That Was My Favorite Shirt!: 10 Behind-The-Scenes Facts About Mandy

Panos Cosmatos’ Mandy is one of the most fiercely original movies in recent memory, and originality is something that shouldn’t be taken for granted in the age of sequels and reboots. Nicolas Cage stars as a scorned man who vows revenge against the hippie cult that murdered his wife, the titular character.

The film has a spectacular blend of grisly action and chilling horror for a visceral, intense cinematic ride. It bombed at the box office, but it didn’t take very long for Mandy to find a cult audience and make its money back in the VOD market. Here are 10 fascinating details from the making of Mandy.

Director Panos Cosmatos Made Mandy To Process The Grief Over Losing His Parents

On a number of occasions, including at the film’s premiere, director Panos Cosmatos has said that Mandy was inspired by the death of his parents. The same had gone for Beyond the Black Rainbow, Cosmatos’ previous film, which dealt with similar theme.

Making Mandy was a way for Cosmatos to process the grief he felt after losing his parents. He channeled his feelings into the script ⁠— particularly in the second half, following Mandy’s death ⁠— to give the story strong undertones of loss and mourning.

The Chainsaw Fight Had To Be Filmed In One Night

One of the most memorable sequences in Mandy sees Red taking up a chainsaw and engaging in duel of sorts with a fellow chainsaw wielder. According to director Panos Cosmatos, the crew only had one night to shoot this chainsaw fight, and it was a nightmarish experience.

Nicolas Cage Worked With A Screaming Coach

Due to his character’s vengeful rage, Nicolas Cage was required to scream a lot for his lead performance in Mandy. In order to get Red’s screams just right, Cage worked with a screaming coach named David Sellers.

The Title Character Was Named After The Escort That Saves Tom Cruise’s Life In Eyes Wide Shut

Panos Cosmatos has named Stanley Kubrick as one of his strongest filmmaking influences, and some reviews of Mandy drew parallels between the film’s visual style and the works of Kubrick.

The title character was actually named as a nod to Kubrick’s final film, Eyes Wide Shut, in which an escort named Mandy saves Tom Cruise’s life. Mandy wasn’t the only 2018 movie whose title was taken from Andrea Riseborough’s character, as she also played Nancy in Nancy in the same year.

Mandy Was Originally Going To Be Shot On 16mm Film

The original plan was to shoot Mandy on 16mm film, but the budget wouldn’t accommodate the cost of film stock, so it had to be shot on digital cameras instead.

It was filmed on Arri Alexa cameras in the Panavision anamorphic format, with film grain added in post-production, so it still has the old-school vibe that director Panos Cosmatos was going for.

The Cheddar Goblin Commercial Shares Its Director With Adult Swim’s Too Many Cooks

Who could forget the Cheddar Goblin commercial from Mandy? It’s the stuff of nightmares. It was directed by Casper Kelly, who is best known for helming the Too Many Cooks short for Adult Swim.

Despite Technically Bombing, Mandy’s Box Office Gross Exceeded The Producers’ Expectations

Technically, Mandy was a box office bomb. It made just over $1 million on a $6 million budget. Despite this supposed financial failure, the movie made a lot more than the producers thought it would.

The producers expected the film to make virtually nothing at the box office and then make back its money in the VOD market instead ⁠— which it did ⁠— but what they didn’t count on was the high demand for theatrical screenings. They had to extend the theatrical run by several weeks, and even reworked their entire distribution model.

The Chemist’s Pet Tiger Was Originally A Lizard

One of the most unforgettable scenes in Mandy sees Red visiting the Chemist and seeing his pet Bengal tiger, Lizzie, locked in a cage. Richard Brake, who played the Chemist, revealed on Twitter that in the original script, his character’s pet was a lizard.

Brake only learned about the change when he arrived on the set and director Panos Cosmatos told him, “Oh, by the way, Lizzie’s a tiger now.”

The Film Is Dedicated To Its Late Composer

The musical score of Mandy was one of the final scores composed by Jóhann Jóhannsson, who died before the film was released. In the credits, you’ll notice that the movie is dedicated to Jóhannsson’s memory.

In an early scene, Mandy can be seen reading a book entitled Seeker of the Serpent’s Kiss. This isn’t a real book⁠— it was just a prop ⁠— but the title is taken from the name of the track by Jóhannsson that plays during the scene.

Nicolas Cage Was First Approached To Play Jeremiah

When Panos Cosmatos first approached Nicolas Cage about appearing in Mandy, he wanted him to play Jeremiah, the cult leader. However, Cage was more drawn to the role of Red, as he found him to be more complex and obviously more likable.

Cosmatos had envisioned Red as a younger man, so he couldn’t picture Cage in the role. But when they were brought together again by producer Elijah Wood and discussed the Red character, Cosmatos could see that Cage got the character and allowed him to play it.