10 Movie Sequels That Got A Raw Deal

Candyman will soon be getting a reboot courtesy of producer Jordan Peele, whose race-conscious horror films have certainly proven as timely as ever, but the original film is pretty hard to surpass. Clive Barker's novella avoided much of the racially-charged film, Bernard Rose transplanted the events to Chicago and it's class struggle. Candyman is about as complicated an idea about race politics and identity that white people were willing to engage in at the time of its release, and even now its subtext is both chilling and relevant.

Much of that would be irrelevant if it wasn't delivered with the effectiveness, fear and ultimate tragedy that Tony Todd managed to convey as the titular killer.

Though much of the tragedy is only fully revealed in Bill Condon's 1995 sequel. The film was largely disparaged by critics, and there's no question it doesn't live up to its predecessor. The budget is less, the gore is increased where it didn't need to be and the plot is too straightforward.

But it does offer a handful of decent scares and more of what was desired: Tony Todd. Some may argue the original's less-is-more approach to his story, offering just the bare essentials, is ideal. But Rose, with the approval of the NAACP, wanted to create a black Dracula. There was no "more" for there to be less.