Dir: Guerdon Trueblood
Cast: Tiffany Bolling, Ben Piazza, Susan Sennett,
Brad David
Rated R, Approx: 94 Minutes
Subversive DVD
crime.
For 16 year old Candy, dying
would have been easier!
Was a piece of Candy worth
a fortune in diamonds?"
encompasses a cast of
apathetic characters...
strategy was built around Hallmark's legendary campaign for 'Last House'. To begin with, the poster art features the
main villains seen from the same perspective (and in similar positions) as Krug and his group of baddies were on
'Last House'. Even worse, is one of the taglines that reads "Violence Beyond Last House on the Left!" This already
puts The Candy Snatchers at an unfair disadvantage; no movie will ever be able to do what 'Last House' did. If you
look at The Candy Snatchers as its own entity though you should be in for quite a treat.
holding her ransom in exchange for a briefcase full of diamonds that her step-father has access to. Aside from
Candy just about every character depicted here is despicable. Her stepfather refuses to give in to the ransom.
Seeing as he'll receive half of her inheritance if she dies, he could care less what becomes of Candy. To keep
Candy hidden while they figure out what to do they bury her alive in a makeshift coffin with an air tube.
parents but they're too caught up in trying to impress the man's boss with whom they're going to have dinner with
that night. The dinner seems to go okay until the boss tries to talk with the little boy. When his parents tell him the
boy is mute the boss breaks out in uproarious laughter. If that's not bad enough, the parents relentlessly berate the
boy for this on the way home!
usually corrupt) their children is a bit heavy handed at
times. Not only are we reminded of it with Candy's
situation (her stepfather scum and her mother drinks
to avoid the situation at hand) and the young mute
boy, but it is also alluded to that Alan and Jessie are
the product of an abusive upbringing.
stuck with me for a long time afterwards. Much of this is due to several above average performances. Most notably
is Susan Sennett as Candy, she is very sympathetic as the helpless victim. Sennett hasn't acted much since and
was at one time married to Graham Nash; they have one child together - Jackson. Next up is the wild eyed mute child
Sean Newton played by Christophe (Clark). He injects a lot of personality into his character without any dialogue, his
eyes and his smile are haunting to say the least. Out of the kidnappers, most notable is Tiffany Bolling in the role of
Jessie. She is a standout with her ruthless demeanor and vile actions. Bolling was doing well for herself at the time,
starring in two other movies (Wicked Wicked, and Bonnie's Kids) and even releasing an album titled Tiffany (she
can also be heard singing in Wicked Wicked). She was also featured in a Playboy spread in April of 1972.
disgusted with the human race afterwards. All in all it stands on its own as a testament to the kind of gritty movies
that they just don't make anymore.
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