Plot: What’s it about?
It’s hard to believe that a movie from 2006 is just now seeing the light of day. All the Boys Love Mandy Lane faced distribution problems (among other things) until finally getting released. Regardless, it’s finally available. I only heard of the film more recently, but became eager to see it. I am a horror fan and this one seemed like it might be right up my alley. Truth be told, there’s really no reason, especially in this day and age that this film should’ve sat on the shelf for so long. I am not defending the film, mind you, but on the surface it seems just like any other horror film and or/remake out there. Amber Heard plays the title character, Mandy Lane. She becomes very attractive one summer and is immediately sought after by all the guys. Mandy lives with her aunt and (without much effort) convinces her to let her go with her friends to a party at a ranch. It’s clear early on some of the guys motives for inviting Mandy to the party. They all plan to hook up with Mandy at some point. Why not at the party? Seems like the perfect opportunity right? Well, we all know that in horror movies something has to go wrong and indeed, many things go wrong. There are a couple other girls who go to the party and a few boys. Normally I’d name some of the other actors and their respective characters, but there’s no need. The characters (outside of Mandy) hardly register, they’re very interchangeable.
It’s easy to see what they were going for with this film. The 70’s influences are pretty obvious from the start. We can see this by some of the camera angles and certainly the cinematography. I often admire modern horror films that scale themselves back and offer a simpler approach to things. The problem with this film is that there’s so little investment with the characters that I didn’t care who died or who was going to die next. Much of the film is spent with them drinking and doing drugs, not much of anything happens. I’m sure the original “Texas Chainsaw Massacre” had an influence on this, but the difference is that film was scary and effective. It also played like a documentary in its look and feel. Lastly, while it took a while for Leatherface to finally appear, it was well worth the wait. Here, the killer is cloaked in secrecy until the ending. By that time, it’s just too late. There is a pretty big plot twist at the very end, but the rest of the film has been so average that it hardly matters. Many might even find it predictable. I admit that it got me, but the motivations behind it felt a bit murky to me. The film also wastes too much time after the twist is revealed before getting to the end credits. It just goes on too long after the twist. There are a plenty of kills in the film, but they’re nothing to get too excited over. For gore-hounds, there’s just not enough here to please. There really wasn’t a frightening moment that I could recall. The film has its moments, but not enough of them. If it had stronger character development then I might’ve been more accepting of it. I didn’t hate it, but it’s simply unremarkable and unmemorable. For those curious, I’d advise a rental before plunking down money to buy it, especially if it’s a blind purchase.
Video: How’s it look?
The film was completed in 2006, but it comes with a spiffy transfer that looks as good as many recent films. There is a bit of grain in some scenes, but this was likely an artistic choice, as the film clearly wears its 70’s roots on its sleeve. The AVC encoded (2.40:1) image is solid. Flesh tones were always even and smooth with nice details on several of the faces. Background shots were nicely detailed as well. There is a bit of softness in some scenes, but it’s never too distracting. To best appreciate this transfer one has to know that a lot of the little details were intentional. The grain I mentioned in some scenes and the overall hue is very much how the director intended. So, with that being said, this transfer should please.
Audio: How’s it sound?
The DTS HD track was also a winner. The rear channels got plenty of usage and overall the track had a nice balance throughout. There were a few gunshot blasts throughout the film and those definitely made use of the rear speakers. There’s also a bit of music throughout and that comes across nicely. Dialogue was always strong and consistent throughout. This track is a winner and is a nice compliment to the strong video transfer as well.
Supplements: What are the extras?
- Audio Commentary – Director Jonathan Levine provides some good notes here. There really isn’t anything that doesn’t get covered here. He’s very honest in his thoughts about the film, often mentioning things he wish he did differently and various other anecdotes. Fans will want to give this track a listen.
- Previews
