INTERVIEW: ‘Candy Corn’ is a revenge flick with a twist
Photo: Candy Corn follows a group of bullies who are visited by the resurrected ghost of someone they tormented. Photo courtesy of Epic Pictures / Provided by press team with permission.
The new horror film Candy Corn, written and directed by Josh Hasty, follows a group of bullies who unmercifully antagonize a local child and make him go through a cruel hazing ritual. When the boy dies, they find themselves with a shared secret and a new monster-like creature who seeks revenge for all the bullying.
Candy Corn proves to be a genre flick with a contemporary feel and a bit of social commentary. Fan favorites PJ Soles (Halloween), Tony Todd (Candyman) and Courtney Gains (Children of the Corn) star in the movie, which is now available on VOD and Blu-ray.
“Josh started working on the script three years ago,” said Matt O’Neill, one of three producers on the film, in a recent phone interview. “He wrote the story and pitched it.”
O’Neill and the team loved the concept and were on board for the long development process and production. In fact, O’Neill officially joined Oct. 31, 2018 — a most auspicious day to sign up for a horror movie.
“I just loved the concept of the underdog,” O’Neill said. “He stands up for himself. He is brought back to life, and he is brought back to seek revenge. He does a bad thing for the right reason.”
Candy Corn fits nicely into the sub-genre of slasher flicks, and O’Neill loves this type of horror film. He finds this one a fresh and original take on the killer-with-a-knife tradition. “This has heart,” he said. “This has story.”
O’Neill said he has worked in every genre, but horror is probably his favorite. “I grew up through the ’80s,” he said. “I love The Fog. I love Halloween, Friday the 13th, the classic stuff.”
Even though the love was there for the project, that doesn’t mean Candy Corn’s production was easy. Like so many other independent films, there was not enough time, not enough money, not enough lights (the film is largely shot at night). Still, Candy Corn turned out to be O’Neill’s favorite set experience.
“I tend to be a workaholic,” he said. “We worked around the clock, and you can feel when the magic is happening. We know how the audience is going to react.”
Candy Corn has a solid distribution deal, O’Neill said. Besides being on VOD and Blu-ray, they are gearing up to be in theaters in October. The official count is not ready just yet, but it looks like the film could land on more than 1,000 screens. “Every filmmaker wants to see their film on the big screen,” O’Neill said.
The producer is particularly excited to hear from fans who know these scream legends. Todd, for example, “scared the crap out” out of O’Neill in Candyman, and he makes a memorable turn in Candy Corn.
“Here I am in the room with them,” he remembers of working with Todd, Soles and other horror legends. “It was a surreal moment that gave me chills. … They came prepared. They did their work, and they jumped right in.”
Now it’s the audience’s turn to jump right in.
By John Soltes / Publisher / John@HollywoodSoapbox.com
Candy Corn is now available on VOD and Blu-ray. Click here for more information.
