{"id":33488,"date":"2020-10-01T00:01:09","date_gmt":"2020-10-01T04:01:09","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/cinema-crazed.com\/blog\/?p=33488"},"modified":"2020-10-01T00:06:28","modified_gmt":"2020-10-01T04:06:28","slug":"candy-corn-2019","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.cinema-crazed.com\/blog\/2020\/10\/01\/candy-corn-2019\/","title":{"rendered":"Candy Corn (2019)"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>The odd thing about Josh Hasty\u2019s \u201cCandy Corn\u201d is that it feels like the first chapter in an anthology or movie series. I don\u2019t know how far they\u2019ll take this concept, but I\u2019d love to see more Halloween based tales of revenge as coordinated by this traveling carnival and its vindictive ring master. I\u2019m not going to say that \u201cCandy Corn\u201d is a masterpiece, but as far as Halloween movie treats, it\u2019s a very good horror film soaked in the Halloween aesthetic.<\/p>\n

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In the small town of Grove Hill, a group of local bullies take their traditional \u2018Halloween hazing\u2019 of young mentally disabled Jacob Atkins (Nate Chaney) too far, beating him to death behind Dr Death\u2019s Sideshow Spookhouse. The ring leader and head carny Lester uses voodoo to resurrect Jacob as a zombie-like avenger, even as the local Sheriff tries to work out who is behind the brutal spate of small-town killings. As Jacob seeks revenge from the undead, some of the town\u2019s secrets are unearthed.<\/p>\n

Although Hasty references John Carpenter\u2019s \u201cHalloween\u201d a lot, \u201cCandy Corn\u201d is a solid amalgam of \u201cPumpkinhead\u201d and \u201cNight of the Scarecrow.\u201d There isn\u2019t a lot explained within the ninety minute run time, but Hasty does hint at a larger mythology and world behind Dr. Death\u2019s Sideshow Spookhouse. While the movie is based around Jacob\u2019s gory revenge as a vicious zombie, the movie belongs to Pancho Moler. Moler, who you may have remembered from \u201c31\u201d and \u201cThree from Hell\u201d steals the movie out from under everyone in the cast as the enigmatic Lester. Lester, with face painted like a skull, and a black top hat, is the puppet master behind the events that unfolds, and is given the most depth out of anyone in the film.<\/p>\n

I\u2019d love to see a movie series revolving around Moler\u2019s character, as he gives Lester so much depth as well as an interesting motive. He\u2019s not a hero, but he\u2019s definitely not a villain either. He\u2019s merely someone with immense power who is viciously vindictive toward humanity and will do anything to make people pay for their cruelty. That said, \u201cCandy Corn\u201d feels under developed in certain areas, where the pacing slows down to a halt and actions are just inexplicable.<\/p>\n

What is Bobby\u2019s hold over his girlfriend? What is the hazing ritual about? And what the hell did Bobby\u2019s father tell him over the phone when the sound cuts out to the score? Hasty implies a big revelation is set to unfold, and nothing comes of it. And did Lester have a grudge against the sheriff? If so, then why? That and so much more keeps \u201cCandy Corn\u201d from rising in to legendary status. Pancho Moler is a powerful actor, and in \u201cCandy Corn\u201d he brings what could have been a stale side character in a commanding anti-hero with a huge bone to pick with the world.<\/p>\n