CANDYMAN: DAY OF THE DEAD (1999)
Starring Tony Todd and Donna D'Errico
Tony Todd, whose major accomplishments as an actor have been in the horror genre (he starred in Tom Savini's remake of "Night of the Living Dead" and in the classic original "Candyman") co-produced this third film in the saga of the murdered slave-turned-boogeyman.
Director Meyer delivers a movie with a certain level of style, suspense and imagination. Unfortunately, the film is hampered by its lead actress, dumb blonde D'Errico, who plays the Candyman's great granddaughter. As a slave, the Candyman humped her great grandmother, then was lynched for it. They smeared his body with sugar and honey and let a swarm of bees sting him to death. Hence the monicker, "Candyman." Somewhere along the line he got a hook for a hand.
His spirit now kills anyone who dares repeat his name five times. In the first film this was all treated as an urban legend, and you were never sure if Virginia Madsen, the talented actress portraying a grad student investigating the Candyman legend, was going crazy or was really being haunted by a spirit when her friends started being murdered by someone with a hook.
Tragically, the third installment, which actually manages to come up with a story, doesn't have a lead actress that even comes remotely close to the talents of Madsen. D'Errico looks like she belongs in an episode of Baywatch. In fact, she is on "Baywatch"! She was also the September 1995 Playmate of the month.
She's got a great bod, but zero acting talent. So what? you ask. Well, first of all she keeps her clothes on this film. Second, she completely ruins the movie. The first "Candyman" had a level of class and sophistication that was way out of the league of a Playboy Playmate. D'Errico shouldn't have been cast in this movie.
Director Meyer could have pulled off a halfway decent movie had someone else been cast in the lead role. Even Christy Canyon could have done a better acting job.