lopper

YES YES YES!!!

This is the type of movie Harry Knowles would've gone ape shit over on AICN 20 years ago, and that's not a good thing.

This movie was dog shit, and I'm so happy I'm not the only one who thought so.

Norm de Plume

One of the bizarrest flicks I have seen. The opening 30 to 60 minutes were so psychedelically portentous and molasses-slow that I almost turned it off. However crazy it was, it was well-filmed and, surprisingly, very well-acted, especially by those who played the cultists. The second revenge-focused half was more conventional and less "interesting", but also less dull. Anyway, I didn't absolutely loathe it, but I didn't like it either. I think a tab or a roach is required to enjoy this one. 4/10

Greg MacGuffin

That is the most accurate and succinct review I've seen for this movie.

inri222

What a gruesome mind fuck. Nic Cage in full on batshit crazy mode under a good director delivers in spades. Felt like Alejandro Jodorowsky meets Wes Craven.

4/5

Why So Blu?

sydonesia

I just watched it tonight. The bees scene in The Wicker Man has NOTHING on him trying to chug a full vodka bottle in one take while grunting and screaming. I really don't know if that was great acting or parody.

DJariya

FYI this is now on Shudder for those who subscribe to it.

Abob Teff

I don't usually listen to podcasts for movies I haven't seen, but Show Me the Meaning covered this. I had no intention of watching it, so I went ahead and listened ...

I hate Nicolas Cage. But after their podcast (and the comments here) ... I want to see this to believe it. I highly recommend their podcast coverage of it at least!

Kurt D

I saw this over a month ago, and I still don't know what to think.

As for the vodka scene, whether honest or parody, Cage gives it about 275%!

TomOpus

If anyone has Hoopla through their library, it's on there.

Mabuse

Backtracking to the first post in this thread, this sounds like Harry Knowles:

Christ I hate shit like this.

melasnus

What a trip (literally, according to the screenplay) this film is.
Clocking in at 2 hours on the button, it's way too long for the material.
90 minutes would have tightened it up for the better.

At first, the surrealism is kinda fun but overstays its welcome after awhile.

The filmmaker didn't show he had much of a vision here.
Felt like darts were thrown at the wall all thru the filming.

DWilson

It's also available on Amazon Prime for 99 cents.

d2cheer

Don't waste your money.

melasnus

If you have a subscription, it's on Shudder for free.

Norm de Plume

That's two hours better spent doing something else, free or not.

melasnus

Agreed.

DJLinus

I rented it around Christmas from Google Play (using store credit) for 99 cents. Went in blind except knowing there was tons of hype for it and finally gave it a go tonight, with 2 days left on my rental. I should've just let it expire.

Really, some interesting parts and the over the top revenge scenes elicited some chuckles, but overall I don't get all the love for it. Different strokes, I guess.

Brian T

Guess I'll take the contrary position here and say that I don't get all the hate for this picture. I am partial to the director's previous film, which really sets the tone for this one if you've seen it, so maybe that's a bias. I think the Metacritic (81%) and Rotten Tomatoes (92%) are on the money. I can certainly see where it's not for everyone, of course, but I think Cosmatos has a wholly unique vision, fueled by a deeply personal and specific "thing" for the late 70's and early 80's -- which he has elaborated on in some of his better interviews -- that doesn't come off as easy, 'Stranger Things'-style nostalgia-bait and instead gives the film a little heart (something deliberately lacking, I think, in the colder BEYOND THE BLACK RAINBOW). As for Cage, when he modulates his "crazy", as he mostly does here, no doubt thanks to his director, it works in favor of these cult-ier projects he chooses; when he doesn't, as in something like ARSENAL and so many other paycheck gigs, it's just embarrassing. I thought the snippets of (hand-made!) 'Heavy Metal' style animation were a nice touch, as were the practical gore effects, although I'm sure there was plenty of digital trickery used to sort of visually enclose Cosmatos' ominous, psychedelic little world here. I really appreciated the lack of exposition -- not everything needs to be explained or rationalized in something like this; the info dump that Bill Duke gives us is almost too much, frankly, while the quick scene of Cage and Riseborough eating dinner and watching TV spoke volumes. I enjoyed Linus Roache and his crew; thought they assembled a talented mix of uglies for that bunch, people you really want to see get wiped out. Hopefully Cosmatos doesn't wait another eight years to make another show; I'm curious to see what he'd bring to something just a wee bit more mainstream, or with a bigger budget but not if it means completely selling out, which seems unlikely.

inri222

Brack

Great movie, and score, which was also the composer’s last movie before he died.

Dan

I definitely did not love this one... despite it kind of being right up my alley. Maybe I'll give it another shot down the road, but... I just don't have much to say. It barely held my attention; it probably didn't help that my wife was absolutely hating it.

The best part was when the cult leader plays the record, and Mandy laughs at him.

Brian T

Probably . . .

Abob Teff

Well .. it doesn't live up to the hype. I signed up for a free trial with Shudder to watch this, and it is a good thing I got the longer trial period. It took me three days just to get through the slog of an almost meaningless first hour. Finally, on day four, I wrapped up the last hour which picks up pace, but still wasn't the salvation this film needed. Take a director's homage to late 70s/early 80s grindhouse films, add a dash of Mad Max, a pinch of Evil Dead, and a long sip of the original Suspiria and you get an interesting but not engaging two hours.

Cosmatos provides a stylistic vision that is pretty to look at, but quickly loses effectiveness as cinematic shorthand. Instead of evoking any emotional connection, the visual style acts like comic book panels that keep the eye engaged and push the audience towards the next panel. We may not be sure why we are at the next panel, but that scene break is often the only thing moving the story along. I enjoy movies that leave things unsaid, but a movie using that style should "show not tell"; Mandy just shows, shows, shows. Like a dark whore, Cosmatos can burn bright at times with this style. He just doesn't do it often enough.

Nicolas Cage is receiving kudos for his performance as Wil Wheaton playing Mad Max here, but I don't understand why. Granted, I am not a Cage fan, but I can appreciate him in the right roles. This seemed as if it was going to be one of those stereotypical Cage performances. While he is generally more subdued than I expected for a film like this, he still continues to strike poses and become a human meme rather than actually acting. The real recognition needs to go to Linus Roach who shines as the villain. Roach, as he often does, steals the show as a monologue-prone cult leader.

Mandy is a film that intrigues me. I didn't like it, but there was enough there that I appreciate it and would like to have a better understanding of what it is trying to accomplish. Beyond the razor thin cliche revenge movie is something that has a deeper meaning, I just don't feel that the filmmaker was able to bring it out. Someday I will give it another watch. It just won't be any time soon.

Abob Teff