Maxxxine

Not fully what I expected but I'll take it!

It certainly paid off watching all the movies chronologically because this movie wears it's references on it's sleeve and I feel caps off the trilogy just fine. Set in 1985 we catch up with Maxine in Hollywood California as she is starting to make the jump to feature films but a blackmail plot centering on her bloodsoaked past is about to blow the lid, and on those occasions well...it's time to make plans. Ever so slight misdirect in the trailers though, it kinda shoves the Night Stalker angle down your throat but it doesn't bear much semblance on the plot, more as a background incident that helps set the stage which the movie was awesome at, it gets you in the mindset and gives a brief overview of what was going down in that corner of history. The soundtrack, the fashion, the world events, and all those small details that an old ass nerd like me can pick up. At almost 2 hours without credits the film moves at a brisk pace showing the transition of Maxine from porno star to movie star, and the mental state she is in. I mean obviously if you survive the events of X you're gonna have some PTSD in some way, so I appreciate how much the filmmakers tied everything in a pretty little bow for us fans. I'm not certain if the film crew shot on proper 1980s film stock or cameras but it had that particular look about it while keeping the modern techniques as with Pearl. I do ever so slightly sense this movie may not grab everyone how the last two movies did, but really the quality has barely shrunk. Mia is still a great lead and getting to see her achieve movie stardom gives her enough material to work with, plus she's just a fucking mental badass at points like my God! Girl has got issues but those moments were my cup of tea. It really is her film but the supporting cast of characters do fine work, from her agent played by Giancarlo (still the man), to her video store metal friend played by Moses Sumney who had my vote for best character, to just the messenger private eye of the blackmailer played by Kevin Bacon, some shine brighter than others but all did very well. It doesn't truly fit that horror vibe as the others which may contribute further to it being the black sheep of the series, it fits more a mystery drama but it got no problem showing some visceral detailed gore. I'll admit straight up to you this is the weakest entry in the trilogy, but it's still getting a good ass score! If you're a fan you'll no doubt enjoy it a great deal and if not you can walk away entertained regardless. I give it 3.5 stars, 8.5/10! A very good week, and next week will be limited to one review but I got some shows coming up for you so I'll need the time. By all means give it a watch and let me know which is your favorite, if I had to pick I'd probably go with X myself. So be safe, stay fit, stay sharp, make good decisions and I'll see you in a week!

In Retrospect: X

Still pretty friggin' good!

I feel so justified doing a little marathon this week and watching these movies again! X dude, X. That shit is mm, just right. It's certainly more eye opening and even more appreciated if you watch it after Pearl. So I guess the paralyzingly fierce breakdown smile made Howard stick around for about 60 odd years, and it is so damn interesting to see that shift with these characters go from mostly innocent young lovers torn apart by the Great War to flat out serial killer married couple, it is just wow! Despite the heavy prosthetics used for Pearl and Howard you get a lot of emotion and readable facial acting, and I still fucking stand and applaud the movie Citizen Kane style for just taking the time and humanizing them. It would have been easier done than said to just make them a creepy old murdering odd couple, but we get just a smidge of insight into their lives and relationship and it makes the film a cut above the rest in my opinion. It's shot with love and affection in that 70s style but never loses it's modern cinematography footing, there's some good shots and great use of color from time to time. I am rather curious what the overall visual flair will be for Maxxxine, cause Pearl was Wizard Of Oz as all get out, X had more than a healthy dose of Texas Chainsaw Massacre, and I have no clue what the overarching homage will be but I'm excited. Hands down best scene of the movie still to this day for me is that brutal first murder, it is gruesomely practical but just the music and the lighting and the dance....whoa man. Not only did it send shivers down my spine in the bestest way possible, but there were tears welling up in my eyes and I cannot explain for the life of me why they did, I had no clue murder could be so beautiful. That's a weird sentence to say but I felt how I felt. It is goddamn art in my opinion from the neck stab to the van engine being shut off. There was a vision to this in all aspects, not to outshine or to reinvent the wheel, but to do it to the best of their ability. You wanna know what the one single friggin' thing I did NOT like about this movie was? I hated the posters and promotional images. Like really? That's all you had for the majority was a still frame of Jenna Ortega mid scream?? It sucks and I never liked it and I saw it way too often. You know an image that might catch my attention? That freaky ass silhouette of Pearl carrying a pitchfork like some wraith-like witch, that is awesome! And I'll level with you right here right now, I forgot what the ending was. I didn't know who was gonna live or die, so I was along for the ride one last time. I know, it's a little obvious but I had a lapse in mental faculties which let's be honest ain't nothing new here! Good times be had, I am never not in the mood to listen to some 70s baby making music, let's flipping do this Friday!

In Retrospect: Pearl

You absolute madman Ti!

Sweet friggin' lord this has lost none of it's potency in 2 years time, and I haven't seen it since it hit theaters mainly because I knew this day would come when the end would be near for this trilogy though I'll admit it hasn't left my memory that's for damn certain. But on the rewatch and knowing everything that occurs, I did get more out of it. I strongly believe a theater going or really just any first time watch experience is a reactionary experience, and the more you see a film the more you can read into it. The story of Pearl and how it comes to pass by the time end credits roll is simultaneously relatable and also just disturbing, because of how her character is potrayed you want the best for her in life even when you know it's just not. I'm not gonna get all psychoanalyzing on this or anything, but I get it I even sort of get why she pitchforks people, and the performance given is still the high bar if I've ever seen one. Mia my God, the raw emotion we get out of her here is truly striking and I can't wait to see what she brings to the table in Maxxxine! I did get a hell of a lot more out of her parents in this movie, not that they were bad the first time around but getting a chance to dig into just the state of mind showed so much more. The mom is a lot to handle and it does tip toe into slight Carrie territory at times, but the perspective of her and her life with a humanizing moment does make you feel at least a bit sad that she gets torched and kicked down some stairs. Likewise for the dad who big time props need to go to that actor, man didn't have a line and had to just body language that part and was so good at it, you can see the heartbreak and fear in his eyes when things go south and it packs a punch. I also just appreciate the fact it's a horror movie that doesn't really turn into a horror movie until about the halfway point, it's a slow escalation of events but that doesn't mean the suspense isn't present beforehand. You're almost constantly waiting for the other shoe to drop and she takes an axe to someone's face, it's very nicely done on the pacing side of things. Will fully admit though I thought the whole umm...scarecrow scene was later on, naw that weird ass shit was not even at the 20 minute mark. Granted you have my respect and bewildering admiration for not only going that far but finding an actress game enough to do it, so fair play to you ya buncha' weirdos. I've seen stranger, but not much! I am ridiculously curious what people think of this movie if it's the first one they see, most of us had the benefit of seeing X first so I can't imagine what people's impression is just going into this blind. Do they love it or hate it? Might need to research that. Ending shot still fucking floors me, not since Malcolm Mcdowell staring straight through my soul at the end of Caligula have I seen a final shot quite like that, and yeah that was an experience in the theater I can tell you that right now! It is an offbeat film but one I still very much enjoy and am happy to have watched again, the score remains the same with a 9/10, and now we travel onwards to X which again I haven't seen since opening day so this is a whole ass trip so stick around and I'll see you Wednesday!

Pearl

Holy cow did this slip right under my radar, I'm losing track of time.

I would like to issue a formal apology to the director Ti West, the production crew, and star Mia Goth, and say I am so f***ing sorry I missed the premiere! The words are trying to escape my mouth, but I was rendered speechless by this film. I'm still fumbling about with the fact that X came out this year, it sure doesn't feel like it. Man. Jesus Christ movie! The question of which is better, X or Pearl is unanswerable in my mind's eye right now. So let's go through it and see what the answer shall be. The year is 1918, World War 1 is still raging, spanish influenza is on the rise, and a young lady living on a farm named Pearl has aspirations to dance in the pictures. Where do I begin? I feel Ti West is getting way more artsy in this movie than X, which is fine with my snob side entirely, there are sequences and more directly shots that say, look at me I have something gorgeous to show to you, very striking colors and painting-esque composition. I love it. I can't talk about her right now, just...just hang on a minute. The story may truthfully feel not as involved and horror filled as X, but I feel that is intentional. It focuses on a farm girl, her small town, the very veryyy slim assortment of people she knows, it's really about as independent filmmaking as you can get while still having a budget. And before I forget, did anyone get some hard Wizard Of Oz vibes at certain points. A young farm girl fed up with her life, dreaming of something grander, only to know home is the place to be above all. There is a scarecrow in it, with a painted face, green shirt, and black hat, but the less said about that the better. Pearl even flat out looks like the real world equivalent of the Wicked Witch when she tries to take Toto away, that can't have been coincidence. Not sure if it has significance on the movie....but it's there. Alright. Guys. Mia Goth deserves, no I flat out DEMAND on her behalf, that this woman wins every single major award for an actress next year. Motherf***er you do not walk past a performance like this, not in your life! One of the best modern monologues and performances I have seen in a long ass while, and an ending shot that made my soul quiver out of my body as my eyes were transfixed in a mix of immense delight and overwhelming terror, no no no. You, mm-mmm, no way, you don't get to say bad things about her, ain't gonna happen. This. This is it. I can't say for certain, but this could be the best actress I've seen in all my days. There just no one who can commit wholesale like she does in this movie, no way, no how, it's just her in her prime element giving the performance of a lifetime. Holy goddamn, motherf***ing, sons a' bitchin', shitting me out the ass, f*** f*** f***ing hell, I can't believe how good she is in this. Moving swiftly on. No groovy soundtrack but I can forgive that, supporting cast is very commited and props to them for making it all come alive, gruesome as hell effects though not clearly as ample as X it still gets the bloody job done. What a friggin' comeback for new movies, the unexpected wait was worth every second and penny of my life, do I like it better than X? I gave X like a 9 if not a 9.5/10, and I will say Pearl gets a sterling 4 stars, 9/10. It's close, like a hair breadth away guys in either direction, just go see it and don't worry about my rankings or score. The best expectations for cinema is zero expectations, I had no clue what the hell I was walking into but I clearly liked what I saw. My subconcious has enough nightmare fuel for the next 5 years rent free. I'll see you tomorrow.

X

A24 strikes gold once more.

I haven't been this into and loving a modern horror film since Candyman, even I'm shocked how much I was getting into it. Texas 1979 is our setting as we follow a lowbudget porn crew traverse into a deserted area of Texas to shoot their next film when things get a bit more raw than intended. Where do I begin? Gotta be methodical about this so I don't forget anything. The production is wonderful, perfectly capturing that grain of 70s grindhouse while still keeping the colors at a natural consistency, surprise of surprises this was shot in New Zealand which fooled me throughout cause it looks like a spitting image of more rural areas of Texas. The effects, oh my God, what a gloriously gross showcase throughout done with practical magic and enough fake blood to slake any gorehounds appetite. The cast is really good, with I think the best material going to the old folks they shack up with and they are proper great in this when they start offing people. Hell I think the best scene in the whole friggin' movie is actually after the first murder, it's horrifying, it's beautiful, it felt like a gorgeous piece of cinema that I was happy to watch and admire. This is a movie that does some out there wild stuff and I adore it endlessly. It has little sprinkles of artistic and even the above mentioned avant garde scene, so it's properly directed here and knows what it is but still does things it's own way and beautifully so. I was really appreciating the dialogue at points and character moments, sort of tackling the stigmas and mindset of being an actor in a pornographic film and it handles it really well just stating they are just people, who are young and have a good time doing what they do without taking it super seriously. But I do absolutely feel the best writing stuff goes to the homeowners, the fact they're bastards all along and didn't just snap overnight, the time they spend elaborating on their past and what they were like, how they still have that passion in their hearts for each other, until the ball dropped that they were killers I really did think they were just slightly misunderstood and even thought one of the film crew would have been the killer. Now there's a twist I want to see happen! The soundtrack is glorious, with a fair bit of hey hey classic 70s lovemaking music and some staples of late 70s rock. Needless to say I need to get my hands on this soundtrack, for multiple practical reasons. I did feel like a touch of a perv when I was the only one who laughed at the Debbie Does Dallas reference, but I have fine taste what can I say? And okay bear with me, don't switch off, I'm not...I'm just saying for 1979, there should have been a lot more bush down there. Just saying. And on that bombshell it is time to end. Go see it. It is great! It's one part Boogie Nights, one part Texas Chainsaw Massacre, with a tiny sprinkle of cinematic art thrown in. 4 stars, 9/10! And another anniversary is almost upon us so I figured to look at a lesser regarded kaiju series to celebrate.