Review: Nia DaCosta's "Candyman"

by Matt St. Clair

When the 1992 horror classic Candyman made its way to theaters, audiences were introduced to a figure who serves as a representation of America’s original sin and a tragic monster akin to those from the classic era. The original Candyman (Tony Todd) pursuing grad student Helen Lyle (Virginia Madsen) has invited comparisons to The Phantom of the Opera, another lovelorn monster.  But the latest direct sequel of the same name by director Nia DaCosta is less of a Universal Monster-esque tragedy.

Though it continues the original storyline, the new Candyman (2021) expands its racial commentary to tackle generational pain, police brutality, and gentrification...

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Yes No Maybe So: Spider-Man No Way Home

Hello, Peter! The internet has gone stark raving mad dissecting the first trailer for Spider-Man No Way Home, for easter eggs. We're less interested in trying to figure it out (we like to be surprised!) and more in what it's promising us. The familiar Tom Holland/Zendaya chemistry, mystical mayhem courtesy of Doctor Strange, and an attempt to relive the glory days of Sam Raimi's original Spidey trilogy (2002-2007).

We're in but let's do the Yes No Maybe So™ as we watch the trailer together after the jump...

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The Link Place

• Glamour Jameela Jamil (The Good Place) to become Titania, She-Hulk's arch-enemy in the forthcoming Disney+ Marvel sitcom
• Coming Soon Randomly enough April 8th, 2022 is already a theatrical battleground date. The Brad Pitt action flick Bullet Train, the all-star Viking picture The Northman, Sonic the Hedgehog 2, an untitled Disney film, and an untitled musical from Universal have all claimed the date!
• Deadline remember little Julia Butters stealing her scene in Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood? She's just been cast in Steven Spielberg's loosely autobiographical film as his sister

News on the animated feature Belle, first visual (of sorts) from Thor Love and Thunder, a new Zoë Kravitz project, two animated series Human Resources and Centaurworld, and more after the jump...

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The box office is open again. What did you see this week?

Been back to the movie theaters yet? We're so thrilled to be able to post a full top ten weekend box office report again. It's been ages since there were enough theaters open and movies in play. We've just barely gotten there of course. But the box office results to date (especially overseas) with the world starting to turn again suggest that Disney and Warner Bros have left a lot of money on the table by making things available to stream simultaneously or ONLY; they're betting their entire futures on streaming. Which might be wise but some decisions still feel foolhardy especially the decision to not release Pixar's Luca in theaters, given that it's already winning raves and might have been a perfect summertime bet in airconditioned theaters since it's a summertime tale and Pixar movies generally make hundreds of millions in movie theaters. Strange decision especially since they gave Raya the traditional release! When viewed in broader context of what gets a theatrical release versus what doesn't it's like pissing directly on Pixar when something like Dreamworks Spirit Untamed gets a theatrical release and Luca doesn't. Ugh.

Anyway. Here is the chart. What did you see this past week/weekend?

Weekend Box Office June 4th-6th 🔺 = new or expanding / ★ = recommended
WIDE RELEASE	PLATFORM TITLES
The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It	Undine

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Streaming Roulette (April Pt 1): Clive Owen's breakthrough, a Marvel dud, and the Rocky franchise

And the state didn't even think to verify it just once? To check on this madman who got into every hospital. Just once to check this stuff used by all the hospitals!

Reminder: Collective, which is up for Best Documentary Feature AND Best International Feature is now streaming on Hulu.

Yes it's time for another round of streaming roulette where we point out titles that are new(ish) to streaming or about to leave and just for fun, freeze frame them at totally random places in the scroll bar and whatever comes up we share. Let's go...

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