I love how indepth and interesting your reviews are, and how openminded you are about all kinds of movies. I've watched a ton of your reviews, and I'm a new subscriber:) Also this is the first Nicolas Cage movie that I've wanted to see in forever!
Nick Cage has a few great moments in this film, one of them being after he frees himself and goes to Mandy's ashes. genuinely a tender moment. the push off from the bottom that propels him into his berserker mode. I really dig the magic undertones of this film and the blurring of reality with the demons/bikers. the mention of Abraxas. I first watched this film on my 3rd hour of an lsd session. the imagery was fantastic but that score took it to another level altogether. being in that head space I was hyper aware of the conjuring and magic rituals.
Am I the only one who prefers the slow first half to the batshit crazy second half? I don't think enough filmmakers take their time and just drown you in that slowness. Cosmatos' quiet parts may seem boring to a lot of people, but for me it feels like much more is going on than the visuals are showing.
@@deepfocuslens did you see Beyond the Black Rainbow? It's an entire film's worth of excruciatingly slow scenes... But in the best way possible of course.
I also loved Mandy and how it covered the lsd aesthetic really well and nothing wrong with a bit of cage rage. Have you watched Possessor, with Andrea Riseborough, who plays Mandy, directed by Brandon Cronenberg?
I finally got around to watching this, this evening. Somehow, I wish I hadn't but I subjected myself to the toil of getting through to the very overblown end of it. I even had a cup of tea midway through and listened to half of your review; I was fidgeting. I don't even think if I was tripping off my t1ts, I would have seen anything differently. I will credit the talent on display but why wasn't I engaged? There were some striking images I definitely won't forget and moments of great acting but my high hopes were dashed and I couldn't see the light, flickering from the screen Rest in peace Johann✨
Awesome review! Was just wondering, what would you put in your top 5 of 2018 so far? For me: 1. Leave No Trace 2. Lean on Pete 3. Eighth Grade 4. Tully 5. A Star Is Born
Newer response to an older video, I know, but, given your perspective on this film and Nicolas Cage's performance in it, I'd love to see your perspective (if you haven't seen it yet, or even if you have) on the film "Bad Lieutenant - Port of Call New Orleans", a film from 2009 that Nicolas Cage starred in under Werner Herzog's direction. With Herzog's work with Klaus Kinski in the back of my mind (particularly "Aguirre, the Wrath of God" for example), I felt like this movie was exactly what I expected (in the best way possible) of a Herzog/Cage collaboration.
I like they kept Nic's jacked physique low key with the baseball shirts. Beyond the Black Rainbow had a car scene too, Barry accepts being a sensionaut & sees his former self praise the change.
Just watched it. This was a trippy-ass movie experience. I didn't love it, but I enjoy these kind of flicks. The way some of the scenes were framed and the imagery used is inspiring me to create some art but, I'm being pulled away by this incredible urge to start reading ANY book after watching this review and being reminded, yet again, of how envious I am of that analytical brain of yours. Doesn't it feel great to know you're not a dummy, especially when you consider the fact that we run into so many dummies everyday? (Rhetorical, of course)
First off, this is the truest opinion piece I've found on this flick this far. Don't get me wrong, a few of the bigger reviewers nailed nuance present in the flick but miss emotional content and surreal aspects. Gotta say that I was managing pain, plying recently legalized substances while viewing/experiencing Mandy. Not saying physical alteration is required for true viewing experience, but for same it may help. Nick Cage really lived in that space as a guy having been places and done stuff yet choosing mundane over that past life in one of the most metal ways possible. Thanks for your thoughts on this.
I loved this film. Seen it 3 times. Will return to it in the future again. A mixture of the real and unreal, it created a unique space. The first time I watched it I loved it.
My dream film would be a reboot of A Nightmare on Elm Street with an 80’s retro/vapor wave aesthetic directed by Cosmatos, co-written by Kevin Smith starring Nic Cage as Fred Kruger and practical effects by Adam Jones and anyone still around from Stan Winston’s team.
There are 3 films I'd love to hear your views on and 3 films I think you would love, though they are westerns: The Searchers, She Wore a Yellow Ribbon and The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance.
Lots of folks might have a film studies background from college, and so forth. But your opinions aren't artificial at the same time that they are informed. I appreciate your point of view. You have a gift for X-raying cinema with words. I tip my hat.
I have sorta of a facsination with unmade films. Interesting sounding projects from great directors that fell apart for whatever reason. One of the most fascinating ones is something called Le Tigre, which was meant to be directed by Andrzej Żuławski (Polish arthouse director who did this great horror film Possession), produced by Canon Films (80's action schlockmeister that have made a bunch of action classics) and starring Dolph Lundgren (an underrated action star that deserved better work). It was gonna be this arthouse action film about Vietnam POWs who are hiding in the jungle and encounter a village who demand they kill the tiger that have been tormenting them. Żuławski died in 2016, but Dolph sounds like he's still interested in doing the film, and if the project can still happen, Panos Cosmatos would be the perfect choice to direct.
Found it: Break on through, Maggie... the doors 66 - a band from Venice (@ 10:30) Airbaja | Published on May 18, 2015 ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-ngrMIAJY1mI.html It's 1966 and a struggling band from Venice is working it's way up to musical immortality. Interviews, photos and videos all from 1965-66. Category Music Music in this video Learn more Listen ad-free with RU-vid Premium Song Love Street (Rough Mix) Artist The Doors Album Waiting For The Sun (50th Anniversary Deluxe Edition) Licensed to RU-vid by WMG (on behalf of Rhino Elektra); ASCAP, União Brasileira de Compositores, [Wixen] Doors Music Co., and 18 Music Rights Societies Song Break On Through (To The Other Side) Artist The Doors Album The Best Of The Doors Writers Ray Manzarek, John Densmore, Robby Krieger, Jim Morrison Licensed to RU-vid by WMG (on behalf of Rhino Elektra); União Brasileira de Compositores, [Wixen] Doors Music Co., ASCAP, and 22 Music Rights Societies
I don’t think I’ve ever heard NCage be accused of acting. .) He’s been at it a long time. And he never improved. The director used him about as well as one can.
I've seen a few reviews of this movie that have said it lacks a higher narrative or overall statement. I disagree. There seems to be some very clear statements about organized religion throughout the film. What I find interesting about this, is that they aren't at all 'cheap shots', as one might expect. The symbolic narrative though, is quite clear. Mandy, with her knowledge of the planets (and pentagram shirt) is a 'good witch'. She laughs at the cult leader, and is burned because she won't believe in him. Time is taken to show just how hypocritical the religious leader is (his line about what Jesus did wrong, is telling). Red is told that Mandy is 'still burning', meaning, in hell. He reads a bit of the bible and then tosses it, just like he turns off Reagan. And of course, the burning cross image at the end kinda says it all. But like I said, these things don't play like cheap shots, and even though they are somewhat blatant, they seem to aim at making an actual point instead of just blaspheming for the hell of it. Given the fact that the Director is Italian, it makes even more sense to me why the film is built around this narrative, and why he would feel the need to make such a statement. So, I definitely think this film is 'saying something' for sure, and it's pretty much right out there in the open.
Well, you can tell from Panos's two films so far that he's specifically anti-esotericism, pro-secularism, and anti-Reagan. But he's not actually Italian in being raised and socialized there. His father was a Greek director who worked for a long time in Italy, his mother was a Swedish sculptor, and Panos himself may have been born in Rome, but he grew up in Sweden and Mexico, and now he's a naturalized Canadian citizen.
I enjoyed the movie, if 'enjoyed' is the word. I will say, without trying to be as hyperbolic as we all too often hear/read, this may be the most bonkers movie I've ever seen. But it's 'shrooms for me over acid.
Jesus you got all that from Mandy? Lol Easily one of the worst actual movies I ever watched. Not Neil Breen where it's incompetence, rather just like 5 people made a movie and every idea was accepted
Hmmm you’re hot but not sure if you grasp whats going on here. Yea yea, it’s heavy metal and psychedelia and all that jazz. But pandering to his audience? You mean the 3 of us? If anything, panos cosmatos is doing the opposite of pandering - he said in an interview that he doesnt care much for story because its not really what youre saying as much as how you say it. Its basically the essence of filmmaking - aesthetic, aesthetic, aesthetic. And fuck ideology. That doesnt mean this movie is good (well, i think it is but thats largely subjective). What its good AT is communicating emotion, the music, images, colors, performances, et al bring a kind of mise-en-scene (for lack of a better descriptor) thats close to the amalgamation of something like David Lynch meets Nicolas Winding Refn, if you can imagine such a thing. Wild movie, and a big fuck you to the general status quo of what is and is not acceptable....not quite kill bill or oldboy but its got bite.
