COLLECTOR'S CRYPT -CANDY LAND (MVD VISUAL BLU RAY)

One of the allures of the exploitation genre is the way it juxtaposes taboo subjects that viewers often are willfully ignorant of. While the aim is often to titillate rather than terrify, the exploitation genre makes heroes out of the least likely characters that society often fears and discards. In the heyday of 42nd Street, the search for meaning in these films was often hollow and infrequent as they were made to entertain, but as time has gone on the exploitation genre has adapted to be as much a place to expand our horizons as challenge them. While some may see Hostel as an exercise in gratuitous violence, others view it as a metaphor for American ignorance meeting the most fatal and literal of consequences. Exploitation films also celebrate some of the most marginalized people by giving them opportunities to literally and figuratively fight back. In Candy Land, now on Blu-Ray from MVD Visual, we are presented with a film that is as grindhouse as you can get in 2024. Is this throwback worthwhile or just a nostalgia-happy exercise is cringe?

WHAT’S IT ABOUT?

A naive and devout young woman, finds herself cast out from her religious cult and immerses herself into the world of truck stop sex workers.

HOW IS IT?

Candy Land is a film that will stick with you. Whether that's a good thing or not depends on how much you enjoy the film, and overall it has more good going for it than bad. The story is intriguing and unique, while also treating sex workers with dignity while not simply drowning the characters in sorrow and poverty. And yet, the way the story is told is a baffling choice that removes a lot of the natural tension that comes with slashers where the killer's identity isn’t revealed until the end. In the end, it is a great example of something teetering on the edge of greatness with enough goodwill to earn a cult classic status even if it won’t be for everyone.

At first, you might be fooled into thinking that this story is about one character when really it is about all of them. When we are first introduced to Sadie (Sam Quartin), Riley (Eden Brolin), Liv (Virginia Rand), and Levi (Owen Campbell) it isn’t apparent who we are supposed to follow and that’s by design. Collectively this group takes in Remy (Olivia Luccardi) who has recently been cast out of an uber religious cult/group and left at a local highway truck stop. When Remy meets the sex workers or “lot lizards”, her timidness is in stark contrast to their flamboyant displays of sexual liberation and freedom, that is until we find out why Remy was cast out. The film makes no secret early on that Remy is on a murderous mission to cleanse the world of sin one crucifix blade cut at a time. This decision to expose not just Remy as a killer, but show her committing the murders eliminates any inherent tension that could’ve been alluded to. While it could’ve been tough to manage this amongst such a limited location setting, it would’ve still been quite possible and easily elevated the material to have more stickiness throughout. Thankfully, the performances are all superb.

When a film makes such a big swing early on and sucks all the scary out of the mystery, the best thing one could ask for is great characters played extremely well. And that’s exactly what you get here. Everyone from the low-life piece of shit sheriff played by William Baldwin to Remy’s coy and conniving turn from helpless to hellion, the performances are what keep you paying attention. Much of the work goes to the writing as well, which makes these characters far more down-to-earth than you’d get in most films, all while avoiding the often negative stereotypes about sex work and those in the industry. These are not people to pity, rather they are people who live authentically and unapologetically. Which is what makes the narrative choices and storytelling such a head-scratcher. It isn’t enough to sink the film as much as it is a handicap to greatness. Had Candy Land adhered more to its slasher stylings and aspirations it would have carved a name for itself in horror history, but that doesn’t mean that what’s there isn’t well worth a watch.

HOW DOES IT LOOK?

Candy Land was released in 2022 and produced around that same time, so there is no need for any sort of restoration work for this release. That said, the visual quality is spot on and on par with what you would expect from the average VOD release. Displayed in a 1.78:1 aspect ratio and in 1080p HD, the earthy tones of the landscape show up nicely in an array of reds to tans which makes some of the more colorful wardrobe choices stand out. Images from this release are seen throughout this review and below.

HOW DOES IT SOUND?

Much like the visual side of things, the audio options here are extremely adequate. There are two sound mixes to choose from, a 2.0 Stereo mix and a 5.1 Surround Sound mix. As usual, we opted for the 5.1 here and overall it sounds great. There isn’t a lot of use of the rear speakers here as most of the action is up close and intimate, but you still get a good range of sounds and a nice balance between dialogue, soundtrack, and diegetic sounds. If there is one thing that does put a dent in an otherwise good release is the lack of subtitles. Given the newness of this film, it is a bit baffling to not have them included.

ANYTHING SPECIAL?

In the special features department, there are only two additional supplementary add-ons. One is a commentary with the filmmaker and the other is a digital zine. While fans of the films may clamor for something a bit more, the commentary should be sufficient enough for those wanting a more behind-the-scenes take on the production history. It isn’t reasonable to expect releases like these to be loaded with additional features, so it is nice we are treated to at least one glimpse beyond the film itself.

Bonus Materials

• Filmmaker Commentary

• Digital Zine

LAST RITES

Candy Land is a film that will be an instant classic for some and a lukewarm revisit for others. It manages to do the hardest things right by giving us great performances and fully realized characters, but doesn’t realize its full potential due to the way the story is told. A recommendation for those who like more exploitative films with a bit more heart than the average horror film.

THE GORY DETAILS

Thank you to the fine fiends over at MVD ENTERTAINMENT for providing a review copy for the crypt! Candy Land is available NOW and can be purchased via MVD DIRECT!

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