All the Boys Love Mandy Lane (2006)
Directed by Jonathan Levine
Beautiful Mandy Lane isn't a party girl but, when classmate Chloe invites the Texas high school student to a bash in the countryside, she reluctantly accepts. After hitching a ride with a vaguely scary older man, the teens arrive at their destination. Partying ensues, and Mandy's close pal, Emmet, keeps a watchful eye on the young males making a play for Mandy. Then two of the students are murdered.
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Also worth noting, Anna Kendrick (soon to hit it big with her Oscar-worthy performance in " Up in the Air") and Michael Welch (whose " All the Boys Love Mandy Lane " still hasn't found a U.S. release) are wonderful in the supporting roles of Bella's pals Jessica and Mike.
Since his teen masterpiece All the Boys Love Mandy Lane was buried by Dimension, among others, he’s gone on to direct some wonderful films.
This is director Jonathan Levines second horror-themed film, after his debut, the slasher flick All the Boys Love Mandy Lane; some might also count 50/50, with cancer as the remorseless serial killer.
In this, the romance follows on filmmaker Jonathan Levine’s previous filmic interests, All the Boys Love Mandy Lane, The Wackness, and even 50/50, all concerned with outsider boys finding some semblance of insiderness with a girl, however odd their match might appear.
The fact of zombies’ relative unsexiness needn’t necessarily preclude the possibility of a zom-rom-com, but Levine’s likable-enough fourth feature (his first three were All the Boys Love Mandy Lane , The Wackness , and 50/50 ) never quite rises to the challenge.
Adapted for the screen with equal doses of earnest sweetness and absurd wit by Jonathan Levine (All the Boys Love Mandy Lane), Warm Bodies may sound like "zombie Twilight" on the page, but that's pretty much where the similarities end.
The soundtrack is killer (Bruce Springsteen’s ‘Hungry Heart’ brings a montage to life, Bob Dylan’s ‘Shelter From The Storm’ facilitates a rare moment of pathos) and Jonathan Levine’s got the skills - he proved his postmodern horror chops with All The Boys Love Mandy Lane , tackled first love and teen angst with integrity in The Wackness , and peppered emotional weight with comedy in 50/50 - so Warm Bodies should have been a cult gem.