Candiland

I like low-budget films, and especially those with a horror bent; Films like 'The Greasy Strangler', 'Blood Car', or the original 'Cabin Fever'. So I thought I might like this. The film did have a few comedic moments, where the awkwardness of the dialogue felt real, genuine, and funny. But overall, there was a lack of coherency to the point where it just felt like a half-hearted student film project from a lower-level class at a second-rate film school. The acting had funny moments, but for the most part it just seemed like bad improvisation. I appreciate that films such as this one are made, but this one just more or less belongs in the dust bin - it's not memorable and it will be forgotten and never achieve the cult following that a film such as this one strives for.

Woman and man meet, they like each other, and they move in together. Man is bitter over his domineering dad and bum knee, while woman is quick to get over things and struggling to be cleansed. They go on a spiral of paranoia, a complete disregard of time and the outside world to their detriment. Are there such people in this world? If yes, then may they be rescued. At least they weren't preaching their 'gospel' to others. The fact that they kept to themselves shows that they had a bit of respect for their fellow humans. Quirky, but overall, not a big kick.

The Plot. Peter, a failed tennis star, is struggling to rebuild his life after a car accident forces the end of his career.

Angry at the world's consumerist values and his controlling father, Arnie, who he blames for being absent during his mother's dying days, Peter is desperately searching for a moment's peace.

In an attempt at normality, he heads to a bar for a night out, where he encounters recently divorced and grieving Tess, abandoned and lonely. Finding solace in each other's brokenness, they withdraw to Peter's apartment and begin a sensual love affair.

Days of bliss pass by, and when Tess reluctantly tries to leave to deal with the aftermath of her divorce, Peter proposes an idea: isolate themselves in his apartment to create their own reality - CANDiLAND.

Now cut off from the world, the tormented lovers embark on a dogmatic quest for a higher existence.

But their possessive love descends into a surreal savagery as Arnie attempts to reconnect with his son and put an end to CANDiLAND.

I was looking forward to seeing this movie given the rave reviews. Should have known. The two good reviews are clearly written by people who have skin in the game.

This movie is well nigh unwatchable. It's poorly written, horribly directed and the acting is horrendous.

The only good thing about this movie is that it's colorful. Period.

Low-budget, and the biggest name (or at least most recognizable) is Gary Busey. But...the writing is great, the acting is superb, and relatively-new-guy Rusty Nixon shows promise as a director.

Particularly fascinating is Clayton's performance; the boy suffered for his art as few will ever attempt (I won't say how, but I can guarantee that what he did ain't special effects).

I hope this comes out theatrically, but if it doesn't, it's definitely worth a stream.

I don't really have much more to say, but IMDb insists on "ten lines", so here it is.

A very weird film where a couple decides to lock themselves in the apartment and paint it to resemble a candy land. Shutting the outside world off they easily enter their new world, which at first seems heavenly, then slowly transcends into hell.

They both have more issues than Sports Illustrated which is why you never get surprised at some of the things they do. This film drags a lot of times and suffers from poor editing.

Gary Busey plays the mans over bearing father who is mostly responsible for the mental health of his son. When I first seen the poster for this (the one with the skull) I thought it was going to be a twisted Charlie And The Chocolate Factory but instead we get two people starving themselves for an hour and a half.