Clive Barker's "Candyman" is an excellent example of a good horror film. The movie is about Helen Lyle, a woman who is investigating urban legends and mythology. While doing research, she comes across the tale of the Candyman, an African-American artist who had his arm sawed off, and was attacked by a swarm of bees hundreds of years ago after having an affair with a white woman. Supposedly, if you say "Candyman" in the mirror five times, the Candyman will appear to you, with his big hook-hand, and brutally murder you. While investigating unsolved murders within the city that are suspected to be caused by the Candyman, Helen herself becomes entangled in the legend, and the Candyman begins appearing to her. Soon, Helen's life goes into a downward spiral as she is accused of murder, while the Candyman tries to make her one of his new victims.<br /><br />Clive Barker must have a pretty good imagination, because this is quite a unique horror story. I don't think I've ever heard of a story like this, so the movie is definitely original. The plot is woven very neatly, with plenty of scary moments and artistic touches, making it a beautiful horror film. Virginia Madsen was excellent and convincing in this movie, the audience really sympathizes with her as her life is turned upside down by the Candyman, and in the end, she still turns out to be a hero. Tony Todd was seriously scary in his role of the Candyman himself, with his creepy stare and his low-key voice. There are some genuinely gruesome death scenes in this movie, and the sequences where the Candyman appears to Helen were extremely well-done and scary. Tony Todd was the perfect Candyman, his dead-serious facial expressions and low, menacing voice adds to the overall creepy effect of his character. <br /><br />The film takes place in the inner-city area of Chicago, and the film includes undertones of racial issues that play in well with the setting and the characters in the movie, without going over-the-top. The music in this film is one of the most memorable things about it though. It's an eerie, haunting score that is used in the scenes very appropriately and makes things much more unsettling and spooky, as if things aren't creepy enough.<br /><br />Overall, "Candyman" is a breath of fresh air in the horror genre. It's imaginative, it's morbid, it's artistic, and it's an all around good horror movie. If you are a fan of scary films or have the slightest interest in the genre, I highly recommend this. "Candyman" is undoubtedly one of the best horror films of the decade. 10/10.