Candyman

They will say that I have shed innocent blood.

What's blood for, if not for shedding?

With my hook for a hand...

... I'll split you from your groin to your gullet.

I came for you.

It's the scariest story I have ever heard, and it's true.

It happened a few years ago near Moses Lake in Indiana.

Clara was babysitting for the Johnsons.

And Billy pulls up on his motorcycle.

She wasn't going out with Billy but with Michael for about six months.

But she always had the hots for Billy...

... cos he was like, a bad boy. And Michael was just... so nice.

So, anyway, she decides that tonight's the night.

That she's gonna give Billy what she never gave to Michael.

- Have you ever heard of Candyman? - No.

Well, his right hand is sawn off.

He has a hook jammed in the bloody stump.

And if you look in the mirror and you say his name five times...

... he'll appear behind you breathing down your neck.

You wanna try it?

So Billy began.

- He looked in the mirror and he said... - Candyman.

Candyman.

Candyman.

Candyman.

No one ever got past four.

Not here.

Go downstairs. I have a surprise for you.

She looked in the mirror and, I don't know why...

... but she said his name the last time.

Candyman.

She turned out the lights...

What he saw turned his hair white from shock.

Killed her.

Split her open with his hook, and then killed the baby too.

Billy got away...

... but soon after, he went crazy.

My roommate's boyfriend knows him.

So, when did you first hear this story?

My friend heard it on the radio. It's sick, huh?

The babysitter just roasted the kid, like it was a turkey or something.

So, what's the deal? You guys doing a page on serial killers or something?

- Something like that. - That's it. We're done.

- All right... - Thanks.

- No problem. - See ya.

See ya.

"See ya...”

It seems like they get younger every day.

Does anybody remember the craze for pet baby alligators?

When they got big, people flushed them down the toilet.

They live in the sewers now. Some of them are 30 feet long.

- Where did this happen? - In Miami.

They went blind and albino from living in the dark.

It wasn't Miami, it was New York. I read it in the paper.

Then it must be true.

Why would Danny and Diane both be suffering from the same delusion...

... in two cities over 1,000 miles apart?

Let's face it, folks. There are no alligators in the sewers.

No, it's round the campfire, it's bedtime stories.

These stories are modern, oral folklore.

They are the unselfconscious reflection of the fears of urban society.

That's lunch.

- Ah, the dashing professor. - The lovely wife.

Hello.

Helen, you know the creme de la creme? Harold, Diane, Daniel, Stacey.

- Hi. - Hello.

Keep up the good work. Thanks for your contributions.

- Thanks. Bye. - See you.

Bye.

See ya...

So you wanna tell me about this girl?

What's her name? Stacey.

She could barely look me in the eyes, Trevor, and I swear she was blushing.

Well, I guess that's because she's madly in love with me.

All those bursting adolescent hormones.

- You don't really think... - No, of course not.

- Good. I should hope not. - So, what's the matter?

Trevor, you promised...

... you wouldn't do urban legends until next semester.

You knew Bernadette and I were gathering data.

Why did you have to ruin it?

Honey, you're my wife and I love you dearly...

... but you can't expect me to hold up their education...

... while the two of you complete your thesis.

Be realistic. I have a curriculum to follow.

- Yes, I know. - Well, so don't be mad at me.

If you look in the mirror and say his name five times...

... he'll appear behind you breathing down your neck.

- Can I clean the room? - Oh, sure. Don't mind me.

So Billy began.

He looked in the mirror and he said, “Candyman, Candyman, Candyman...”

Candyman, huh?

- Have you heard of him? - Mm-hm. You doin' a study on him?

Yes, I am. What have you heard?

Everybody's scared of him once it gets dark.

He live over at Cabrini. My friend told me about him.

- Cabrini-Green? - Yeah, in the projects.

I live on the Southside, so I don't know too much about it...

... but my friend, she know all about it. Her cousin live at Cabrini.

- They say he killed a lady. - Can I talk to your friend?

Sure.

- Kitty? - Yeah? What do you want?

Lady down here wanna talk to you.

All right...

She comin'.

- I'm Helen Lyle. - Pleased to meet you. Henrietta Mosely.

- And this is Kitty Culver. - Hello.

Tell her what you told me about the Candyman.

All I know was...

... there was some lady in a tub, and she heard a noise.

- Do you remember her name? - I think her name was Ruthie Jean.

She heard this bangin' like somebody was tryin' to make a hole in the wall.

So Ruthie called 911 and said there's somebody comin' through the walls.

And they didn't believe her.

They thought the lady was crazy.

So she called 911 again, and they still didn't believe her.

When they finally got there, she was dead.

Was she shot?

No... She was killed with a hook.

Yeah...

- It's true. - Yeah, it is.

I read it in the papers. Candyman killed her.

Yeah, but I don't know nothin' about that.

Helen, this is sick.

This isn't a fairytale. A woman got killed here.

Jesus...

That's not the half of it.

That's Cabrini-Green, not that you'd recognize it.

No kidding. I won't even drive past there.

- A kid got shot there the other day. - Every day.

Okay now, look carefully at this picture.

And then this one.

You spot it?

No.

That's not Cabrini-Green.

That's this building, Lincoln Village.

My apartment was built as a housing project.

- No... - Yeah.

Now take a look at this.

The city realized there was no barrier between here and the Gold Coast.

Unlike the highway and the El train to keep the ghetto cut off.

Exactly. So they made some alterations.

They covered the cinder block in plaster and sold the lot off as condos.

- How much did you pay for this place? - Don't ask.

Now wait till you see this.

Here's the proof.

The killer, or killers, they don't know which...

... smashed through the back of this cabinet.

See, there's no wall there.

Only a medicine chest separates us from the other apartment.

Wait, what are you doing? There could be somebody on the toilet!

- The apartment's vacant. - Are you sure?

Yes.

There.

Okay. Now take a look.

That is amazing!

- What? - Somebody's in there.

- I saw a light go on! - There's nobody there.

- Psyche. - That's not funny. That was not funny.

- You didn't scare me at all. - Yeah, right...

You don't believe all that nonsense, do you?

I don't. Do you?

No...!

All right...

Candyman, Candyman, Candyman, Candyman...

... Candyman.

Oh, you chicken!

You have to do it five times! Go again.

- Sorry! - I did it!

Trevor?

- What's the matter? - Oh, Trevor!

What? Who were you expecting?

- What time is it? - It's late, and I'm smashed.

Sorry I scared you.

What's with the arsenal? We're only going eight blocks.

You got us dressed up like cops.

I just said dress conservatively.

No, we look like cops.

- Why are you trying to scare me? - I'm not trying to scare you, Helen.

I just want you to know the gangs hold this whole neighborhood hostage.

Okay, let's just turn around! Let's just go back...

... and we can write a boring thesis...

... regurgitating all the usual crap about urban legend.

We've got a real shot here, Bernadette.

A community attributes the daily horrors of their lives to a mythical figure.

If Trevor and Archie were here, would they chicken out?

- In a second. - Exactly.

All right.

You wanna wait here for me?

No.

Well, then let's go.

- Check 'em out. - Lock the car.

Hey, now.

Want somethin', baby? I got it for you.

Say, yo, mama. Come on, baby. Come on.

Yo, baby!

- Which way you goin'? - Just going inside.

Yeah?

- You can't come up in here. - Can't come up in here.

- Excuse me, y'all can't come up here. - Who you lookin' for?