Displaying items by tag: Ti West

MAXXXINE

US, 2024, 104 minutes, Colour.

Mia Goth, Elizabeth Debicki, Bobby Cannavale, Michelle Monaghan, Kevin Bacon, Lily Collins, Simon Prast, Giancarlo Esposito, Moses Sumney.

Directed by Ti West.

In recent years, writer-director Ti West, has directed many television episodes. However, he made his mark around 2010 with some horror films, especially The Innkeepers. He also made a revenge Western, In a Valley of Violence, 2016, with Ethan Hawke and John Travolta. Then he made X, something of an exploitation film at a mansion out in the countryside of the Midwest. It featured Mia Goth. And it was a commercial success.

West then decided to go back in history and make a period piece, again about an ambitious actress, again played by Mia Goth, Pool. And with the same somewhat sensationalist themes and treatment.

This is the third film in his trilogy, this time set in 1985. And the audience is taken to a version of Hollywood of that period, a style of cinematography that is garish and sometimes lurid, as a symbol and as a location for part of the climax. West is enthusiastic about this portrayal of Hollywood, emphasising the seedy side, cheap apartments, video stores which were becoming popular at the time, the adult movie industry, sleazy agents in their offices. There is also the world of filmmaking, auditions, the movie lots, a visit to the Psycho motel as well as action there, sinister mansions in the Hollywood Hills. Very strong on atmosphere – and with many of the songs of the period, as was all kinds of in the occasions, billboards, almonds theatre, the stars on the walk of fame, cinemas showing St Elmo’s Fire.

Once again, this is a showcase for Mia Goth who seems to relish her performances as actresses who have more than relish and ambitions for their careers. And the supporting cast is more notable, Elizabeth Debicki as a somewhat pretentious and ambitious director, filming a sequel to The Puritan with all kinds of religious right protesters outside the studio with their placards. Kevin Bacon offers something of an absurd private eye who gets a dreadful comeuppance. Bobby Cannavale and Michelle Monaghan are the investigating police, he a would-be actor, she rather stern and critical. Lily Collins has a cameo as a British actress, Giancarlo Esposito is the agent, and Simon Prast who was a religious fanatic in X is even more terrifying here as Maxine’s avenging father.

So, a mixture of exploitative ingredients, sex, violence, ambition, religious intolerance.

1. The work of the director, his trilogy, themes, moviemaking, collaboration with Mia Goth?
2. The relationship of this film to the other two? Characters, themes, movies, sexuality and exploitation, violence and murder, ambitions and ruthlessness, religious fanaticism?
3. The title, Maxine, from Miller to Minx, adding the Xs to her name? Her car number plate? And the way that she ruthlessly drove her car?
4. The prologue, the little girl, dancing, the interview with her religious father? All of this sequence in the revelations of what was happening?
5. 1985, Hollywood, the sign and symbol, the streets, the stars and Grauman’s theatre, garish look, lurid touches? The streets, the motels, the studios, legal offices, Universal lot, the motel from Psycho, exteriors and interiors? The musical score, the range of songs from the 1980s?
6. Maxine, in Los Angeles, the move from Texas, ambitions, to get the life that she deserved, her intensity, the adult movies, pornography, her reputation and people recognising her at the studio? Her friends, performance? The apartment, moving from job to job, the video store, the owner, conversations, watching videos with him, enlisting his help to identify the mysterious video and its origins? His relationship with Maxine, exasperation with her? The brutality of his murder and her response to his being carried out?
7. The audition, the film, The Puritan, the sequel? The director, imperious presence, height, not American accent, expectations? The interview, her being in adult movies, her body? Her getting the part? Going back to the studio, the interviews with the director, her demands? The scene of making the cast of her head, the past memories, her panic? And the later final sequence with the cast of her head in the glass? The background of the, Night Stalker the many deaths, and her friend, their discussions, the discovery of the two dead bodies, the symbolic mark?
8. Mysterious video and her watching it, her panic? The address of the windscreen? The encounter with John, Kevin Bacon and the satiric performance? Confrontations, pursuit, his threats and self-confidence? Not identifying the employer? The drinks and conversation? Is appearance at the studio, the pursuit and chase, the weapon and her wound in his nose? The later encounters, the Psycho motel? Her explaining this to her agent, Ted and his personality, manner, sleazy? The confrontation with John, and the brutal crushing of the car and him?
9. The police officers, the would-be actor and his performances, the tough woman in charge? Confronting Maxine, with the death of her video store friend, the continued interrogations, her refusal to answer, the threats?
10. Demonstrations, against The Puritan, the religious right? Protests and placards?
11. The buildup to the climax, Maxine and her fears, the decision to go to the address, the detectives deciding to follow her, her entering the house, eerie, discovering her father, his speeches, showing her the video from her childhood, the massacres in Texas, fleeing? Her father, religious fanatic, his campaign, stamping Satan out of Hollywood, his followers and the ritual, the attempt to exorcise Maxine, tying her up, close-ups of his face, the arrival of the police, the shootout? Maxine free, confronting her father, eventually shooting him? The detectives, shot, wounded, dead? The hovering helicopter?
12. The aftermath,, Maxine as a celebrity, the interviews, the director and her advice? Set, her becoming respectable, the plaster cast of her head?

IN A VALLEY OF VIOLENCE

US, 2016, 97 minutes, Colour.

Ethan Hawke, John Travolta, Taissa Farmiga, James Ransone, Karen Gillan, Toby Huss, Burn Gorman.

Directed by Ti West.

Writer-director, Ti West, began his career with ventures into horror films, gaining great deal of attention with the Innkeepers in 2011. What he continued his career with films, his main work was in television until the 2020s when he made a series of films, well received, starring Mia Goth, sometimes a blend of sex and horror, X, Pearl, Maxxxine. However, this is a Western revenge.

Ethan Hawke plays the central character, Paul, ex-army, having left his wife and daughter, wandering, initially encountering a bogus preacher, Burn Gorman, taking his horse, riding into an abandoned mining town.

While minding his own business in the saloon, he is confronted by an exceedingly brash self-centred Healy, James Ransone, who challenges him to a fight. Paul simply knocks him out. However, Gilly is the son of the local Marshall, an interesting role for 60 year old John Travolta. There are two young women running the local hotel,, Karen Gillan, and the young Maryann, Taissa Farmiga, who is attracted to the stranger.

While the Marshall arranges a kind of peace, Paul rides out of town with his dog (whom everybody admires and asks whether he can do tricks, Paul relying that he bites, though we do see a few tricks, especially his wrapping himself in a blanket!), Gilly and his associates kill the dog, threatening Paul, throwing him from a cliff. He survives.

Which means then that he will return, wreak vengeance on each of the members of the group – which he does. And there will be a confrontation with the Marshall.

Audience emotion is on Paul’s side while they are of the conscience issues of the wreaking vengeance (and his strong motivation of revenge because of the killing of the dog).

Quite an effective vengeance Western achieving what it set out to do.

1. The title, expectations? The Western context?
2. The location photography, town, the streets, bar, Marshall’s office, jail, hotel rooms, the countryside, the mountains? The musical score?
3. Paul and his story, background of enlistment, his war experience, the effect on him, leaving his wife and daughter, his companionship with his dog, talking to the dog? The encounter with the priest, hostile, violent, taking his horse? Arriving in the town, searching for Dollar Bill, in the saloon?
4. Gilly, boasting, the salesman and his field, ousted, Gilly confronting Paul, silent, the challenge to the fight, the five dollar bet, the barman and his caution? Crowd gathering, Paul punching Gilly, his collapse?
5. The Marshall, meeting Paul, the discussions, Gilly his son, Deputy, a father’s care? Willing Paul off? And his encounter with Mary Anne, the bath, flirting, Mary Anne and her relationship with Ellen, Gilly’s fiance, urging him on?
6. Paul leaving, camping, with the dog, the ambush by Gilly and his men, the shooting of the dog, threatening Paul, on the is one, pushing him over? His recovery, returning to the town, spirit of vengeance?
7. Paul and his return, the welcomed by Mary Anne? Roy, his manner, the bath, with Mary Anne, Paul coming in, the confrontation, killing him, the blood? Ellen and her response?
8. The Marshall, confronting Gilly, beating him? Yet protecting him? The plan, Harris going onto the roof, Paul confronting him, the final conversation, Paul merciless, shooting him? Tubby, his fear, urged by the Marshall, his self-assertion, against Tubby, his name Lawrence, standing in the window, shot?
9. Gilly, searching for Paul? Paul and the confrontation with the Marshall, out in the street, the Marshall laying down his arms, Gilly confronting, the challenge, the shooting, the death of the Marshall?
10. The barn, Gilly searching, the news, the fight? Going to the hotel? The women, Gilly and his protecting them, and her pregnancy, Gilly and his surly response?
11. Paul, telling Mary Anne his story, her supporting him? The future?