johnstonjames first of all i have to state that yes, i believe that there is sex traffic of children and young adults of both sexes, not just girls. boys just probably are more capable in that situation. i had to state that because some people who might happen to read my review may find it callous or insensitive.i completely accept the facts here except for the omission that many males are kidnapped and are sex trafficked too. the problem one may have with my opinion is that i'm kind of apathetic toward that and every other cause. i'm not really into "causes". the world is full of misery and i've just kind of grown to accept it and just live with it. i also don't really like messages that are too alarmist. i also thought this film was too entertaining and sort of for kids to be too effective in conveying any kind of message. this message is too important and should probably be left up to a straight out documentary approach.this film should appeal to kids though. it appealed to me. and Heaven knows i'm pretty immature for my age. i watch horror movies and cult movies and cartoons. i thought it had a cool look to it. it was dark and scary. it owed a lot of it's look to the films of Tim Burton and David lynch. i thought it's satirical send up of movies like 'Willy Wonka' and 'Chitty Chitty Bang Bang' were hilarious and disturbing.this film is also a good example of independent filmmaking and distribution on a polished and successful level. it is a example of good marketing of a independent short film on the internet. i love short independent filmmaking. it is a great way for many independent filmmaker to get their start and get their voices heard. not everyone should have to rely on big studios and their greedy corporate executives to gain approval all the time.bravo and kudos to this little film on so many levels. not just for exposing a important topic, but for paving the way for a whole new era in filmmaking in general and in how we approach and view it. and if kids are going to get on the internet to enjoy movies and entertainment for God's sake, let's first and foremost keep them truly safe. Amen to that one.

tim-952-869118 Whitestone Motion Pictures does it again. As with everything Whitestone does the production value is excellent. This is a great film about an important topic. Glad to see there is a motion picture company that's willing to develop a compelling story around important and often ignored issue. We went to the premier of the film with a 16 year old kid from our neighborhood who's 18 year old sister has been prostituting herself since she was 13. He left the film with a sense of responsibility that he like the boy in the film needed to rescue his sister from the evil that is in her life. I can only hope there are more films like this that help people look at issues we don't like to talk about.

Peter Cunningham I completely support what this group of inspiring filmmakers are up to. This film is so beautiful to watch - the production design, the costumes, the colours, the make up - each element works so well in telling the story. Each element has a defined purpose, and that's one of the many things that make this film so special.You can just see the passion that went in to making this film. It's in the dialogue, the characters, and the overall metaphor. All executed so artistically. Doug Jones is sufficiently creepy, and Mattie Liptak as young Jimmy makes a role that could have been very cheesy, very heroic and believable. The production itself is outstanding, I think we could all learn a lot from these guys.I can't sing the praises of Whitestone enough. I am a young filmmaker in Australia and I follow all their work and spread the word throughout my community here about them. Keep going guys, you're already making a huge difference in the world of film-making. Next stop, Oscars.

E Brandon Dean Last night I had the surreal opportunity to attend the premier of a short, beautiful and deeply disturbing independent film at the Fox Theater in downtown Atlanta. The Candy Shop is self-described as a fairytale about child sex exploitation and truly I can think of no better way to describe it.As a low-budget, independent film it is quite excellent and I suspect it will get noticed when it is taken to the film festivals. The imagery is darkly picturesque, reminiscent of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, giving the viewer a sense of foreboding amidst an otherwise pleasant outlook. The characters are superbly portrayed by a fine cast of actors. Of course, the most notable performance came from Doug Jones who brought the creepy, demented, and hauntingly familiar Candyman to life – instantly he is hated, and yet one gets a sense that underneath this character has his own tragic story that is, perhaps, not so far distant from our own. Brandon McCormick, the director of this film, has created a story that is a bit transparent for an allegory – but I believe this was intentional. The title tells us it is a story about child sex exploitation – we are never given the opportunity to truly believe that this is just a harmless fairytale – and when we see the delicious looking lollipops and our mouths begin to water it creates a disquieting sense of wrongness as we are pulled into the story. In no way is this film gratuitous, explicit, or graphic, yet the true horror of the issue comes through. This film is a triumph of storytelling.It is tempting to say that this is a story about a bad man, who hurts children, and who ultimately gets his due. However, as I mulled it over, it became more and more apparent that this was not the Candyman's story; the idea is not simply to show us that evil exists. Rather, it is the story of the paperboy who first warily watches, and then with growing consternation realizes that something is wrong eventually being brought face-to-face with the reality of the issue and realizing that he no longer has the option of idly standing by. We, the viewer, take the same journey – so be warned! – I defy any sane-minded person to leave the theater without a sense of responsibility to take action.What makes the film so utterly horrific is the knowledge that child sex slavery is not fiction. Nor is it something that only happens overseas in third-world countries. It is happening everywhere in the United States. Atlanta, Georgia is one of the largest hubs for child sex trafficking. And nearly half of perpetrators come from my neck of the woods, the suburbs north of Atlanta. These are OUR children! This is OUR issue!Doug Jones said afterward that when he read the script he knew he wanted to be a part of the film, but that "the cause came with it." So it is with me, and so it will be, I truly hope, with you. Please support this film, as it is entered into the Atlanta Film Festival, and please become an abolitionist – you can visit stopthecandyshop.com or streetgrace.com for more information. Original Review found at: http://ebdean.com/archives/221