219 - Candyman 3 (1999) & Candyman (2021) →

CW: Suicide, Hate Crimes, Police Brutality

It’s Candyman Week on Pod Sematary! Chris & Kelsey dip their toes into the race discussion before immediately admitting that they don't have the expertise required to discuss it with any authority. It's fun!

Read our afterthoughts for this episode here!

The Classic Film: Candyman: Day of the Dead (1999)
"The Candyman is back, trying to convince his descendent, an artist, to join him” (IMDb.com). Candyman 3—following another location change to Los Angeles this time—isn't good, but it isn't as bad as you might think. It's certainly no Farewell to the Flesh.

The Modern Film: Candyman (2021)
"A sequel to the horror film Candyman (1992) that returns to the now-gentrified Chicago neighborhood where the legend began” (IMDb.com). This new Candyman is an updated take on race relations in America and tries to adapt the Candyman mythos to its modern setting, mostly successfully. It's compelling and beautifully shot if not at all scary.

Audio Sources:
"The Candy Man" written by Leslie Bricusse & Anthony Newley and performed by Sammy Davis Jr.
"Candy Man (Instrumental)" produced by Stage & Screen Music Ltd
"Candyman" (2021) produced by Monkeypaw Productions, et al.
"Candyman: Day of the Dead" produced by Artisan Entertainment & Aurora Productions
"Fill Me with the Gobi Desert" (from "Glorious") written and performed by Eddie Izzard
"Jsu Garcia ALS IceBucket Challenge & Nomination" via MSIA LiveOnline @ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zkfyRXsATDc
"The Mask" produced by New Line Cinema & Dark Horse Entertainment
"Pet Sematary" written by Dee Dee Ramone & Daniel Rey and performed by The Ramones
"Urban Legend" produced by Phoenix Pictures, et al.

209 - Double Feature - Frankenstein (1931 & 2015) →

CW: Harm to Children and Animals

It’s a Frankenstein Double Feature on Pod Sematary! Chris & Kelsey drop out of medical school and 3D-print a human man to find out who the REAL monster is.

Read our afterthoughts for this episode here!

The "Original": Frankenstein (1931)
"Dr. Frankenstein dares to tamper with life and death by creating a human monster out of lifeless body parts” (IMDb.com). While not a faithful adaptation of the Mary Shelley classic novel, 1931's Frankenstein is a classic itself with not an inconsiderable amount of quality in its brisk runtime.

The "Remake": Frankenstein (2015)
"A married couple of scientists create a modern-day monster” (IMDb.com). This modern retelling of the story we already know and love by Bernard Rose, director of the original Candyman, begins with a promise of novelty that it fails to keep.

Audio Sources:
"Awakening: Part 1" (Gargoyles S01E01) produced by Disney Television Animation
"Clue" produced by Paramount Pictures, et al
"Feed My Frankenstein" written by Alice Cooper, et al., and performed by Alice Cooper
"Frankenstein" (1931) produced by Universal Pictures
"Frankenstein" (2015) produced by Bad Badger, et al.
"Pet Sematary" written by Dee Dee Ramone & Daniel Rey and performed by The Ramones
"Science Fiction/Double Feature" written by Richard O'Brien & Richard Hartley and performed by Joan Jett and the Blackhearts
"Sound of da Police” written by Lawrence Parker, et al., and performed by KRS-One
"Treehouse of Horror" (The Simpsons S02E03) produced by Gracie Films & 20th Century Fox Television
"Young Frankenstein" produced by Gruskoff/Venture Films, et al.

153 - Candyman 2 (1995) & Hatchet (2006) →

Worst of 2020 - #3 Candyman: Farewell to the Flesh

Get more at podsematary.com! Read our afterthoughts for this episode here!

It’s inexplicably Carnival Week on Pod Sematary! Chris & Kelsey sing the song of misery and relive the day of their deaths for all time!

The Classic Film: Candyman: Farewell to the Flesh (1995)
"The Candyman moves on to New Orleans and starts his horrific murders once more. This time, his intended victim is a school teacher. Her father was killed by the Candyman, and brother wrongly accused of the murders” (IMDb.com). This sequel to 1992’s Candyman takes the supernatural killer (and basically all of the events of the original) to a new town but loses all of the quality and nuance in the process. 

The Modern Film: Hatchet (2006)
"When a group of tourists in a New Orleans haunted swamp tour find themselves stranded in the wilderness, their evening of fun and spooks turns into a horrific nightmare.” (IMDb.com). Praised for its lack of CGI gore and the fact that it’s an original IP, Hatchet (ironically, just Friday the 13th in the bayou) has almost nothing else going for it. It’s kinda lame and boring is what we’re saying.

Audio Sources:
“Candyman: Farewell to the Flesh” produced by PolyGram Filmed Entertainment & Propaganda Films
"Cry-Baby" produced by Universal Pictures & Imagine Entertainment
"For The Right Reasons" (from The Bachelorette S09E02) performed by Soulja Boy, Desiree Hartsock, and the group date guys
“Hatchet” produced by ArieScope Pictures, et al.
"Not Another Teen Movie" produced by Columbia Pictures, et al.
"Office Space" produced by Twentieth Century Fox, et al.
"Pet Sematary" written by Dee Dee Ramone & Daniel Rey and performed by The Ramones

053 - Candyman (1992) & Urban Legend (1998) →

It's Creepy Pasta Week on Pod Sematary! Chris & Kelsey review two films focused on modern folklore!

First up is Clive Barker's Candyman from 1992, a movie both Chris & Kelsey had seen before and didn't expect to enjoy so much this time around! Who can mix Freddy Kruger's fear-sourced strength, Hellraiser's eloquent and hypnotic antagonists, and the People Under the Stairs' social themes? The Candyman can!

Then it's on to Urban Legend from 1998, a movie Chris was so excited about that he managed to talk about just about everything else but it! This Scream-wannabe lacks much of the charm of its predecessor, but does its nostalgia factor hold it up?

Audio Sources:
"Burns' Heir" (The Simpsons S05E18) produced by Gracie Films & 20th Century Fox Television
"Candyman" produced by PolyGram Filmed Entertainment, et al.
"Christine" produced by Columbia Pictures, et al.
"Pet Sematary" written by Dee Dee Ramone & Daniel Rey and performed by The Ramones
"Sleepless in Seattle" produced by TriStar Pictures
"Urban Legend" produced by Phoenix Pictures, et al.
"Wicker Man" produced by Warner Bros., et al.
"Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory" produced by Wolper Pictures Ltd.