29/33
In 1980s Hollywood, adult film star and aspiring actress Maxine Minx finally gets her big break. But as a mysterious killer stalks Hollywood’s young starlets, a trail of blood threatens to reveal her sinister past. The Hollywood star Maxine stumps her cigarette on is that of Theda Bara, the actress Pearl was inspired by to name her alligator in Pearl (2022). The Bette Davis quote shown at the beginning of the film is misquoted. It’s actually “Until you’re known as a monster in my profession, you’re not a star.” Maxine Minx: Do you know what happened to the last person who tried to kill me? I crushed his fucking head in. In keeping with the film’s 80s aesthetic, after the credits, a rewind of “Be Kind” appears. A sticker is shown, like on many video store rentals. Edited from X (2022). Give Me All Your Loving Written by Frank Beard (as Frank Lee Beard), Billy Gibbons & Dusty Hill (as Joe Michael Hill) Starring ZZ Top Courtesy of Warner Records By arrangement with Warner Music Group Film & Television Licensing. I may have been a little too excited to see this third installment of the X-trilogy because I came out of the theater a little disappointed. Mia Goth rocks the role of Maxine. But the character deserved a better ending. The stakes didn’t seem high enough. I’m a Kevin Bacon fan, but his character wasn’t at all menacing. It was more comedic (in an annoying way) and he was given too much screen time. The kills were okay. The detectives were one-dimensional characters…and the ending was anticlimactic. I would have liked to see something more Tarantino-like. The best part of the movie (aside from Mia) was the use of 80s music and nostalgia. But I can’t really blame the filmmakers for that. It’s not a bad movie by any means. All the elements were there. But the final product just wasn’t as dynamic as it could have been. A24 has produced some of the most memorable horror films of the 21st century. See which movies ranked highest on IMDb.
