Nicholas muse free#

The protagonist forges a battle axe and swears vengeance in a way that would be portrayed as morally justified in lesser movies. Thematically, Mandy proves even more interesting.

Deep reds and blues highlight the dreamlike mood and fantasy elements, while the scratchy grains on the film itself and other analog imperfections evoke the VHS carnage of yore. Kubrick and Lynch are easy to identify as inspiration, but one can't help but think of Nicolas Winding Refn's Drive and The Neon Demon, especially in terms of color palette.

He successfully places Mandy in that all too difficult genre to pin down – arthouse exploitation. But Panos Cosmatos is aiming a bit higher, as he did with his previous work Beyond the Black Rainbow, albeit in a more conventional and approachable manner here. Yes, there are plenty of grindhouse elements of the era on display with evil motorcyclists, chainsaw duels, cruel axes, gore, and paperback fantasy novel imagery filling out the background. Most readily apparent are the references to 80's action cinema, the glacial pacing, and the deep color saturation. But this description of the plot tells you nothing about how experimental and artistically striking Mandy is. Trouble comes in the form of a Charles Manson style hippie death cult and a crew of demonic bikers.

Nicholas muse free#

Set in 1983, in what is presumably rural California, a lumberjack and his free spirit girlfriend live an idyllic life in a secluded cabin.

It may seem odd to review an independent arthouse horror/action film from 2018 starring Nicolas Cage, but Mandy proved to be such a beautiful and bizarre experience that I have to share.