up to her daughter Annie (Kelly Rowan) to put the pieces together.

A rather disappointingly by the numbers sequel, director Bill Condon (GODS & MONSTERS and a couple of TWILIGHT films) tries hard to give his locations some decent spooky atmosphere, but he's hampered by a screenplay that does its best to demystify the title character while at the same time ticking off all the boxes in the 'cliched ideas that have been used 1000 times before in sequels' book. 

Tony Todd is excellent, but the chemistry between him and Kelly Rowan is so microcosmic compared to his pairing with Virginia Madsen in the first film that you wonder why Candyman is bothering with Rowan's character at all (and the reason turns out to be - oh yes - another cliché). 

The only real reason to watch CANDYMAN FAREWELL TO THE FLESH isn't visual at all - somehow Philip Glass is back to do the music and the new themes he writes into the score are, if anything, better than the original. One of them plays over the menu page & it's an excellent choice.

88 Films' disc comes with a commentary track from Bill Condon that's worth a listen. The Candyman Legacy is a 25 minute interview with Tony Todd and there's also a ten minute interview with Veronica Cartwright ('Down Memory Lane'). You also get a trailer and purchasers of the first print run get a booklet with new writing by Dave Wain and Matty Budrewicz

Bill Condon's CANDYMAN: FAREWELL TO THE FLESH is out on UK Blu-ray from 88 Films on Monday 25th March 2019