Three kidnappers from Los Angeles, two men and a woman (parked in a van wearing plastic glasses and noses!), stake out a Catholic school girl who apparently hitchhikes home every day from class. Inspired by a true incident in 1968 Florida, the young girl is buried alive with a breathing tube while her snatchers contact Candy's stepfather for a ransom of diamonds--but, of course, he's a weasel who'd rather have Candy's inheritance money more than he'd like to have her alive. Written in shorthand by Bryan Gindoff and director Guerdon Trueblood, this low-budget suspenser (shot for just $250K) has acquired a cult following but isn't very exciting. Robert Maxwell's cinematography is clean and crisp, but the hysteria in the scenario (not just from the kidnappers and the victim but also from the deranged parents of a mute child-witness) is ear-splitting. Top-billed Tiffany Bolling (as ruthless kidnapper Jessie) later denounced the picture, calling it "a horrendous experience." She's right. *1/2 from ****
Review of The Candy Snatchers
The Candy Snatchers
(1973)
"I never would have thought of this!" .. "I saw it on television."
30 March 2024