4K Blu-ray Review: Ti West’s PEARL & MAXXXINE Get The Second Sight Films Treatment
With the X film franchise, filmmaker Ti West has started to dig deep into the horror genre and play around with its many tropes. He’s been able to use one narrative thread and deliver three distinct films which all tackle a different aspect of horror cinema. X was a 1970s set slasher throwback, while Pearl was more a psychological horror shot through a technicolour lens. MaXXXine pushed the franchise into the 1980s, taking a Brian De Palma-style approach to an LA-set, blood-soaked finale.
Pearl and MaXXXine have now both been given a bells and whistles release by Second Sight Films – and they’re an absolute must for those who enjoyed West’s genre experiments – and for fans of horror in general. West and star Mia Goth both embraced this franchise with absolute gusto. The films are monumentally well crafted, and they’re anchored by gutsy performances from Goth.
Pearl, a prequel to X, rolls back the story to 1918 and follows Goth’s titular character as she strives to break free from her overbearing mother and become a star of the stage and screen. As you can imagine, things take a very bloody turn. Given a Technicolor sheen, there’s something of a Wizard Of Oz feel to the film – the farm setting may have something to do with this, but the larger-than-life performances, coupled with the lush look, really add a certain old Hollywood dynamism to proceedings.
Things really pop with MaXXXine, as West and Goth fully embrace the 1980s aesthetic and the gritty side of the City of Angels. As the Night Stalker haunts the city, Goth’s Maxine attempts to make the break from the world of adult film into legitimate and mainstream filmmaking.
Both films really hit the mark – but Ti West especially hits the mark with MaXXXine. The film not only has flashier visuals and a great score, but also a top-tier supporting cast: Elizabeth Debicki, Michelle Monaghan, Bobby Cannavale, Lily Collins, Giancarlo Esposito, and Kevin Bacon (on particularly sleazy form). Having said that, Pearl does feature future Superman David Corenswet as a film projectionist and Pearl’s love interest. What makes Pearl and MaXXXine work is that they try to push the boundaries of horror, tackling storytelling as well as bloody gore.
Special Features
If you read Movies In Focus, then you know that I’m a big, big fan of what Second Sight Films has to offer and they once again go above and beyond with the 4K releases of Pearl and MaXXXine.
Pearl comes with an audio commentary by filmmaker and historian Alexandra Heller-Nichola, as well as detailed interviews with some of the film’s top talent. Director Ti West, actor Tandi Wright, Director of Photography Eliot Rockettmand Production Designer Tom Hammock all chat about the film. These aren’t puff piece interviews – they’re really engaging conversations. You get an informative video essay by Joe Wallace and Coming Out of Her Shell and Time After Time – two archival featurettes that are solid, but nowhere near as good as the new features on offer.
MaXXXine features another first-rate commentary by Bill Ackerman and Amanda Reyes and another exceptional set of conversations. This time around, Ti West, Producer Jacob Jaffke, Director of Photography Eliot Rockett and Production Designer Jason Kisvarday talk about how the film made it to the screen. There’s also a video essay from critic Kat Hughes, a trio of archival featurettes and a Q&A with Ti West.
You could argue that there could be a little more input from Mia Goth, but these films are so comprehensive that you don’t really feel there’s a hole in what anyone has to say about the making of these films. These definitive releases tell you everything you need to know about Pearl and MaXXXine.
