Indie Gems: All The Boys Love Mandy Lane

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 7 years in the making.
I knew I was always going to include this film in my Indie Gems, whether I loved it or not, just because I've never actively followed a film for so long. If there was ever a blogger/journalist that inspired me to get online and join the movie loving community, it was Larry Richman. He' a rseally friendly independent film enthusiast that I came across on IMDb. When I started my blog, he immediately followed me on Twitter and encouraged me, and that meant the world. I mention Larry (or Larry411 as he's known online) because it was actually his review of the film that initially got me interested - way back in what, 2007? I think he saw it at SXSW, but either way, I love a campy slasher, so I set my sights on this. Little did I know that it was going to go in distribution hell for years before FINALLY turning up on Netflix.

Well, the time came for me to finally see it. I had read spoilers, because I wasn't sure if I would ever see it, but it still lived up to the expectations I had. (Although I did lessen those over the years)

Mandy Lane (Amber Heard) is a shy good-girl who, as it's noted in the opening scene, got really hot over the summer. She mostly sticks with her friend, Emmet. (Michael Welch) She drags him along to a party where he ends up being responsible for an accident one of Mandy's many suitors has. We fast forward 9 months, and Mandy and Emmet have had a falling out over this. Now, Mandy's being invited to Jake's (Luke Grimes) ranch by him and his pervy band of merry men friends, all with the intention that one of them will score with her. Strange things begin to happen and her friends start dropping like flies.

The film has everything a slasher flick looks for. Campy dialogue, boobs, decent kills, and overly horny dudes. Mandy seems so disinterested in EVERYONE there, I'm kind of surprised they continued to try so hard. One thing that felt a little different about this film was it was actually quite subtle in a way. The film doesn't really rely on intense chase scenes, things happen quickly and we get some of our answers right away, I thought that different approach worked well with the film.

Mandy Lane might not be the best slasher flick out there, but it amused me at times and the final moments take the film a step higher. 

Grade: B-

Memorable quote: "She chooses to be fat, that has nothing to do with me." - Chloe (Whitney Able)

Comments

  1. Dan O.January 24, 2014 at 9:53 AM

    Good review Brittani. There seemed to be a lot of promise with something that would be more than just another traditional, run-of-the-mill teen-slasher. But so be it, that's exactly what it ends up becoming and it's quite disappointing really, considering there seemed to be potential for something else.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Brittani BurnhamJanuary 24, 2014 at 12:17 PM

      I am glad I read a lot of spoilers ahead of time so I didn't get too disappointed, but I really still did enjoy it.

      Delete
  2. Candice FrederickJanuary 24, 2014 at 6:47 PM

    awww man. i wish i liked this movie at all. glad you got something out of it and it was worth the wait!

    ReplyDelete
  3. s.January 25, 2014 at 11:38 AM

    I enjoyed that film even though the production values were terrible, it was like they filmed this movie with camera covered in mud and shit. Still, it was actually fairly entertaining.

    ReplyDelete
  4. RaghavJanuary 29, 2014 at 7:52 AM

    Nice one. I have been in two minds about watching it, but then Amber Heard usually tilts any film in the favour of it being watched. Might give it a shot now.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Brittani BurnhamJanuary 29, 2014 at 10:12 AM

      I think it's definitely worth the watch. Not the best film out there, but still very interesting.

      Delete
  5. Alex WithrowFebruary 3, 2014 at 7:11 PM

    I recently caught this one on Netflix just for the hell of it too. And I agree... not so bad. You're right, it was a little more subtle than films of its kind. Also, I enjoyed watching all of the card playing drinking games. Reminded me of college. Ha.

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    Replies
    1. Brittani BurnhamFebruary 4, 2014 at 6:39 AM

      Same here! It also reminded me of how much I hated high school. lol

      Delete
  6. AnonymousJuly 3, 2019 at 7:36 PM

    Did you watch the same movie I did? It was Red's family farm, not Jake's. You aren't the only one who got things wrong. I've read several reviews, one says Mandy's BFF was the one that got hurt at the pool party. It's really hard to trust critics when they have no clue what the movie was about to begin with.

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    Replies
    1. Brittani BurnhamJuly 4, 2019 at 2:13 PM

      Jake was the one that extended the invite if I recall. This film was released in Europe far before it was released in the U.S, so I can't speak to what versions are floating around where. This review is five years old and the film didn't stay memorable over time. Thanks for the super rude comment saying I had no clue though. Classy.

      Delete

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