When Nat King Cole sang, “Get your kicks on Route 66;” I don’t think he meant the kind of kicks that are found at the truck stop featured in Candy Land. During long highway trips, I generally avoid using truck stops mainly because of the fear of a trucker not seeing me when driving away from the pumps. But there are reportedly other things to avoid lurking in the shadows of the dimly lit parking lots filled with idling semis. There’s always rumors of drugs being dealt to help the truckers make it through the long haul. There’s also a bit of prostitution since it gets mighty lonely on the road and truckers often don’t have time to flirt. Those that specialize in servicing those behind the wheels are nicknamed Lot Lizards. While it’s a colorful nickname, this is an extremely dangerous profession. Candy Land is a film that shows us the regular nightmares of being a lot lizard and amps it up with a bloody mess.
Just off the Route 66 is a truck stop that those in the know call Candy Land. The truckers can pull off, pump up and get a quickie from the youngsters lurking around the bathroom. They have a CB radio so they’re always eager for a little company in their spot of the remote world. A driver can make a reservation although they are always open for walk ups. The crew includes Sadie (Sam Quartin), Levi (The Americans‘ Owen Campbell), Reilly (Yellowstone‘s Eden Brolin) and Liv (Virginia Rand). The kids are sort of looked after by Nora (Go Fish‘s Guinevere Turner), an older lady who isn’t quite a pimp. We get a look into their lives. During the day, they’re hustling at the truck stop. Levi specializes in hanging out in the men’s room waiting for people who don’t have to do Number 2. The girls roam the parking lot looking for a trucker that swings open their passenger door. The owner of the truck stop turns a blind eye to the prostitution since it brings in traffic. The local sheriff (Backdraft‘s William Baldwin) doesn’t bust them because he’s got a thing going with Levi. They rent rooms at the nearby skanky motel. This is also where they hook up with travelers who want a bit more space than the back of their cab or a men’s room stall. One afternoon their turf gets invaded by a group of uptight religious folks wanting to save their souls. None of the kids decide to convert and flee their heathen lifestyle. The next day however the opposite happens. Remy (It Follows‘ Olivia Luccardi) has been flung out of her religious group and has nothing to fall back on. All she has is a large wooden cross her mom gave her. The lot lizards adopt her since she’s really naive to the ways of the real world. As they entice her to be part of the crew, the life at the truck stop gets dangerous. There’s a dead body in a bathroom stall. One of Levi’s clients knocks him out and basically holds a knife to his throat. Even with all the dangers, Remy seems curious to work the new job and hang with her new friends even with all the dangers. Although she might be adding to the dangers.
Candy Land gives an unflinching look at what sort of life a young adult working the truck stop is like. There’s nothing glamorous in the presentation. Everything on the screen looks exceptionally grimy thanks to Director of Photography Will Stone and his crew. We don’t get brightness even with the beautiful mountains in the distance of the parking lot. This movie is about a group of kids hustling their way through the day. When they try to do something nice, they are repaid with a nightmare. The murders seem like they were going to eventually happen. Lot Lizards aren’t known for contributing to their 401K Roth IRA. The cast draws us into the action. Sam Quartin really owns the screen as she cruises the lot looking for her next paying customer. Olivia Luccardi brings a lot of expressions to her naive exile forced to contemplate going from being a virgin to full time whore in order to survive. The film’s most effective scare is using Crowded House’s “Don’t Dream It’s Over.” I won’t be able to think of that song without thinking of the movie’s bloody finale. Candy Land takes us to the land of the doomed where life doesn’t go up the Gumdrop Mountain.
The Video is 1.85:1 anamorphic. The transfer is clean and allows you to appreciate the crappy lighting found at the truck stop and dingey motel. The Audio is DTS-HD MA 5.1. You’ll hear all the odd noises of servicing truckers. There’s also a LPCM 2.0 stereo mix. The movie is subtitled in English.
Audio Commentary featuring director John Swab. He explains how he meant for the film to be like a John Hughes movie that went bad. He succeeded. He also points out that his wife plays Sadie. There’s a great story of her opening scene with the trucker. Turns out the guy was a real trucker who had no idea what was going to happen in the scene.
Candy Land Zine is over 30 photos taken during the shoot. There’s a great one of Santa in the bathroom.
Trailer (1:58) gives us a sense of the life of lot lizards and their new friend.
MVD Visual presents Candy Land. Directed by John Swab. Screenplay by John Swab. Starring Eden Brolin, William Baldwin, Olivia Luccardi, Owen Campbell, Guinevere Turner, Sam Quartin & Virginia Rand. Running Time: 93 minutes. Rating: Unrated. Release Date: February 6, 2024.
