6.9 | / 10 |
Users | 0.0 | |
Reviewer | 3.5 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
In 1980s Hollywood, adult film star and aspiring actress Maxine Minx finally gets her big break. But as a mysterious killer stalks the starlets of Hollywood, a trail of blood threatens to reveal her sinister past.
Starring: Mia Goth, Elizabeth Debicki, Moses Sumney, Michelle Monaghan, Bobby CannavaleHorror | 100% |
Thriller | Insignificant |
Video codec: HEVC / H.265
Video resolution: 4K (2160p)
Aspect ratio: 2.39:1
Original aspect ratio: 2.39:1
English: Dolby Atmos
English: Dolby TrueHD 7.1 (48kHz, 24-bit)
Spanish: Dolby Digital 5.1 (448 kbps)
English SDH, Spanish
Blu-ray Disc
Two-disc set (2 BDs)
Digital copy
4K Ultra HD
Slipcover in original pressing
Region A (B, C untested)
Movie | 3.5 | |
Video | 5.0 | |
Audio | 5.0 | |
Extras | 2.5 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
Mia Goth is on hand in some supplemental interviews on this disc stating how surprised she was when people actually went to see X and Pearl, stating she had shot the films in Australia, thought of them as "little" movies, and more or less expected their quick expiration at the box office. Well, as anyone who has seen either or both of those preceding sagas can attest, while there is plenty of "expiring" going on in each of those films, audience attendance was evidently not a problem, and so here we are, with the latest (one suspects not last) installment of the twisted story of one Maxine Minx (Mia Goth). I mentioned in our Pearl Blu-ray review how that film's "twofer" performance by Goth hinted at a revelation that was frankly never delivered, but one way or the other, even without alternate characters and loads of makeup, this trilogy has offered a real showcase for the diminutive actress, and she once again commands the screen in a narrative that attempts to weave Minx's supposed foray into "mainstream" film work (after a lot of "adult" roles) within the context of the so-called Night Stalker serial murders that terrorized Los Angeles and environs in the mid eighties.
Note: Screenshots are sourced from the 1080 disc in this package, as I feel that probably gives a more accurate accounting of the film's
palette than screenshots from the 4K disc which would by necessity be downscaled to 1080 and SDR.
MaXXXine is presented in 4K UHD courtesy of A24 and Lionsgate Films with an HEVC / H.265 encoded 2160p transfer in 2.39:1. Captured
with both Red and Sony cameras and finished at 4K, this is a stylistic tour de force for West and cinematographer Eliot Rockett, but the
intentional decision to recreate an almost 16mm-ish griminess and grain structure may not always redound to the benefit of the actual imagery. This
4K presentation sees some noticeable if subtle upticks in fine detail and especially in some shadow definition courtesy of Dolby Vision / HDR, but it's still
often overlaid with yellowish digital grain. The effect is at least reasonably organic looking, but I personally preferred the somewhat less overt look of
the grain in the 1080 version. Dolby Vision / HDR also aid in some of the rather evocative grading and/or lighting choices. Some of the kind of
gorgeously menacing nighttime footage in particular has some really beautiful blue or at least blue-ish highlights, and there are a couple of notable
vignettes, including a couple of scary showdowns bathed in red tones, that have additional luster in this 4K version.
MaXXXine features a nicely boisterous Dolby Atmos track that captures the cacophony of mid eighties Los Angeles in several scenes where Maxine is scurrying through nighttime streets. Ambient environmental effects documenting the urban environment can be relatively subtle at times, and much more prevalent in the mix at others, but they help to create a kind of "background whirlwind" that helps to establish the emotionally unkempt world of the characters. Tyler Bates' often ominous sounding score is also well placed in the side and rear channels, and has some especially noticeable low end. A couple of startle effects in some of the violent kill scenes also help to unsettle the listener. Dialogue is rendered cleanly and clearly throughout. Optional English and Spanish subtitles are available.
X, Pearl and now MaXXXine make for one of the more interesting trilogies in recent film history, but I'm frankly not sure this really is a trilogy in the traditional sense, and for just one example I'll return to that fundamental question: what do Pearl and Maxine have to do with each other, other than providing Goth an admirable opportunity to strut her performance bona fides? This is an interesting, often viscerally entertaining, film, but its "meaning" may be as evanescent as, you know, fame and fortune. Technical merits are first rate and the supplements very enjoyable. With caveats duly noted, Recommended.
2012
1983
2019
2019
2016
1981
2002
2012
2006
Uncut
2008
2024
Collector's Edition
1982
40th Anniversary Edition
1984
Limited Edition
1980
Collector's Edition
1988
2019
1988
2019
2018
2016