My Review Of "Candy Corn"

"CANDY CORN" is written & directed by Josh Hasty (In Hell Everybody Loves Popcorn), and stars P.J. Soles (Halloween), Courtney Gains (Children of the Corn), Tony Todd (Candyman), Pancho Moler (3 from Hell), Sky Elobar (The Greasy Strangler), Caleb Thomas (The Terror of Hallow's Eve), Lovlee Carroll (Anabolic Life), Matt O'Neill (Edgar Allan Poe's Lighthouse Keeper), and introducing Nate Chaney. The film is a calculated effort to celebrate the classic storylines familiar to films like "Funhouse" and "Halloween". 

It's Halloween weekend and a group of bullies are planning their annual hazing on local outcast, Jacob Atkins. When they take things too far, he's resurrected to seek revenge against those that wronged him.

The story is a pretty straight forward supernatural slasher tale. It makes no denial of fully drawing from its classic horror inspirations. The writing is a little weaker than it needed to be given the strong, visceral, and celebratorial way it presents it's self. Not so much the overall concept and structure, more the dialog and explanatory/justification material meant to make the actions believable. 

The cast do good to create these, 'unappealing' characters. There isn't too many people in this film that you find yourself cheering on. They are grimey, flawed, and unsavory delinquents that make the objective more about anticipation for the moment they meet their demise. Still, the actors give their all and feel comfortable in these parts. There is a hint of over coached, and choreographed sequences that feel more like a momentary statement.

The real flavor with "Candy Corn" comes in some really cool, effective cinematography and one heck of a music score. It sells everything that Josh Hasty is delivering in the movie. The horror influences really show a love by the crew attached to this project. The next really good aspect is the killer design of Jacob Atkins' costuming. Plus most of the death scenes are practical effect.

Overall "Candy Corn" is a fun indie slasher, the fact that it happens on Halloween is just a tasty treat. Yeah there is a couple of issues with writing, it could have been tweaked. Still there is plenty to enjoy, even if it takes nearly forty minutes to get going. Definitely check this one out and appreciate the horror references and celebration of Holiday horror. (3.5/5)