26/44
I crushed his head
Tale
In 1980s Hollywood, adult film star and aspiring actress Maxine Minx finally gets her big break. But as a mysterious killer stalks Hollywood starlets, a trail of blood threatens to reveal her sinister past.. The Hollywood star Maxine puts out her cigarette is Theda Bara, from whom actress Pearl was inspired to -and name the alligator. in Pearl (2022).. The Bette Davis quote shown at the beginning of the film is misquoted. It’s actually “Until you’re known in my profession as a monster, you’re not a star.” Maxine Minx: Do you know what happened to the last person who tried to kill me?
Edited from X (2022)
In keeping with the 80’s movie aesthetic, after the credits, a "Be kind rewind" sticker is displayed, as with many video store rentals.. Give Me All Your Love Written by Frank Beard (as Frank Lee Beard), Billy Gibbons & Dusty Hill (as Joe Michael Hill) Performed by ZZ Top, courtesy of Warner Records, by arrangement with Warner Music Group Film & TV Licensing. With 'X' 2022 and 'Pearl,' Ti West has created two highly entertaining, highly intelligent horror comedies that honor two specific types of movies. 'X' is an homage and pastiche of 1970s grindhouse tropes, most obviously ‘The Texas Chainsaw Massacre,’' while 'Pearl' is a warped, Technicolor 1950s melodrama like the cinematic child of Walt Disney and Dario Argento. Both films are excellent examples of satire, successfully implementing elements of the object they satirize without becoming that object themselves. With ‘MaXXXine’,' the newest addition to 'X' franchise, West aims to send up the giallo and exploitation films of the late 70s, as well as the cheesy videos of the 1980s and Hollywood set pieces in general.
Meanwhile, the Nightstalker roams the streets and Maxine’s friends are dropping like flies
Set in 1985, six years after the events of the original, the film follows Maxine Minx as she tries her hand at pictures. After making it big, she is blackmailed by someone who threatens to reveal her involvement in the massacre of 1979. Will Maxine finally become a star or will she be forced to live a life she doesn’t deserve? Enjoyable, if narratively uneven, visually, 'MaXXXine' dazzles, recreating the neon-soaked decadence of mid-1980s Los Angeles. Yet beneath its glossy surface lies a narrative that lacks the bite, wit and unpredictability of its predecessors. Although entertaining, at times the film threatens to become what it satirizes – a Hollywood slasher.
Additionally, the supporting characters are underwritten, lacking depth or personality
West incorporates many familiar elements of ’80s movies – brawling cops, an over-the-top villain, a desperate P.I., shootouts – but they feel more like clichés than effective satire, as their inclusion lacks any kind of fresh twist or comment. In 'X' and 'Pearl,' every detail has been meticulously calculated, intentionally included to heighten the emotion of any given scene. Here, it feels like West is throwing in tropes just for kicks, leaving one to wonder about their purpose. Effective satire dances on the edge, teasing its subjects without falling into their traps; 'MaXXXine' he falters – sometimes cleverly, sometimes clumsily. Perhaps West’s intention was to blur the line between homage and parody. But in doing so, he risks losing the very essence that made his earlier films shine.
Given West’s brilliant characterization in the previous films, it’s quite disappointing
There’s no reason to care about any of them, as most aren’t on screen long enough to make any sort of impact. The ones that start out as clichés – a no-nonsense director, a lecherous Southerner, two cardboard cut-out cops – and then continue to not change.