Candyman (Bernard Rose, 1992)

I avoided this for decades because I assumed it was just another body-shaming, sex-phobic gorefest. Color me stunned that it achieves a stateliness quite uncharacteristic of the genre. The body count is minimal which allows the narrative to focus on semiotics (!) grad student Helen's (Virgina Madsen) investigation of the title folk anti-hero (Tony Todd) terrorizing the residents of Chicago's Cabrini-Green housing project. The film's biggest drawback is the cartoonish depiction of the projects which comes off scarier than the Bates Motel. There is an attempt to imagine the texture of daily ghetto life in the character of Anne-Marie (Vanessa Williams; no, no that one), a single mother trying to raise her infant Tony. But overall, the haunted-house characterization of Cabrini-Green feels designed to play off (and confirm) the unexamined fears of white viewers. And if Helen is the rare narrative-driving, intelligent female protagonist, why do we see her breasts several times and never her husband Trevor's (Xander Berkeley) butt? 100% serious question.

Grade: B+

P. S. Dig the poster below. The scariest film since...last year???