The Candy Snatchers (1973)

i know i wasted 90 mins of my life.

Disturbing yet enthralling

Story: It's very simple but honestly that is fine.

Story: It's very simple but honestly that is fine.

A trio of vaguely counter-culture ne'er do wells kidnap a young schoolgirl Candy and hold her for ransom. Her father manages a diamond store, and they want all of the diamonds he has in exchange for his daughter. The problem is that her father doesn't seem to care about getting her back. He doesn't tell her alcoholic mother that she's even missing and goes and sleeps with his mistress. Meanwhile, a young autistic boy witnesses the crime and could save her, but his abusive parents pay no attention to him. Everybody in this film apart from the young autistic boy and Candy herself is some variation of a scumbag, and there's a lot of joy in watching them all collide into each other and do each other in. It's a cheap, exploitative film for sure, but it has a wicked sense of humor.

Highly recommended and available now on DVD.What a rush! Only in the Seventies could a film that wallows in sleaze and depravity be this well-made and have an authentic feel to it. Later efforts that recall back to this type of atmosphere (Natural Born Killers being just one example from the 90's) just don't have the same gut-wrenching qualities and NBK seems like kind of a put-on. The Candy Snatchers has a more raw, gritty realistic vibe, even if the plot twists and turns are highly unlikely and will cause your mouth to drop open.A must see for fans of 1970's exploitation Drive-In fare.

Seventies exploitation is one of my favourite genres as despite generally poor production values and story lines, they're just so damn entertaining! The Candy Snatchers is clearly one of the best examples of the genre - as despite featuring the common poor production values, the entertaining plot line is nicely fleshed out with a number of sub-plots and deliriously depraved characters! The central plot isn't really all that important - it's the stuff surrounding it that makes this film what it is. Well...that and the completely sleazy atmosphere, which is achieved through the gritty cinematography, as well as the attention to depravity. The plot isn't exactly original, and basically follows a trio of would-be kidnappers who snatch Candy - the daughter of a man who handles diamonds at a bank, and naturally the kidnappers want a fistful of diamonds in exchange for the safe return of young Candy. However, the crime has a witness - but unfortunately for the young girl, the witness is a young autistic boy who can't talk! The Candy Snatchers features a handful of violent set pieces that are sure to delight anyone with a mind to see the film. The Candy Snatchers doesn't feature wall to wall violence, but there are enough memorably violent moments to make the film worthy of its high acclaim. It's not the violence that is the most shocking thing about this film, however, as it's clear that director Guerdon Trueblood was keen to make the film as nasty as possible and this is achieved through the way that remains completely nihilistic throughout. Of course, most of what is seen here has been seen in many modern films since, and as a result; The Candy Snatchers isn't as shocking these days as it no doubt was back in 1973, but despite that; the film does retain a lot of its shock value. The acting isn't the best, but the cast of unknowns come together well as an ensemble and most of them are memorable and entertaining in their respective roles. The plot moves quickly and there's never a dull moment - the ending is particularly strong as it manages to be exciting, nasty, and yet strangely funny in a sick sort of way all at the same time. Overall, The Candy Snatchers is a real seventies highlight and comes highly recommended!

As she walks home from school, Candy (Susan Sennett) is kidnapped by three small-time criminals looking to make the big-time. Their plan is to hold Candy for a fortune in diamonds from the store her father manages. But when Candy's father doesn't make it to the drop-off point, things go from bad to worse for Candy.Going into The Candy Snatchers, I wasn't expecting such a competently made, entertaining film. It's a masterpiece of 70s sleaze and exploitation. Candy's ordeal is brutal and, at times, difficult to watch. The scenes of Candy being buried alive with only a one-inch pipe for air are so real that you can't help but feel for the bound and gagged Susan Sennett. The script is surprisingly intelligent and presents some nice twists involving Candy's father (played to perfection by Ben Piazza) and his reluctance to meet the ransom demands. The script also goes out of the way to flesh-out the three would be kidnappers and gives us an insight into what makes them tick. Finally, I love the ambiguous ending as to Candy's fate. It gives you something to think about long after the movie has ended. The Candy Snatchers is very nicely done.There's also a subplot involving a very young mute boy and his abusive parents. As bad as I felt for Candy and her predicament, I felt equally bad for little Sean. The events in the film's finale involving the little boy are amazing in their simple, but violent nature. Sean was played by the director's son, Christophe. I don't know when I've seen a better, more believable performance from someone so young. If you're a fan of 70s drive-in fare, you must seek out The Candy Snatchers.