20/23

The prequel released later in 2022

Chronology

In 1979, a group of young filmmakers set out to make an adult film in a rural Texas farm, but when their reclusive, elderly hosts catch them in the act, the crew find themselves fighting for their lives.. The day after X (2022 )'s South by Southwest premiere, writer/director Ti West revealed that during a mandatory two-week COVID-19 quarantine in his New Zealand hotel, before production could begin on this film, he wrote a prequel, Pearl (2022 ). A24 saw the script and greenlit the movie even before production on "X" had wrapped. He asked star Mia Goth if she wished to remain in New Zealand and film "Pearl," and she readily accepted. When Lorraine enters the basement and turns the light on, there is a modern halogen light bulb, which was not available in 1979..

Edited into MaXXXine (2024)

Maxine: I will not accept a life I do not deserve.. There are no opening credits. The title doesn't even appear on screen until the end.. Act NaturallyPerformed by Loretta LynnWritten by Vonie Morrison, Johnny RussellCourtesy of Geffen Records under license from Universal Music Enterprises. That West's movie really should have been called "E" for elevated.

It sets itself up as a smart take on the slasher films of the 70s and early 80s

As a bonus, the film within a film has the filmmakers making an 'elevated' porn flick (as a bonus, actor Owen Campbell who plays the "Director" even looks a bit like Director Tobe Hooper).Quite consciously taking it's set up from Tobe Hooper's 1974 TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE, X has a group of randy pornographers renting a farmhouse from an elderly couple in the middle of nowhere in Texas (actually New Zealand). Writer-Director West's main idea here is to set up a contrast between the XXX filmmakers and the bible thumping civilians of the area. It's not an uninteresting idea, which, of course, plays off the the puritanical cliche in the slasher films of yore where the most sexually active characters are the most likely to g et killed off. In addition to MASSACRE, West includes nods to FRIDAY THE 13TH, Hooper's EATEN ALIVE and a very specific one to HALLOWEEN. X is set about 5 years after MASSACRE so that it can include a brief exchange about how home video will change the porno industry (adult films were already available on VHS for about 3 years).The movie is very well directed, with savvy use of cross-cutting between the porn film in the making and the terrors that await the group.

The pacing is lugubrious even if it picks up towards the very end

Mia Goth (in a dual role; actually a triple if you stay after the credits) and Brittany Snow are the two pornstars to be and each dive in with relish. Kid Cudi is the cocky stud, while Martin Henderson is solid as the confidant Producer. Jenna Ortega is the "crew" all by her lonesome (she manages to keep her clothes on – must have a better agent). Stephen Ure is the ornery old man who rents out his guest house.As good as the filmmaking is, X ends up feeling too studied. Once the massacre begins (if not by power tools) it still ends up being fairly typical of the films it's commenting on, regardless of how well executed and 'elevated' it thinks it is.

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It's also too drawn out to satisfy some gore-hounds and once the blood starts flowing, probably too gross for the internet scribes dreaming of doing extended online essays dissecting it for its elevated intellect. There are a couple of twists, but they aren't sufficient enough to compensate for the predictability.In the end, it's not as clever as West thinks it is, and despite some good Directing chops and acting, it& #39;s simply too self-conscious to be much of a fun thrill ride.. A24 has produced some of the most memorable horror films of the 21st century.