The
Legend:
Born just after the Civil War, Candyman was the son of a slave. He
had been sent to the best schools and had an impressive talent as
an artist. It was in this capacity that a wealthy landowner
commissioned him to paint the portrait of his daughter. They fell
deeply in love, and she became pregnant.
Her father executed a terrible revenge. He paid a pack of brutal
hooligans to do the deed. They chased Candyman through the town to
Cabrini-Green where they proceeded to saw off his right hand with a
rusty blade. Then they raided a nearby beehive, and the honeycomb
was smeared over Candyman's bleeding, mutilated body. The crowd
that had gathered fled as the bees came.
Candyman died for love.
His resurrection began as rumour, and grew into myth. Say his
name five times in a mirror and he would appear. A hook had
replaced his severed hand. Sorrow and hate fill his eyes. Bees buzz
about his lips. The myth has travelled from place to place, taking
root in the most desperate areas.
Especially here where it all began... Cabrini-Green.
The
Movie:
Candyman (1992) is an extremely underrated horror film
starring Virginia Madsen and Tony Todd. Directed by Bernard Rose
and based on Clive Barker's short story "The Forbidden", the film
takes place in Chicago and includes an incredible score by Phillip
Glass.
Helen Lyle is a
graduate student conducting research for her thesis on urban
legends. While interviewing students about their
superstitions, she hears about a local legend known as
Candyman. According to the legend, anyone who looks into a
mirror and chants his name five times will summon him, but at
the cost of his or her own life. Thinking this is just the new
spin she has been looking for, Helen enters the notorious
gang-ridden territory known as the Cabrini-Green housing
projects (the site of Candyman's brutal murder). Helen
believes that Candyman cannot exist, but when she calls him
into our world a string of murders begins and the police look
to her as the primary suspect..
Many exterior, hallway and stairway scenes were actually filmed
in Cabrini-Green, though the producers had to make a deal with the
ruling gang members to put them in the movie as extras to ensure
the cast and crew's safety during filming. Even with this
arrangement, a sniper put a bullet through the production van on
the last day of filming, though no one was injured.
If you haven't seen Candyman, I highly recommend it. Watch it
for free online:
Candyman via Crackle
(HD)
Candyman via
YouTube
The Cache:
"I hear you're looking for the Candyman cache,
<beep>."
You are looking for a small tin container that is large enough to
hold small trade items. Please use extreme stealth and respect the
neighborhood. Possible grab and
go!
Much has changed in and around Cabrini-Green since the 1990s. As
of 2008, only 4,700 residents remain in Cabrini-Green. Most of the
buildings have been demolished and the entire area is being
re-developed into a mixed-income neighborhood.
With all of the new development, the area is much safer than it
once was. That is... if you believe Candyman is just an urban
legend.
When you find the cache, we dare you to say his name five times.
(mirror provided) :)