MaXXXine (2024)

The Plot of Maxxxine: It is 1985. A successful porn star, Maxine Minx auditions successfully for a role in the film The Puritan II, and the director Elizabeth Bender tell her that convincing the producers had been difficult. Meanwhile Maxine continues to work in porn and as an object viewed in a pay to view booth. When threatened by knife wielding Buster Keaton she produces a hand gun, forces him to strip and stamps on his balls. Meanwhile two of her fellow performers are found deal with satanic symbols branded on them. Detectives Williams and Torres attempt to interview her without success. She is pursued by a private detective who threatens her and pursues her, causing her to get help from her agent Teddy Knight. The detective is eliminated, but she is induced to go to a party at a house in Starlight Drive, which she remembers is where her friends had gone, only later to be found dead. There, in the shadow of the HOLLYWOOD sign things come to a head.

Content: There is a scene where porno is being shot but no bits revealed. People smoke and Maxine often snorts coke. Also social drinking I think. Particularly at the beginning of the film there are 1980s rock tracks by ZZ Top and, I think, Bryan Adams. When Maxine is confronted with the private detective he lists her previous crimes, which she denies. Maxine is driven about in a buggy by the director and when threatened she enlists the help of Teddy Knight her agent who particularly gruesomely terminates the detective. There are a number of graphic scenes of violence.

A View: This film  rolls along pretty well although if you were expecting madness in the style of Pearl you might be disappointed. The blood and gore could easily have been muted, as in most films when the camera looks away, but the director obviously wanted it to be a feature. I am a fan of films about making films and we do have the film within a film, so for me it was “fine”. But if you would prefer not to see the blood and gore, don’t go.

Fun Fact: The ZZ Top track is “Give Me All Your Loving”. It has made me dig out the CD.