Radio hosts Chilly Billy (Corey Taylor) and Paul (Zach Galligan) take to the airwaves on Halloween night to share six spooky tales that have happened in their small town. From creepy clowns to necrophilia, and pretty much everything in between, the DJs share the outlandish tales and speak to callers about the stories they share. Could one of the DJs be closer to the tales than they’re letting on?
‘Bad Candy’ is the latest film in the horror anthology sub-genre that aims to pack in plenty of gruesome stories and scares to thrill and delight the audience. Directed by Scott B. Hansen, ‘Bad Candy’ is a fine-looking film that utilises practical effects, for the most part, to create some really eye-catching and memorable set-pieces and characters. The creepy clown that is conjured up by a little girl in the first story, returns frequently throughout the film and he’s a seriously disturbing character.
As always with anthology horror, the stories here are a mixed bag. ‘Bad Candy’ starts out strong with the tale of a young girl who brings evil characters to life by drawing them to deal with her abusive father, but the returns diminish as the tales mount up. One story sees a morgue worker indulging in necrophilia when her date doesn’t show up, and her decision to cross that taboo results in a nightmarish evening for her. Every story is about a character (or characters) that have bad things done to them and there’s very little in the way of surprises along the way.
What ‘Bad Candy’ does attempt to do is run a narrative through all six stories that binds them together, rather than them all being completely standalone. That does make the anthology seem less random and it definitely helps keep your interest. Genre fans will appreciate seeing ‘Gremlins’ star Zach Galligan and Slipknot’s Corey Taylor holding the narrative together but neither gets very much to do until the film’s final moments.
‘Bad Candy’ is a hit-and-miss affair that looks great but doesn’t fully deliver. As far as horror anthologies go, it’s one of the stronger ones I’ve seen but it’s way too long and it tries to pack in too much. I’d have preferred fewer stories and more character development so you could actually invest in what’s transpiring on-screen. ‘Bad Candy’ is great for a cheap thrill but it’s not a film you’ll be desperate to revisit once you’ve seen it.
Cast: Zach Galligan, Corey Taylor, Kevin Wayne, Derek Russo Director: Scott B. Hansen Writers: Various Certificate: 18 Duration: 100 mins Released by: Kaleidoscope Entertainment
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Kaleidoscope Entertainment presents ‘Bad Candy' at FrightFest 27th August and on DVD and Digital 4th October
