Stylish but barely mediocre overall

Self-important, over-dramatic, uninspired.

I have absolutely never seen anything like this movie before. You have to see this movie.

I didn’t really have many expectations going into the movie (good or bad), but I actually really enjoyed it. I really liked the characters and the banter between them.

What an oddball mixture we have here. The plot concerns 3 inept but vicious thugs including a very attractive blonde who kidnap a teenage schoolgirl in order collect a half a million bucks from her father as with all of these schemes things just don't go to plan, stupidity and mayhem follow. This movie has a look and feel of a 70s made for TV thriller punctured with scenes of violence and comic relief straight from the grind house " how to make a movie guidebook " The characters are all as amoral as you can get with the exception of Candy and a little mute boy!!! The pace of the movie moves a little too slow in parts particularly in the middle section but picks momentum big time during the almost " jaw dropping " conclusion. In fact the conclusion is what has set this movie apart ( I think ) from many other similar but easily forgettable movies from the period. It shows several shocking, intelligent and believable plot twists, with the last being the most shocking of all. This movie isn't as visceral as Last House on the Left or as controversial as Fight for Your Life but has more than a good deal of intelligence and directorial talent than most of the 70s offerings, So check it out. And with the recent Subversive DVD release of this not quite a classic but... It is no more one of those " lost gems "

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.

Two weeks after "The Candy Snatchers" was released in Italy, John Paul Getty III was kidnapped, after which his ear was cut off and sent to a newspaper in Rome by his Italian kidnappers, as an apparent incentive for the payment of his ransom - an act that mirrored a part of the film's plot.Regards the comment "Special Weird Appeal notice goes to Christophe as the mute hero of the tale; his performance must be seen to be believed and puts most child actors to shame; imagine a six-year-old Macauley Culkin on mushrooms and you'll get the picture." Christophe was played by the director's son Christopher Trueblood, who was learning disabled. One of the most difficult scenes in the picture to complete was the one in which Christophe ends up having to shoot Eddy, because (much to his credit) Christopher was unwilling to just 'pretend' to kill Vince Martanaro, who was in fact his close friend - in part because of Vince's lengthy relationship with Guerdon Trueblood and his family.

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.