MAXXXINE (2024)
Label: Lionsgate
Region Code: A
Rating: R
Duration: 103 Minutes 37 Minutes
Audio: English Dolby Atmos (True HD 71.), English Descriptive Audio, Spanish 5.1 Dolby Audio with Optional English Subtitles
Video: 1080p HD Widescreen (2.39:1)
Director: Ti West
Cast: Mia Goth, Elizabeth Debicki, Moses Sumney, Michelle Monaghan, Bobby Cannavale, Halsey Americana, , Lily Collins, Giancarlo Esposito
Maxxxine (2024) is the third film in director Ti West's X Trilogy with star Mia Goth reprising her role from X (2022) as porn actress Maxine Minx. Set in L.A. in 1985 it's been six years since she survived The Texas Porn Star Massacre from X, she's now a working adult film star trying go legit, and also hiding from her past. The film opens with her auditioning for the lead role in the new horror film The Puritan II, the new film by up and coming Brit director Elizabeth bender (Elizabeth Debicki, Tenet). In the background The Night Stalker murders are happening, and we see a giallo-esque figure in a black leather trench coat and gloves stalking Maxine, following her to her side gig at a peep show and dropping a quarter in the slot to lift the curtain and see her do her peep show thing, while they become visibly excited, wringing their leather-gloved hands to creepy effect. This individual is killing people in her friend's circle by way of porn actresses Amber (Chloe Farnworth, 12 Hour Shift) and Tabby (pop-star Halsey), both who turn up dead with pentagrams burned into their skin after attending a party in the Hollywood Hills. The cops are investigating the murders, Det. Williams (Michelle Monaghan, True Detective) and Det. Torres (Bobby Cannavale, Boardwalk Empire), quickly realize that Maxine is somehow connected to the murders, but hiding from her Texas Porn Star Massacre past she refuses to assist the investigation out of fear of exposing herself, and figuring she can defend herself well-enough. We see early on how well she can fend for herself when a Buster Keaton costumed street performer follows her into a darkened alleyway attempting to rape her, but instead he has the tables turned on him by the resourceful and armed Maxine, resulting in a visceral nut-smashing bit of violence that reaffirms her own inner strength and willingness to defend herself.
Cast: Mia Goth, Elizabeth Debicki, Moses Sumney, Michelle Monaghan, Bobby Cannavale, Halsey Americana, , Lily Collins, Giancarlo Esposito
Maxxxine (2024) is the third film in director Ti West's X Trilogy with star Mia Goth reprising her role from X (2022) as porn actress Maxine Minx. Set in L.A. in 1985 it's been six years since she survived The Texas Porn Star Massacre from X, she's now a working adult film star trying go legit, and also hiding from her past. The film opens with her auditioning for the lead role in the new horror film The Puritan II, the new film by up and coming Brit director Elizabeth bender (Elizabeth Debicki, Tenet). In the background The Night Stalker murders are happening, and we see a giallo-esque figure in a black leather trench coat and gloves stalking Maxine, following her to her side gig at a peep show and dropping a quarter in the slot to lift the curtain and see her do her peep show thing, while they become visibly excited, wringing their leather-gloved hands to creepy effect. This individual is killing people in her friend's circle by way of porn actresses Amber (Chloe Farnworth, 12 Hour Shift) and Tabby (pop-star Halsey), both who turn up dead with pentagrams burned into their skin after attending a party in the Hollywood Hills. The cops are investigating the murders, Det. Williams (Michelle Monaghan, True Detective) and Det. Torres (Bobby Cannavale, Boardwalk Empire), quickly realize that Maxine is somehow connected to the murders, but hiding from her Texas Porn Star Massacre past she refuses to assist the investigation out of fear of exposing herself, and figuring she can defend herself well-enough. We see early on how well she can fend for herself when a Buster Keaton costumed street performer follows her into a darkened alleyway attempting to rape her, but instead he has the tables turned on him by the resourceful and armed Maxine, resulting in a visceral nut-smashing bit of violence that reaffirms her own inner strength and willingness to defend herself.
Another figure on her trail is the ultra-sleazy New Orleans P.I. John Labat (Kevin Bacon, X-Men: First Class), Bacon is full tilt sleazoid here, he's dripping with skin-crawling creepiness and I love it. He begins hovering around Maxine, working for the mysterious leather-clad killer, who threatens to expose her past if she does not agree to meet with his benefactor. AT one point he chases her across the Universal Studios Backlot through the Back to the Future/Gremlins town square and into the Psycho house, which was pretty cool. We also get Maxine's loyal talent agent Teddy Knight (Giancarlo Esposito, Breaking Bad), who is seedy but is also willing to just about anything for his client; and her best pal Leon (musician Moses Sumney), a gay metalhead/horror fan who runs a video store located just below Maxine's apartment.
I love the mid-80's setting, offering a sleazy underside of L.A. lit by neon and lousy with garish pastel colors, the streets are filthy, the characters are seedy, it's just a terrific setting, reminding me a bit of a West Coast version of Lucio Fulci's Murder Rock or New York Ripper. There's a ton of tasty era specific touches that paint the world, I love the video store, the fashions and decor, it does excellent work establishing the era, especially during the opening title sequence that with a very 80's font, news clips of satanic panic, The Night Stalker killings, and we even get clips of the PMRC Rock Porn Senate Hearings, which was quite a nostalgic blast for me as a young metalhead in the '80s. I won't spoil it further other than to say the climax set high-up in the Hollywood Hills delivers the grisly good and is totally wild, going places I wasn't expecting, and leaving me with a big smile on my face.
Maxxxine (2024) is not a perfect film, it gets downright goofy at times, but I also kind of loved that about it, but as a capper to the X/Mia Goth Trilogy I thought it was a pretty terrific '80s-set exploitation thriller that I think captures that seedy early eighties vibe quite well, and continues the theme of cinematic ambitions and the darkness that can accompany that pursuit of fame.
Audio/Video: Maxxxine (2024) arrives on Blu-ray from Lionsgate framed in 2.39:1 widescreen in 1080p HD. The film was shot to emulate the look of 80's exploitation films like Angel, shot on digital but with a digital grain filter applied from the looks of it. The garish 80's neon and paste; colors look terrific, blacks are solid, and depth and clarity are pleasing Fine detail in the close-ups of fabrics and faces look terrific, especially when lingering over the seedy features of the gold-toothed Labat.
Audio comes by way of Dolby Atmos (TrueHD 7.1) with optional English subtitles. The track is robust and well-balanced, dialogue exchanges please, and the soundtrack from Tyler Bates, plus period specific tunes by way of ZZ Top’s “Gimme All Your Lovin’”, Judas Priest's "Prisoner of Your Eyes, Ratt's "I'm Insane"," Animotion’s “Obsession”, and Frankie Goes to Hollywood “Welcome to the Pleasuredome” among others, sounds fantastic.
Extras include about an hour's worth of featurettes; we get the 10-min The Belly of the Beast; 11-min XXX Marks the Spot; 88-min Hollywood Is a Killer; these explore the 80's vibe, the set design, and some of the special effects work. We also get a 25-min Q&A with Writer-Director Ti West that is moderated by journalist Jen Yamato, which I believe was an Alamo Drafthouse live-stream exclusive. Also features is the 1-min Teaser Trailer; the 2-min Theatrical Trailer, plus 9-min of A24 Trailers featuring Pearl, X, Civil War, Talk To Me.
The 2-disc BD/DVD arrives in a dual-hub eco-case with the theatrical artwork. Inside there's a redemption code for a Digital Copy of the film, and we get a Slipcover with spot-gloss highlights, and which I will assume is limited to the first-pressing with the same artwork as the wrap.
Special Features:
- The Belly of the Beast (9:39)
- XXX Marks the Spot (11:21)
- Hollywood Is a Killer (8:14)
- Q&A with Writer-Director Ti West (25:23)
- Teaser Trailer (1:07)
- Theatrical Trailer (2:27)
- XXX Marks the Spot (11:21)
- Hollywood Is a Killer (8:14)
- Q&A with Writer-Director Ti West (25:23)
- Teaser Trailer (1:07)
- Theatrical Trailer (2:27)
- A24 Trailers: Pearl, X, Civil War, Talk To Me (9:20)
Buy it!
#ad
Screenshots from the Lionsgate Blu-ray:
Extras:
