ALL THE BOYS LOVE MANDY LANE

[yorrick brown]

A group of high schoolers invite Mandy Lane (Amber Heard), a good girl who became quite hot over the summer, to a weekend party on a secluded ranch. While the festivities rage on, the number of revelers begins to drop quite mysteriously


love the trailer.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XDPL8B1nIhE











STARS
AMBER HEARD



review

Do you remember the girl that everyone wanted? Wanted to know, wanted to see, wanted to touch and wanted to be. What was her name—that mysterious creature that floated down the corridors of countless high schools in countless towns, day after day, year after year, decade after decade? You knew her but you never knew her. She lived and breathed and passed by on a cloud of faint perfume, her name breathlessly blowing in the wind—whispering—Mandy Lane.

Mandy Lane (Amber Heard) is every boy’s fantasy—perfection in every pore. A porcelain goddess put on the earth to torture souls with the bat of an eyelash and the curl of her upper lip. And because the Gods have a sprightly sense of humor, Mandy Lane suffers from the total inability to recognize her seemingly endless charms.

As the film begins, Mandy and her best friend Emmet (Michael Welch, upcoming DAY OF THE DEAD) are invited to local jock, Dylan’s pool party. Ok, that’s not entirely true, Mandy is invited, she just drags Emmet along for the ride—a move that clearly raises the ire of the bleach blond Bo hunk. Once the party is started, Mandy is reluctant to strip down and hop in the pool and Emmet is clearly out of his element. As the Boons Farm flows and the bongs are broken out, Emmet convinces Dylan that to impress the fair Mandy Lane, he should leap into the pool from the roof of his house. And such was the end of Dylan’s golden life.

Nine months later we see Mandy aproaching the end of her junior year. To celebrate, a group of would-be friends are trying to convince the virginal beauty to accompany them to Red’s (Aaron Himelstein, FAST FOOD NATION) ranch house for a weekend of drinking and debauchery the likes of which are generally reserved for early 80’s teen sex comedies. The pair of girls, Chloe and Marlin have their eyes on the boys, Jake and Bird—but like the story goes…all the boys love Mandy Lane.

Things seem to be progressing nicely as the crew spends their days drinking and swimming and smoking and drinking and drinking. But when the sun sets they’ll be stalked and killed off one-by-one leaving virtually no one left but the resplendent Mandy Lane.

Director Jonathan Levine and writer Jacob Forman know conventions. They’re steeped in genre history and their film hits all the high and low notes. The gore is great and the tension is palpable. They never shy away from showing the killer and rely on shotgun blasts to paralyze the audience instead of the usual false jump scares that lesser filmmakers employ. It’s clear that they are confident in their approach to the material and that steady hand shows throughout the production.

At the center of the story is Amber Heard who clearly handles the most difficult role in the film—where each of the other characters is in many ways a stereotype of what you’d find in any given high school in America, Heard had to be so much more. She is required to embody an archetype that can hardly be described—A Helen to the people of her high schools Troy. I cannot stress enough how clearly she needed to be the absolute physical and spiritual embodiment of perfection to play this part. And to her undeniable credit Amber Heard rose magnificently to that occasion. It’s obviously a handicap to title your film ALL THE BOYS LOVE MANDY LANE if you can’t deliver that promise. Levine and his crew did that first aspect of their jobs with resounding success.

Probably one of the most surprising aspects of the film is the director’s decision to reveal the killer early on. If you watch enough horror films it seems clear the path the film is heading in so they decided to slip out that little spoiler early on and get right to the business of focusing on the killings. After all, this is a horror film, and one that is paying as much homage to it’s predecessors as it can bear to handle. Everything from the dusty Texas ranch house and the desaturated lighting scheme to the HALLOWEEN cum FRIDAY THE 13TH morality killings. MANDY LANE hits all the marks, which could have been a detriment to the production, but in the deft hands of Levine adds a rich history to a story that’s been told plenty of times before…albeit with a twist.

I really wanted to like this film and that is usually the kiss of death for a project. But ALL THE BOYS LOVE MANDY LANE is an exception to my caustic rule. It is a solid entry into the slasher genre and a pretty damn good teen thriller too boot. Levine and Forman make the genre work for them in a way that most filmmakers lack the foresight to accomplish. As the blood flows and the breasts come out, the film succeeds where so many others have failed—in recreating a bygone era of 1980’s styled horror with a new millennium sensibility but not resorting to post-SCREAM self-referentiation.





2nd review


My, we've seen this one before. A handful of teens, delegates of every clique in the high school melting pot, find a prime piece of real estate to party and get themselves dead. Oversaturated by "Scream" and its offspring within the last decade, the concept has all the appeal at this point of a sweaty, naked cheerleader abandoned in the backseat of a car after a football squad love fest. Spent. Used up. Unattractive. But like a recent spate of slasher fare-with-substance - "Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon" and "Hatchet" - "All the Boys Love Mandy Lane" is a healthy alternative to the sub-genre's monotony. If Larry Clark, Sofia Coppola and Lucky McKee had a three-way, this is the brood they'd produce: A heady creation with a slavish adherence to slasher conventions and the ammunition to confidently knock 'em down as writer Jacob Forman and director Jonathan Levine see fit. Toss in a retro style, a few decent twists 'n turns, indisputable sex appeal and startling realism and you've got a shockingly good - *gulp* - teen (!) horror film that transcends much of the adult-oriented dreck posturing as filmmaking these days.

Mandy Lane (Heard) is a young girl with a mature demeanor years ahead of her time. Which is probably the reason this enigmatic, nubile blondie has become the libidinal fascination of her male classmates. A catastrophic pool party plunge sets the tone from the onset, revealing what lengths these walking boners will go to to get her attention. The event ultimately drives a rift between Mandy and her geeky BFF Emmet as we find out when we pick up the narrative thread months later. Boys still love her, as does Emmet, it's plainly evident, but what's presently preoccupying her pretty little head is an invite to an expansive Texas ranch for a weekend party with cool kids Jake, Red, Bird, Chloe and Marlin.

Lane accepts, pleasing the wolves of this pack and what ensues is your usual mix of smack talk, truth or dare, cock-blocking, drugs and drinking...much to the chagrin of the alpha male ranch hand, Garth. With the scenario set in place, Foreman and Levine soon implement the stalk 'n kill formula without any heavy-handed red herring hooey. Granted, there is some build-up to the mystery surrounding the killer; once exposed, however (and it's pretty easy to figure out who it is), "Mandy Lane" evolves from an effective John Hughes-like spin on modern youth - replete with often hilarious banter - to a taught, violent reaction to the manipulation, isolation and class structure disseminating within the halls of high schools everywhere.

None of this would work, of course, without a robust and true cast; to Levine's advantage he scores a coup with Amber Heard whose chaste turn as "the unattainable" and slightly wounded introvert steals the show. This is Mandy Lane's film, after all, and if she's not on camera, there's someone talking about her or thinking about her. Levine's camera worships Lane's every nuance and curve, objectifying her and granting her a position of power and sexual authority at the same time. Heard is bewitching to watch and Lane is one of the most provocative final girls to come along in years.

The bleating, horny male herd play their parts accurately: There's the slim bad boy (Jake) who charts his conquests across a map of the U.S., then the smooth-talkin' player (Bird) and finally a frizzy-haired stoner (Red) who, I can only imagine, is only allowed to hang with the other two because of his access to narcotics. Lane's only female competition comes from one coke-sniffin' twig and an image-conscious slut. Everyone's complexities derive from a real place and the cast's naturalism works on every level.

Stylistically, Levine is grounded in the '70s. The film's developing threat and body count that bleeds into daylight terror embraces "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre" with loving arms. The soundtrack is a potent blend; not one of those arrogant, hashed-together mixes in an attempt to sell a CD that you want to use as a coaster. Contributions from Bedroom Walls, Nude and even "Our Lips are Sealed" by The GoGo's evoke something nostalgic and care-free yet haunting - a deliberate contrast to the novel kills that are heinous and poised for future subtextual analysis. One lad takes a blade across the eyes in an outrageous and cringe-worthy obliteration of that "male gaze" mentioned in Carol J. Clover's book "Men, Women and Chainsaw."

"All the Boys Love Mandy Lane" will win no supporters from those still wincing from the Virginia Tech massacre (the killer executes his prey wearing a simple hoodie, jeans and a backpack of weapons). It is often unsympathetic to current events, and it is unsafe, as all good horror films should be. Vicious and uncompromising when it wants to be, "Mandy Lane" is a tease who is just warming up as her ambiguous finale rolls credits.

A deft and ambitious debut from Levine and Forman who teach us there's still life in the slasher genre yet...and it looks damn sexy.




WEINSTEINS HAVE SOLD THE RIGHTS TO MANDY LANE.

Sources inside the Weinstein Co. said there were differences of opinion between the studio and filmmakers on how wide to release the movie, with the company preferring a smaller rollout.

Other sources said the company was split internally over the movie, with chairmen Harvey and Bob Weinstein at loggerheads over its acquisition. The recent poor performance of genre film "Grindhouse," released under the company's Dimension shingle, only exacerbated the situation, sources said. The Weinstein Co. denied that there were internal divisions over the movie.

Also a factor is the recent downturn in the horror movie market.


BUT GOOD NEWS FOR HORROR FANS.


as the movie is set for release in america on 1000 screens on feb 8th 2008.
http://www.reuters.com/article/filmN...38370620070717

[famkefan99]

i might see this i guess
since the director / producers of it went the Famke Janssen direction and are making 2 films starring Famke
(The Wackness ,Peep World)
yes i am obsessed with Famke

[yorrick brown]

finally

It was announced today that Senator will release the long-awaited All the Boys Love Mandy Lane (review) in theaters this March

[JJFlamingo]

good stuff

[Cronos]

Sounds good to me.

[drugs and hugs]

i thought this was a porn.judging by the title?.looks original ,you know teens been killed off one by one by a masked killer.but who am i kidding i`ll watch it .

[yorrick brown]

1st 10 min`s.

http://uk.movies.yahoo.com/a/All-The...x-4315688.html


cool.

[Antonio141]

I can't fucking wait! Although it probably won't make it to New Orleans theatrically, I'll settle for a summer DVD release! This one definitely has that old school vibe...

[ilovemovies]

Mediocre movie. It's okay I guess, mildly diverting though nothing more for the first two thirds. For those who are expecting typical slasher fare let me tell you that it takes FOOOOOREVER for the first kill to happen and until the last twenty minutes or so there is barly any action/gore. It's not boring but it's not particularly interesting either. And I found the twist at the end to be very lame.

A VERY meh movie if you ask me.

5/10

[Jason/Michael]

When is this coming to theaters in the US? Imdb.com says May 9th and upcominghorrormovies.com says April 25th. Anyone have any info?

[Cronos]

Really enjoyed Mandy Lane, the acting was mostly good which I didn't expect, usually it's rather bad in these films. It's well paced and has enough to the characters that I found it easy to get into the plot and what was going on. Yeah, there isn't much action/gore in it but it didn't hurt it at all. Damn good fun.

8/10

[yorrick brown]

Originally Posted by Cronos

Really enjoyed Mandy Lane, the acting was mostly good which I didn't expect, usually it's rather bad in these films. It's well paced and has enough to the characters that I found it easy to get into the plot and what was going on. Yeah, there isn't much action/gore in it but it didn't hurt it at all. Damn good fun.

8/10

what cronos wrote

[Antonio141]

Where do all of you live (what cities)? I thought maybe one of the art-house theaters here in New Orleans would feature it...but no such luck!

[shoe1985]

A very poor leak got out online. I really hope it gets a wide release because it seems like the movie that could be big. The sad thing is that this movie should have been released a long time ago.

[teenkiller]

All the boys (myself included) love Mandy Lane but not all the boys love All the Boys Love Mandy Lane... if that makes any sense to you.

I found the movie to be so so. Yeah the girl playing Mandy is hot but it takes way too damn long for things to get rolling. It's decent but nothing I'll really be clamoring more for later on. Everything is just too downplayed. The ending was nice but that's really the only thing that stands out for me.

Well thats all for now GOoD JOURNEY my fellow schmoes.

[MisterTwister]

Even though I haven't seen the film, you complain this film takes too long to get going yet you love Wolf Creek, which took a LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOONG time to get going. Makes no sense to me.

The copy on the net now looks like shit and I refuse to watch it. I'll wait.

[ilovemovies]

Wolf Creek had better characters and was way more involving.

The first two thirds of Mandy Lane is, at best, mildly diverting. Nothing more.

And when shit hit the fan, Wolf Creek was WAAAAAAY more gripping and suspenseful and didn't have a lame twist at the end.

In other words, Wolf Creek is infinitely a better movie. And it's killer was geniunly frightening. The killer in this movie wasn't frightening at all.

[ilovemovies]

What I saw was decent enough quality. I would have stopped watching it if I couldn't tell what was going on and couldn't see anything. I could see everything and it was a pretty decent quality.


I don't watch bootlegs unless they are good.

[MisterTwister]

Are people really judging the film based on this?



WOW.

[MisterTwister]

Originally Posted by ilovemovies

Wolf Creek had better characters and was way more involving.

The first two thirds of Mandy Lane is, at best, mildly diverting. Nothing more.

And when shit hit the fan, Wolf Creek was WAAAAAAY more gripping and suspenseful and didn't have a lame twist at the end.

In other words, Wolf Creek is infinitely a better movie. And it's killer was geniunly frightening. The killer in this movie wasn't frightening at all.

The killer in Wolf Creek was as scary as a wet cardboard box. I really don't get the love for this piece of shit.

Whatever you said doesn't change the fact the film took too long to get going and when it did nothing that special happened. This was a 100 minute film, not King Kong. Been there, done that.

[ilovemovies]

Originally Posted by MisterTwister

The killer in Wolf Creek was as scary as a wet cardboard box. I really don't get the love for this piece of shit.

Whatever you said doesn't change the fact the film took too long to get going and when it did nothing that special happened. This was a 100 minute film, not King Kong. Been there, done that.

I was answering your complaint about my complaint that it takes forever for the first kill in Mandy Lane but liked Wolf Creek even though it's true for that as well.

It all comes down to the characters. And I found the characters in Wolf Creek to be much more engaging and I actually got to care about them way more so that when the violence begins, I was actually rooting for the three people to get away and was on the edge of my seat.

I didn't care nearly as much for the characters in Mandy Lane and thus, when the violence began I just couldn't care less for them and was not on the edge of my seat save for maybe one scene that was rather suspenseful. But just one scene.

And I liked that Wolf Creek didn't have a twist either and that it was a pretty straight forward movie.

Mandy Lane had to try and pull out a twist and I don't think it worked at all. It was lame.

[teenkiller]

Originally Posted by MisterTwister

Even though I haven't seen the film, you complain this film takes too long to get going yet you love Wolf Creek, which took a LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOONG time to get going. Makes no sense to me.

The copy on the net now looks like shit and I refuse to watch it. I'll wait.

My love of Wolf Creek must really irk you. Yeah Wolf Creek didn't really get going until about halfway through but for me at least it was really gripping when the Backpack Killer had them all captured. I found him to be one of the best villains to come out in a long time.

I was never really engrossed with Mandy Lane. It really just felt like a bunch of nothing major happening until the last 15 minutes or so. Believe it or not it didn't have anything to do with the visual quality of the film.

Well thats all for now GOoD JOURNEY my fellow schmoes.

[MisterTwister]

Originally Posted by ilovemovies

I was answering your complaint about my complaint that it takes forever for the first kill in Mandy Lane but liked Wolf Creek even though it's true for that as well.

It all comes down to the characters. And I found the characters in Wolf Creek to be much more engaging and I actually got to care about them way more so that when the violence begins, I was actually rooting for the three people to get away and was on the edge of my seat.

I didn't care nearly as much for the characters in Mandy Lane and thus, when the violence began I just couldn't care less for them and was not on the edge of my seat save for maybe one scene that was rather suspenseful. But just one scene.

And I liked that Wolf Creek didn't have a twist either and that it was a pretty straight forward movie.

Mandy Lane had to try and pull out a twist and I don't think it worked at all. It was lame.

Understandable.

[MisterTwister]

Originally Posted by teenkiller

My love of Wolf Creek must really irk you. Yeah Wolf Creek didn't really get going until about halfway through but for me at least it was really gripping when the Backpack Killer had them all captured. I found him to be one of the best villains to come out in a long time.

I was never really engrossed with Mandy Lane. It really just felt like a bunch of nothing major happening until the last 15 minutes or so. Believe it or not it didn't have anything to do with the visual quality of the film.

Well thats all for now GOoD JOURNEY my fellow schmoes.

Yes it irks me. It also irks me how you chew your food. It also irks me how you never put your clothes back in the hamper. But I should be quiet before anyone finds out about our relationship...

Looks like I'll have to check out Mandy Lane sometime to see if I agree.

[teenkiller]

Originally Posted by MisterTwister

Yes it irks me. It also irks me how you chew your food. It also irks me how you never put your clothes back in the hamper. But I should be quiet before anyone finds out about our relationship...

Looks like I'll have to check out Mandy Lane sometime to see if I agree.

You forgot how I'm always leaving the seat up...

Well thats all for now GOoD JOURNEY my fellow schmoes.

[shoe1985]

Originally Posted by MisterTwister

Are people really judging the film based on this?



WOW.

I downloaded it because I want to see the movie and don't see why they are waiting to release it. After about 5 minutes I shut it off. How could someone watch it? The quality was terrible and ruined anything the movie had going for it.

I will wait for either it to come to theaters or DVD.

[Ratlehed]

Well, the release date for this got pushed back to August. I lost interest in the film. I heard about it for so long that I dont care anymore if I see it or not.

[Frank the Tank]

Well, I watched a shitty bootleg of this since I'm too impatient to wait until freaking August to see this.

Solid little movie, the ending saved it for me though. Up until then, it was a pretty by the numbers yet semi entertaining flick with a gorgeous girl in it. I enjoyed most of the characters and even though nothing really happened in the first hour, I was never bored. It did have one insane kill that I don't want to spoil. The last twenty minutes were awesome. I thought they were going the predictible route and then it kept getting more and more complex. The quality of the bootleg was awful though and this is pretty much a temporary rating for it. The bootleg was way too dark and their were scenes where I couldn't see shit. I wanted to turn it off and just wait for it, but I figure it will probably get pushed back again to 2009.

7.5/10

[SatansPuppet]

Saw this way back last august, film festival organisers were really blowin their trumpets on this one "Oh it's got a great twist, best horror ever..." needless to say disappointment set in when the movie reached the 30 minute mark.

Seen it alllll before... the Europeans are bringing out better horror then the US at the moment.