Better Late Than Never Review: Candyman (2021)

I finally got a chance to watch Candyman (2021) directed by Nia DaCosta and produced and co-written by Jordan Peele. The film focuses on Anthony, played by Yahya Abdul-Mateen II who is playing a character we have met before in the canon of the Candyman franchise. The film does a really good job of adding to an already well-established story that was unique when it came out in the 90s and does nothing to ruin the legacy of one of horror’s favorite hook-handed spirits of vengeance. 

You cannot look at this new film without re-visiting the original 1992 film starring Tony Todd and Virginia Madsen. Back then, while telling a great horror story the film did a good job at looking at social issues back then. So, not only does this new addition do the same, it does a good job at reminding folks none of those issues have gone away. 

The trailer already lets fans of the franchise know that Anthony is the same Anthony the titular character abducts in the original film, so we’re not spoiling anything for you there. However, even if the original film is before your time, this one does a good job of catching the audience up on the history as Anthony learns about it himself. Along the way, there are some pretty gruesome murders that should make fans happy that Candyman is still gory when he kills those dumb enough to summon him.

Not enough horror lately has been made about the threat not seen. It seems some films lately will spend thousands to produce jump scares and visuals of people making creepy faces that a good story in horror has been as absent as the Candyman franchise has been. If you’ve been counting, it’s been almost 22 years since a Candyman film has been made. 

Tony Todd as Candyman 1992

You will get to see Candyman in this film, with glimpses of him as it progresses to the grand finale but without spoiling anything for you, this film will get folks saying Candyman’s name again and hopefully we get more of the same quality.

Weigh Ins & Fight Card For Bellator 264: Mousasi vs. Salter

BELLATOR MMA 264: Mousasi vs. Salter Main Card:

Friday, August 13 – live on SHOWTIME

9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT 

 

Middleweight Title Bout: c-Gegard Mousasi (47-7-2) vs. #1-John Salter (18-4)

Welterweight Bout: Andrey Koreshkov (23-4) vs. #10-Sabah Homasi (15-9)

Bantamweight Bout: #3-Magomed Magomedov (18-1) vs. #4-Raufeon Stots (16-1)

Heavyweight Bout: #7-Davion Franklin (3-0) vs. Everett Cummings (16-0, 1 NC)

Middleweight Bout: Ty Gwerder (5-2) vs. Khadzhi Bestaev (10-4)

 

Preliminary Card:

BELLATOR MMA YouTube Channel | SHOWTIME Sports YouTube Channel | Pluto TV

7:15 p.m. ET/4:15 p.m. PT

 

Women’s Featherweight Bout: Pam Sorenson (8-3) vs. Roberta Samad (5-1)

Lightweight Bout: Justin Montalvo (2-0) vs. Kendly St Louis (3-4)

142-Pound Contract Weight Bout: Jeffrey Glossner (2-2) vs. Sebastian Ruiz (2-3)

195-Pound Contract Weight Bout: Orlando Mendoza (pro debut) vs. Jon McNeil (pro debut)

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Chalk Up Mr. Inbetween As Another Great Show

Mr. Inbetween aired on the FX Networks from 2018 to 2021. It's been a while since a show that aired on TV had me anxious for the next episode week to week. The last show that did that to me was Breaking Bad. 

The final episode of Mr. Inbetween aired just this past Tuesday and I have probably replayed it three times already. If you're not familiar with the show, I'll describe it without spoiling it for you. The show focuses on Ray Shoesmith played by Scott Ryan. Shoesmith is a hitman in Australia who's known as "The Magician" in the Australian underworld. Why? Because he makes people disappear.

While freelancing as a criminal, he also tries to juggle being a father to his daugher that he shares custody with ex-wife. That's where the "Inbetween" comes from. 

The show is described as a "dark comedy-crime drama" but in seasons two and three, there's certainly more crime and drama than comedy, and I don't mean that in a bad way. Shoesmith, is still human and with all the dirt he does, there's an odd code of honor that he tries to live by. 

The idea for the show comes from an independant film that Ryan wrote, and starred in as Shoesmith in 2005 titled, "The Magician." I won't spoil that for you either but I can tell you watching it before the show may or not spoil the story of Shoesmith for you. Both are so well-written that no matter how you watch them, they compliment each other. 

Mr. Inbetween is over so now is a perfect time to binge it and not have to wait for new episodes and seasons like I did. Ryan told News.com.au that this was his passion project for about 15 years so it was time to move on. 

While he's moving on, you might want to catch one of the best show's you haven't really heard about. It should be available on FX/Hulu to binge if you're looking for something new.

Amazon Prime users can use the affiliate link below to check it out while helping out the site:

 

Media Availability With Floyd Mayweather & Logan Paul | SHOWTIME PPV