Ep. 239: Reviewing 'MaXXXine' and Our Favorite L.A.-based Films

The AwardsWatch Podcast

On episode 239 of The AwardsWatch Podcast, Executive Editor Ryan McQuade is joined by AwardsWatch Associate Editor Sophia Ciminello and AwardsWatch contributors Karen Peterson and Dan Bayer to review Ti West’s latest in his X franchise, MaXXXine, and talk about their favorite films set in Los Angeles.

While the Minions dominated the box office this past weekend, it was Ti West newest horror film that got the attention of the AW team. Known for being one of the teams most anticipated films of the summer, MaXXXine continues the adventures of Mia Goth’s titular character after her survival of the events of 2022’s X, and finds her on the run for her life against a mysterious killer in 1985’s L.A. While Ryan gave the film a mostly positive review on the website, the film has been received with mostly a mixed reaction by critics and audiences, which made for a fascinating conversation by the team as their thoughts varied in all different directions, much like the plot of the film.

In the back half of the episodes, inspired by the setting of MaXXXine, the AW team got to sit down and talk about films that are some of their favorites set in the City of Angels, Los Angeles. Being one of the premiere destinations in all of the United States, and the birth place of Hollywood, L.A. can be a magical, daunting, mystical, romantic, terrifying, complex setting for a film, and thus makes it such an interesting place to talk about. Some of the films mentioned in the conversation ranged from Clueless, Mulholland Dr., Singin’ in the Rain, Sunset Boulevard, Speed, Collateral, Heat, Chinatown, Double Indemnity, Once Upon a Time in…Hollywood, L.A. Confidential, The Player, Boogie Nights, Magnolia, Licorice Pizza, Who Framed Roger Rabbit?, and more.

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This podcast runs 2h11m. We will be back next week for a Oscar retrospective covering the 72nd Academy Awards, celebrating the films of 1999. Till then, let’s get into it.

Music: “Modern Fashion” from AShamaleuvmusic (intro), “B-3” from BoxCat Games Nameless: The Hackers RPG Soundtrack (outro).