Candyman: Day of the Dead

3.5/10. Watched this last night taped off TV. It was shown uncut, commercial-free, widescreen, and in English.

I'm a only a grudging fan of the first Candyman, which despite some strong moments never coheres into a fully satisfying movie. And while I know I saw its sequel, Candyman: Farewell to the Flesh, I remember little about it other than that it was set in New Orleans.

So of course when the third Candyman showed up on Swiss TV, I made a point of taping it to watch later.

Candyman: Day of the Dead isn't a movie that I'd ever recommend, but it's not ire-inspiring either. Cast and crew do a capable job of overcoming the casting of Donna D'Errico, a quality-prohibitive budget, and a shooting script that was likely only a first draft. It's just that the movie they ended up with doesn't for one second look like a movie.

Today, weekly TV shows that look and feel like "cinema" have become the norm. Movies never intended for the big screen may not be competing with Batman Begins or Revenge of the Sith, but they are competing with the likes of "C.S.I." and "Lost".

And this is where director Turi Meyer comes up short. He does a competent job of putting together a modest horror movie with limited resources, but what Candyman: Day of the Dead needed most was someone with the creativity to make a small movie look big.