The following description comes from the event organizer.

CLASS DESCRIPTION

Based on the short story "The Forbidden" by Clive Barker, Candyman was made into a film in 1992 directed by Bernard Rose. The titular character Candyman, portrayed by Tony Todd, became a horror icon with his hook hand and deep, honeyed voice. The original film was not without faults though, and cultural blindspots by its white-majority production crew. In 2021 director Nia DaCosta and producer Jordan Peele seek to recontextualize the character of Candyman in a way that is more authentic to the world we live in and its real horrors. In this class, we will discuss the original film and the remake, how the original suffers from a lack of Black voices behind the camera, and how the ghetto functions as a haunted house. 

CLASS WORKLOAD

Registrants are expected to be familiar with both versions of Candyman in advance of the class. There will be film clips shared in the presentation and no restraint on spoilers. Links to a variety of streaming options are below for both films.

• Candyman | (USA/United Kingdom, 1992) dir. Bernard Rose
• Candyman | (USA/Canada/Australia, 2021) dir. Nia DaCosta
  

ABOUT REEL BLACK

The Reel Black class series focuses on Black auteur filmmakers and Black influences within cinematic culture. Through deepening the cultural discourse with the past and present, we all prioritize and normalize Black stories and storytellers on our screens. This education series is curated by Isabella Price.