Candy Corn

The good: Makeup

The bad: Just about everything else. Poor casting (non-actors who are too old for the behavior depicted); poor script (even if the actors could deliver a line, these are too cheesy), poor pacing (there were times when I had to fight sleep; the single note piano lines of the score didn't help), poor screenplay (illogical, pointless behavior and lots of it.)

This film is horrendous from the start... very unoriginal story of bullies & revenge that we've seen a million times. The acting seems lifeless & comical most of the time and almost felt like a student film project poorly shot . Shirley the waitress has the two most exciting things and that doesn't say a lot ... we'll I should have expected this as who like Candy Corn anyway!!! The kills are extremely predictable and only the blood is a positive in this film. Don't waste any money on this film as you will be disappointed.

It's the staple idea of revenge and retribution used in many an EC Comics tale and subsequent portmanteau movies of the 70s and 80s, such as Vault of Horror and Tales from the Crypt.

A Halloween tradition is revisited by a bunch of friends, looking for twisted kicks. What they didn't expect is what was to follow in its wake.

By twisted kicks, that appears to mean to beat someone up once a year at Halloween for no apparent reason. It's a fairly lame excuse for the golem-esque story which follows, even in this Pumpkinhead sub genre of horror, but hey ho.

Some of the gory scenes are quite entertaining but way too drawn out to have any shock factor; the lack of budget is not concealed well with sleight of hand in the editing - which is probably the movie's weakest point. Most scenes could be trimmed a bit; it's a slightly tedious viewing experience and doesn't lend well to the movie's quality, especially where the acting is concerned. The performances are pretty good, it's just that the scenes need a bit more trimming to feel right and the characters really needed a bit more fleshing out.

I love this kind of horror tale, it just hasn't been presented very well. Hopefully the makers can take on board the criticism and get it right next time. Candy Corn has a lot of unrealised potential and I really wanted to like it more.

True that I was definitely not expecting much, but this ended up being a fun little Halloween movie. It is a bit clunky at times as someone else said but the acting was decent, the effects and blood were realistic enough and I loved the whole vibe the setting had. A simple plot and story that plays out typical of movies like this. It reminded me of the Pumpkinhead movies and such. The makeup on the "creature/avenging victim" is good. They didn't take his looks over the top keeping him realistic looking and creepy. The whole late 70's setting was fun as it gave the feel of those older movies. The cinematography was good and I loved that it seems to have actually been filmed in Autumn with the trees and such so my guess is that it must have been mostly filmed last Autumn maybe? I am not sure.

Overall it was good for the budget. Tony Todd was the main reason I gave this one a chance and watched a trailer on YouTube to get an idea of how cheesy it would be. Which it really is not that cheesy, the actors take the film seriously which definitely helps. With just a few good quips thrown in but not enough to be annoying.

I would recommend this to anyone with an open mind that can appreciate low budget horror films without expecting blockbuster results.

Josh Hasty wears his influences on his sleeves loud and proud, like patches on his favourite jean jacket, but I'd say he pulls off the look well enough. In the beginning we're treated with a nice establishing scene - with the one and only Sky Elobar - which is followed by that fantastic title sequence, with those wonderful autumn vibes and soothing synths (it's the absolute highlight for me). Then the plot kicks in and things start to fall flat and slooow down rather quickly.

With an uninspired revenge plot and the lack of a real protagonist - stuck with a boring killer (liked the pumpkin candy holder schtick, though), boring bullies, and a boring sheriff - the mind begins to wander over into the background, which is where Candy Corn's strength lies. The lovely set dressing and location, the Carpenteresque score, and all those endearing side/background characters - the deputies, Elobar, P.J. freaking Soles! (essentially playing Lucy Moran), Pancho Moler's especially fun. I also like how it all seems sort of out of time, like I've no idea when it's supposed to take place (can't remember if it's mentioned).

While it could have been a little tighter - there are clear pacing issues and those forced slo-mo scenes are a bother - it is about 80 minutes of perfectly enjoyable mood setting for Halloween season. So I think I would recommend it as just that.

Also, if this were to turn into a series, I'd be into checking a sequel out come next year, or something.