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All the Boys Love Mandy Lane (2006) More at IMDb Pro »

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45 out of 75 people found the following comment useful :-
Cream of the chop, 19 September 2006

Author: larry-411 from United States

I attended the world premiere of "All the Boys Love Mandy Lane" at the Toronto Film Festival. From that night on, I couldn't stop talking about it. This film is a gem in so many ways. Young first time director Jonathan Levine has crafted a brilliant twist on the "old school" teen slasher flick. With a script by Jacob Forman, who clearly has a passion for the genre, Levine assembled a frighteningly talented cast of young actors who made these characters so real that it seemed improvised. As it turned out, much of it was, as pointed out in the Q&A which followed the screening. When they partied, they partied. And it results in a natural, carefree ensemble performance that makes this film what it is – pure fun. The production values belie the film's meager budget (500K?). For example, the effective use of neutral film stock, under-processed at times, gives segments of the film a home movie look a la "Blair Witch." The selective use of slow-mo and freeze-frame add to the "big movie" feel of this little indie. As with all good horror films, Levine infuses the film with an appropriately foreboding score. And as an added bonus, the soundtrack features 80's classics which enhance the "old school" feel, especially if you're "old" enough to have been "in school" then. There's plenty of blood and gore here, of course, but tongue is also firmly planted in cheek.

File these names under "people to watch": Michael Welch, Aaron Himelstein, Luke Grimes, Edwin Hodge, and Whitney Able. Amber Heard is Mandy Lane (she also shines in "Alpha Dog"). Anson Mount rounds out the cast and is a familiar face to many. Many of the cast were present at the screening, also seeing it for the first time along with the audience. Those I chatted up afterward were humble and gracious, and worthy of all the attention this film deserves. I don't consider myself a horror fan, but of the 30 plus films I saw, this is among the cream of the crop. Or should I say cream of the chop. Put "All the Boys Love Mandy Lane" at the top of your list.

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26 out of 42 people found the following comment useful :-
Exceptional Indie-slasher, 29 August 2007

Author: jaxfilms-1 from United Kingdom

This film really distinguishes itself within the slasher genre. It's that rare occurrence of a horror film that doesn't feel like a horror film, just a story.

The characters are all carefully portrayed by a mostly unknown cast who were allowed to improvise much of their dialogue. The characters are all well defined and form a totally believable and generally likable group of friends, despite their human weaknesses.

It's almost a surprise when people start being killed off because the film feels so real and doesn't bear any of the tired trademarks usually associated with the genre. The grainy film stock and hand-held camera-work also help to further differentiate this film which is essentially a cross between an Indie movie and a slasher film.

Very original treatment of some well worn themes. Great to see this type of story taken seriously for once. Just what the horror industry needs.

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16 out of 23 people found the following comment useful :-
Intriguing little revisionist slasher worthy of a watch..., 20 May 2008

Author: the_holy_ferret from United Kingdom

Since the post-modern shenanigans of Scream have now passed as much into the realm of retrodom as the films that Scream itself parodied, the slasher genre has undergone a very bizarre 'return to roots' in which the conventions of the genre subverted by Scream seem no longer to be an object of satire, instead these age-old cheesy-as-hell clichés have found themselves again worshipped to an almost religious degree by a new audience unaware of concepts such as self-awareness or irony. With this in mind, the genre is in what could be called 'a new dark age'. Thank heavens then for All The Boys Love Mandy Lane.

This latest genre entry is not ground-breaking in the way that Scream was. It lacks that films overt subversiveness and intertextuality, as well as its well timed humour. However Mandy Lane plays with enough conventions to be interesting. Chiefly, the film blends together two narratives, one is a coming-of-age tale of self discovery, the other is a typical nasty slasher film. The plot, like the best of these films, is so simple you could write it on the back of a postage stamp. Mandy Lane is the girl every guy wants to bed, and over the course of a weekend getaway it seems many a hormonally addled young squire has this in mind, unfortunately one person is so obsessed with her that they're killing anyone who isn't worthy of her.

Such a premise is hardly ingenious, but the way the film uses it is. Whilst all the typical teen stereotypes emerge, the films concept is used to examine them in more than the usual level of detail. Witness the jock who's actually an insecure wimp intimidated by societal demands to be the alpha male, the slut who's so obsessed with her looks she's self consciously anorexic, and the wise cracking black guy who actually doesn't wise crack at all. The killer is revealed well before the end and the motivation of the killer is scarily realistic, almost empathetic, in a world of everyday high school shootings. Whilst many of the characters in the film aren't exactly likable, they are empathetic, and for this reason the film contains an emotional weight other slashers do not.

There's a twist at the end, which most people will see coming, but like any good twist the focus isn't on what it reveals but what it doesn't reveal. Indeed, the twist only poses more questions, particularly regarding the moral compass of the film which is, at best, ambiguous. Generally speaking, the film isn't particularly gory, relying more on suspense and suggestion. I found the film's level of realism, some would argue nihilism, refreshing in an era of popcorn orientated teen fodder. It won't convert slasher haters, or those devoted to living in the 'good old days', but it will intrigue those who want to see a slasher in which teenagers actually exist as teenagers, as opposed to merely victims solely there to get naked then die. Also worthy of note is the wonderful cinematography and use of music, which is truly outstanding. Ultimately, Mandy Lane is a less than by-numbers slasher flick, with a lot going on under the surface (which will go over a lot of people's heads). Like the best horror films, it made me think. That is no bad thing.

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25 out of 43 people found the following comment useful :-
Plenty of stuff beside horror going on in this movie, 17 February 2008

Author: seawalker from Birmingham, England

I approached seeing "All The Boys Love Mandy Lane" with caution. I had heard a rumour that the Protection Of Punters From Horror Movie Cliché's fast response squad (a subdivision of the Committee For Protection Against All Hollywood Movie Clichés) were sweeping UK cinemas and arresting anybody caught watching bad movies about good looking teens being slaughtered by evil forces unknown in remote and eerie locations. The punishment, I heard, was 30 years hard labour watching Martin Lawrence comedies.

I was OK. The squad didn't catch me. Anyway, despite being based on well worn movie clichés, "All The Boys Love Mandy Lane" was really rather good, not a bad movie at all, so the squad would have been forced to let me go.

My interest in a film like this lives and dies on outside of what is going regarding the horror content. Horror is boring in and of itself. Luckily there is plenty of other stuff going on in "All The Boys Love Mandy Lane".

"All The Boys Love Mandy Lane" boasts really great, stunning cinematography. Just beautiful work, dreamy and atmospheric, utilising all sorts of time lapse effects and film stock. I think the work is as as good as anything you might see in a serious art house film. "All The Boys Love Mandy Lane" also has a really good soundtrack of melancholy pop music, culminating in a song that everybody knows: One of the creepiest pop songs of all time. (You will know what it is. It is in the trailer.) There are good performances and an inventive script, touching on interesting issues such as sexual attraction, jealousy, the school hierarchy, peer pressure and rivalry and the problems of the modern body image.

Hey! Don't worry! The filmmakers do not forget that "All The Boys Love Mandy Lane" is supposed to be a horror movie. Add to all of the above some particularly bloody, hands-over-your-eyes, murders.

The eventual identity of the killer was no surprise to me, but that is just the way it goes. I have seen a lot of movies. Suffice to say that "All The Boys Love Mandy Lane" is a superior horror film. One of the best I have seen in years.

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28 out of 49 people found the following comment useful :-
Mandy laid ..., 10 October 2007

Author: kosmasp

... that is how much the Boys love Mandy Lane. But of course this is not another teen ... I mean romantic movie. Nope this is a horror movie. A slasher to be precise. Now slashers do live with two premises: Either a great twist or original killings. In this case, you kinda have both.

At that is what makes this movie worthwhile watching. Of course it is aimed more at the teen/twen audience, but what slasher isn't. The really illogical things that do happen, stay at a minimum, which is a good thing and the actors fit the bill(their roles), no more, no less than that. If you don't like slashers at all, you should of course stay away from this movie!

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29 out of 53 people found the following comment useful :-
An east of eden type treatment of hidden evil, 4 January 2007

Author: BDupree from United States

At first glance this seems only 'teen slasher' (but a professionally filmed and acted slasher). However on reflection, the film clearly is an 'east of eden' story of true evil. Steinbeck would have been thrilled with the treatment which may turn out to be more terrifying on reflection than most teens are prepared to handle. One wonders if the story will be developed in a sequel to evil. Although the ending is unexpected, the film is fair to its audience in providing adequate clues along the way to the source of evil rather than providing only red herrings to miss lead the audience.

The movie was beautifully filmed in a striking location in dry land Texas. The movie is worth seeing for the vistas alone.

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5 out of 6 people found the following comment useful :-
Pleasant Surprise, 12 September 2008

Author: Claudio Carvalho from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

The orphan Mandy Lane (Amber Heard) is a beautiful, virgin and pure teenager raised by her aunt, desired by her schoolmates and a close friend of the outcast Emmet (Michael Welch). After the death of their high school mate in a pool party, Mandy befriends Chloe (Whitney Able), Marlin (Melissa Price), Red (Aaron Himelstein), Bird (Edwin Hodge) and Jake (Luke Grimes). Red invites the group for a weekend party in the isolated ranch of his family, with all the boys disputing who would succeed in having sex with Mandy Lane. They meet the henchman Garth (Anson Mount) that takes care of the ranch and he asks the group to go easy on the drugs and booze. In the middle of the night, a stranger wearing a hood attacks Marlin in the barn; when Jake seeks her out, he faces the killer, beginning a night of bloodshed and terror.

The slasher "All the Boys Love Mandy Lane" is a pleasant surprise, with a good story and a predictable killer. However, the unexpected last twist is not totally clear since the motives for the attitude of Mandy Lane are not explained. Her intriguing character deserved to be better developed, but probably the intention of the writer is to give arguments for a sequel disclosing the reasons why Mandy Lane is so ambiguous. My vote is six.

Title (Brazil): "Tudo Por Ela" ("All for Her")

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8 out of 12 people found the following comment useful :-
A real surprise to the slasher genre, 24 June 2008

Author: dschmeding from Germany

Wow, I didn't expect much from this movie considering that its story sounded pretty mediocre. But it didn't take long to realize that "All the boys love Mandy Lane" is far from the typical Slasher Movie and that is because its in all ways superior done... biggest plus is the stunning visuals and cinematography that captures you in a strange dreamlike feeling throughout the movie and is well supported by the use of music which is kind of cynical and used very little but effective. Seeing that this is the first feature film production of Producer Levine I have to lift my thumbs way up for this one! So what do you get... Mandy Lane is a beautiful but rather distanced girl and most boys in her school are after her. After a friend of her dares another guy who is after her to impress Mandy by jumping from a roof ending in a serious accident Mandy distances from him and gives in to join a couple of cool guys and girls on a weekend stay at a land house. You pretty much know whats coming when you got a bunch of teenagers in a house far from other people, so soon the first ones start to disappear. What makes this movie work is the in-depth depiction of the characters, most having their issues behind the mask they wear at high school. A big part of the movie seems to look into a rather bleak and cynical youth, making it seem like a modern high school version of "Stand by me" on acid that heavily mixes with Slashers like "Scream". If you are in for some serious slashing you don't get much but there is some scenes that are incredibly harsh not so much for the blood but rather for the cynical editing and use of stop-frames and music. After all you are in for 1-2 twists in the end and to me the movie leaves a lot to your own interpretation. But all this makes it enjoyable and different. Definitely give this movie a try because it would be a shame if it got lost in the masses of redundant slasher movies... if you got a little bored with the genre like me "All the boys love Mandy Lane" is a real gem.

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2 out of 2 people found the following comment useful :-
A Nutshell Review: All The Boys Love Mandy Lane, 25 September 2008

Author: DICK STEEL from Singapore

All the boys love Mandy Lane, and the way she is portrayed by Amber Heard, who wouldn't? She's blonde, she's demure, she's so hot that the camera in the movie's introduction to the character, lingered on her T&As. She's a fine athlete though we don't really get to know what kind of graaes she's getting. Every boy in school wants to talk to her, and every one of them wants to get into her pants, earning bragging rights to be the first amongst everyone else to have conquered probably the last bastion of virginity in school. People would do silly things like dying for her too.

In typical slasher flick formula, a group of students, Mandy included, organized themselves for a getaway in a secluded ranch, where a ranch hand Garth (Anson Mount) provides that element of question as to who amongst the group will be the hunter, and who will fall as prey. Like how the formula warns against decadent teenage lifestyles, such as the unwritten rules of having the non-virgin being dispatched first and the likes, you're constantly kept guessing as everyone in the group, save for our goody-two-shoes Mandy, get sloshed in a flood of sin, with the smoking of weed, snorting of coke, being highly sexually charged and active, and downing alcohol as if it was water.

It does take quite a while for the first person to fall, and you probably won't feel much for the characters that had to kick the bucket in the most violent of deaths, which get shown quite graphically, only to pull back at the last minute through visual tricks and edits the filmmakers use. But for slasher flick fans, it's a long ride to get to this stage, and frankly speaking given that the characters all don't appeal to you (i.e. you couldn't care less if they live or die), the movie does seem to coast along the tried and tested, until its last act.

Surprisingly, the narrative decided to reveal its boogeyman quite early on in the film, which provided some perplexing questions. Again for those familiar with the genre, there'll always be a thought niggling in your mind in disbelief that the plot would be so straight forward. Granted as mentioned, the payload comes at the finale, which I thought had two meanings, depending on which concept you subscribe to. First, following reality that the most perverse amongst us tend to be the one most disconnected, and second, punishment coming from someone who doesn't see eye to eye on immoral lifestyles, and want to put a deadly stop to it.

I did see the revelation coming, but for the longest time had decided not to believe my gut feeling in the hopes that it would develop into something that will genuinely blow my mind. It's not perfect, but it did have its moments with the following of recent trends in the slasher genre that bad guys don't have to necessarily finish last. Nothing fanciful here, but it still worked to a certain degree. And kudos to both the casting director in putting Amber Heard in the titular role, and for the actress to pull off one of the more memorable lead characters in such a genre flick.

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18 out of 34 people found the following comment useful :-
All the Boys Love Mandy Lane, 3 June 2008

Author: Raj Doctor from Amsterdam, Netherlands

I saw the trailers of this movie and found the cinematography and what was presented interesting. I saw the IMDb rating and 6.8 confirmed it to be an above average movie. Thus went to see it.

The story is about Mandy Lane (Amber Heard) – a beautiful girl in high school who is a subject of male sexual desire. Mandy's friend Emmet's (Michael Welch) provocation to another fellow student to show his love for Mandy, leaves the fellow student drunk and jump down to death. Nine months pass and Mandy is invited for a summer weekend to a secluded ranch by her teenager friends – three girls and three boys go there! There is a security guard Garth (Anson Mount) who works at the ranch. During the first night itself the killings take place – one by one the members of the group are killed. Who is behind the killings? I wont tell here to spoil sports… Did I like the movie? NO. After usual interesting opening – the movie takes a downward turn with every unfolding of event. By half-time when the killer is revealed, one looses all interest in the remaining proceedings. There is a last twist in the tale to shock viewers, but rather it made me shake the head in dis-belief and laugh! All this for suspense? Huh…! Amber Heard acts and plays her role well as a shy and conscious girl – who is aware of her beauty and men's desire for her. The remaining cast are usual – nothing to say about. There are so many movies made of teenager boys and girls going to a secluded place and slowly someone killing them one by one – that it does not interest me anymore.

Director Jonathan Levine tries hard to make the movie interesting by using contemporary chat talks of teenagers, loaded with sexual overtones, but does not allow the movie to rise above the mundane.

The only and the most appealing saving grace of the movie is its cinematography by Darren Genet – who captures beautiful picture perfect images! (Stars 3 out of 10)

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