THE MAN IN THE MIRROR
YAHYA ABDUL-MATEEN II has a Candyman problem. As in, he doesn’t like to say the word “Candyman”. Not once, let alone five times. “No, no, no, no, no,” he tells Empire. “You know, it’s interesting. I just realised I haven’t said that name in a very long time. Even talking about the movie, I haven’t really spoken the word ‘Candyman’. And now? It makes me a little bit uncomfortable just to say the word.”
Which is understandable. Because, according to the rules laid down in Bernard Rose’s 1992 movie of the same name, this is how you summon the Candyman — a vengeful spirit with a hook for a hand, a thing for bees and the kind of voice that sounds like the Honey Monster gargling with bleach — from his spectral realm into ours. Stand in front of a mirror, say “Candyman” five times, and he’ll suddenly appear behind you. And let’s just say his idea of hooking up in a bathroom is different from yours.
It’s the stuff of urban legend; a spook story passed around to deter the nervous and tempt the devil-may-care into seeing if it’s true. It’s a diabolical dare that started in the film but, over time, it’s become something of an urban legend in its own right. “It was one of those things I grew up knowing about,” says Abdul-Mateen. “He was a mythical figure in my household. I knew there was a movie, but Candyman was always
