



The last time I had thought about Candyman, it was the day the last Cabrini-Green high-rise was razed. Based on a Clive Barker story, the 1992 horror film stars Virginia Madsen as UIC grad student Helen Lyle, whose research on urban legends leads her to Cabrini-Green, where she is attacked by a notorious gang member dubbed...you guessed it: Candyman. With all of Cabrini's buildings being demolished, I couldn't help but wonder at the time: Is Candyman going to live in mixed-income housing now?



That was almost precisely a year ago. Then last week, I spotted this crazy Candyman-themed car parked in the lot of Windy City Fieldhouse, a gym and multipurpose center in Logan Square. I'm not sure which decals caught my eye first: the movie poster, the "mouth of bees" pic, or the extremely creepy "Be My Victim" quote on the bumper. Upon closer inspection, I realized the vehicle is (impressively) covered in tiny bee decals. I had to know more.

Indulging my inner Helen Lyle, I went inside the Fieldhouse to investigate the urban legend: Would the "real" Candyman be so brazen? "Hi. Um, I'm just wondering...uh, if you could tell me who, um, owns one of the cars out front. The, uh... Candyman car," I asked the gentleman behind the front desk.



"That's Candyman's car," he replied.



"And who is Candyman?"



The clerk pointed out a twentysomething in a white tank top who was in the middle of a heated basketball game on the far court. (And no, he doesn't have a hook for a hand. I checked.) Though he couldn't talk for longer than a few seconds, this baller admitted his nickname is indeed Candyman and that he's a huge fan of the film. But before I could ask another question, Candyman vanished. (Actually, he ran back onto the court to man up on D.)



If I wanted to follow up with Candyman, I guess I could try looking into a mirror and saying his name five times. But I've seen the film enough times to know that never turns out well.