There were several off site events
going on during the Expo, of which I attended two. With Tony Todd
being in town, it made perfect sense to hold a screening of Candyman
down at the ol' Lightbox.
From what I hear, it took a little
finagling to get the 35mm print we watched that night, so big props
to those who made it happen – you know who you are. It was a
nice print too, and who knows, maybe this was the first time it had
been unspooled since its run back in 1992.
It had definitely been a while since
I'd watched it. I'm not sure if I saw it during its original run, but
I certainly watched it a few times on VHS. The Bloody Mary urban
legend was a very powerful thing during my childhood, and Candyman
played off that same fear beautifully.
Looking at it now from a filmmaking
perspective, I'm quite impressed by the technical prowess of this
film. The cinematography is solid, including several aerial shots
that really showcase the city of Chicago. I'd also forgotten how amazing the score by Philip Glass is, as well.
Todd's performance as the sinister, yet
sullen Candyman is hypnotic, though I think by design the film itself
is, as well. The early nineties were a special time for genre
movies. Some filmmakers were trying to shirk the slasher and
creature feature boom of the eighties and go for something a little
more cerebral. In addition to Bernard Rose, two other likeminded
individuals were Adrian Lyne and Jonathan Demme. The former made the
nightmarish fable Jacob's Ladder, and the latter would sweep the Oscars
with The Silence of the Lambs.
These films had weight, and it's
because they involved relatable protagonists in grounded realities,
who come into contact with extraordinary forces,
whether they be supernatural or otherwise. I yearn for those days.
After the film, Todd took the stage and
talked for a bit. He recalled being in Toronto twenty years ago, to premiere the film at TIFF's Midnight Madness.
When asked about shooting the scene
with the bees, he said it was very uncomfortable as he had to wear a
dental dam with the bees inside it so they would then crawl out his mouth.
He felt more sorry for Madsen though, as she was allergic, so
stingerless baby bees had to be used for her scenes.
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| Tony Todd at the TIFF Bell Lightbox. |
Someone asked about where the chemistry
between him and Madsen came from;
“Well, we spent a lot of time
together before the shoot. We took ballroom dancing, went horseback
riding, did some fencing, all sorts of things, so that we'd be really
comfortable together.”
Todd was asked about his burgeoning
voice acting career, to which he said his role as The Fallen in
Transformers 2 led to multiple gigs in the video game industry,
including the upcoming Call of Duty: Black Ops 2.
Todd also plugged his new movie Sushi Girl – which will be playing the Toronto After Dark Film Festival
in October – as well as a feature he is writing and directing
called Catalytic.
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| Todd (fourth from left) in Sushi Girl |
The second special event that weekend
was the Rue Morgue Shocktail party which featured a rare performance from
composer Alan Howarth. For those who don't know who he is, he has
worked on some of the most memorable horror scores of all time,
including Christine, Prince of Darkness and They Live.
There were unfortunately some technical
difficulties during the show, but I can't deny there were points
during his set that gave me chills. Here's a small sampler of what
transpired.
So, that's all she wrote. It took four
posts, but I think I've covered all I was a party to. Now, only a
week to breathe before the Toronto International Film Festival is upon
us. I'll be seeing a record number of films this year, so stick
tuned for my thoughts on the new crop of horror offerings.
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