Second Sight Films release – MAY

Make a date with May – for an unforgettable, uncomfortable, weird and wild experience. Lucky McKee’s wickedly wry body horror featuring outstanding performances, stunning cinematography and a stellar soundtrack, is back for a new release this July. Second Sight Films has it all sewn up with a brand-new Limited Edition and Standard Edition Blu-ray version, both complete with a fantastic slew of special features.

Meet May Dove Candy, the socially awkward veterinary assistant, who was bullied as a child for her lazy eye, and has developed an obsession with perfection. Desperate for connection, May struggles to make friends and is desperately searching for a perfect boyfriend.

Then she meets Adam, the boy with the flawless hands… could he be the one? But the path of love never runs smoothly, especially with May’s inability to connect with people. As her dream of perfection unravels, she becomes increasingly detached from reality and descends into the depths of depravity.

The film is one of those you may have missed the first time around. The original cover evoked religious undertones, of which there are really none in the movie, which may have put you off even looking.

It’s a great watch, a slasher movie that isn’t a slasher movie. May sees herself, perhaps too literally, as an imperfect girl. She notices the perfections in her friends as growing up her only real friend wasn’t actually real, it was a doll. A doll that looks like a cross between, Blade and the Leech woman from Puppet Master. A doll that predates Annabel at being kept in a glass case at all times, not to be played with.

May’s mental frailties become increasingly problematic and she eventually takes steps to create her own perfect friend, using the body parts of her real friends.

The film mixes dark humour, emotional drama and horror really well. With the performances from a (then) little know cast really lifting the film.

The film builds on the manic nature of timid little May really well, and the last scene really will stay with you for a while.

It was great to revisit this film as I’d not watched it in years and I’ll certainly have a few rewatches.

The brand-new Limited Edition is set for release on 24 July and is presented in a stunning box with new artwork by Bella Grace, alongside a 70 page book, with new essays. Both editions come complete with a host of brilliant extras including new audio commentaries and new interviews with the stars, director, composer and editors and much more, see full details below.

The audio commentaries are insightful and keep interest going. They warrant watching the film multiple times, the commentary with the actors in is really good, back and forth flows and everyone sounds like they’re having fun.

The same fun runs through all the commentaries but each offers a different insight (with some slight crossover info) Alexandra Heller-Nicholas is the driest, being just one person (And a film critic at that) but she clearly enjoys the film, and her time on the commentary. Also, she’s an Aussie, so has that sense of humour. This may actually be my favourite of the three commentaries.

The interviews are o.k. you probably won’t find any you’ll want to rewatch here, but they’re all relatively short and don’t outstay their welcome just to pad out a disc

Don’t miss May Limited Edition, a devilish delight that’s a cut above the rest. 

Special Features

• New audio commentary with Alexandra Heller-Nicholas
• Audio commentary with director Lucky McKee, cinematographer Steve Yedlin, editorChris Sivertson and actors Angela Bettis, Nichole Hiltz, and Bret Roberts

• Audio commentary with director Lucky McKee, Editor Rian Johnson, Composer Jammes Luckett (formerly credited as Jaye Barnes Luckett), production designer Leslie Keel, and Craft Services guy Benji
• The Toymaker: a new interview with director Lucky McKee
• Perfect Hands: a new interview with actor Jeremy Sisto
• Blankety Blank: a new interview with actor James Duval
• How to Execute a Murder: a new interview with cinematographer Steve Yedlin
• Peeling Back the Layers: a new interview with editor Rian Johnson
• Jack and Jill: a new interview with editor Chris Sivertson
• In the Cut: a new interview with editor Kevin Ford
• Blood, Gore and Rock ‘n’ Roll: a new interview with composer Jammes Luckett
• From Frankenstein to May: Miranda Corcoran on May
• Bits and Pieces: on the set of May

• Limited Edition Contents