Music reviews. CD reviews. Critically hip!

So, why exactly was Candyman 3 made? Did some studio exec realize that there weren't enough minority slasher pics being made, and greenlight this second sequel to poor Danny Robitaille's story? I'm not sure.
What I do know, from listening to Adam Gorgoni's score to the film, is that the story better be good, because the music isn't going to be carrying this movie anywhere.

Set in LA, (after Robitaille hooked the populations of Chicago and New Orleans in his first two outings - look for New York to take a hit if there is ever a Candyman 4) the soundtrack starts out in a surprising direction. Perhaps taking into account the star of the show, maybe looking into the setting, Gorgoni slips in a sly hip hop groove underneath the urban atmosphericsof the, "Main Title."

It doesn't last. This soundtrack might have been better off if that undercurrent had remained throughout the entire 33 minute length of the album. Instead, we're treated to one keyboard-laden (I'd say piano, but the sounds are somehow too artificial to be the real deal) attempt at a theme after another, none of them sticking to the brain for more than a few seconds after hitting the stop button.

As it is a horror flick I'm talking about, there have to be the requisite "Gotcha!," or, if badly done, the "It's time to be scared now," moments on the soundtrack, and Gorgoni doesn't skimp on those either.

His results are mixed. The first such moment comes in the 3rd track, "First Death/Aftermath," and actually works pretty well, what with faint echoes of the "Psycho" shower scene music playing around the edges of his brassy/synth-laden attack. The few seconds representing Robitaille's unleashing of the bees sends a chill or two down the back.

Of course, there is the other side, too. The "Finale" begins in a strangely mixed mode, what with comically goth-y chorale voices ooh-oohing over a reminiscent-of-Miami Vice undercurrent. Switching to a take off on the main theme, with string accompaniment

instead of the urban groove, the track hesitates, with a wavering bees-threat segment leading directly into an overly loud, obnoxious synth-orchestrated climax. I'm assuming Robitaille has lost his would-be girlfriend at this point, and is presumably taking his loss out on anyone unfortunate enough to be within his reach, but rather than highlighting any sense of loss, or pointing the way to fear, Gorgoni turns up the volume and basically drowns you in pointless, "Here comes the killer!" noise.

I guess it's pretty tough to score horror movies, what with walking the fine line between suspense and overkill. The problem with Gorgoni's score is that it's uncomfortable, not in a, "it's a horror movie, you're supposed top be on edge," way, but in that, "Why am I wasting my time listening to this disc?" mood. "Candyman 3" doesn't really fall into the overkill category, but there isn't nearly enough of the suspense to keep this score from being condemned to the land of the instantly forgettable.