X

I love independent horror director´s, especially the ones who really appreciate old school horror classics and use elements from different time period´s in the horror genre. One of those director´s that comes to my mind, is without a doubt director Ti West. I have seen all of his films since he started making films, and i am still really impressed over his passion of making really solid horror films. His first film The Roost ( that we don´t really hear a lot about these days ) was a great first feature full film for Ti West. It was made on a limited budget, but it is a nice throwback to low budget horror films. If you appreciate low budget horror films, you should check it out. The film also have legendary actor Tom Noonan ( Robocop 2, Last Action Hero ) as the Horror Host, introdcing the audience for the story. But it was actually in 2009 when director Ti West really proved why he is so important for the independent horror film industry, when he released his film The House of The Devil. Now, i have probably seen this film at least 10 times since i first picked it up on Blu Ray, and i will tell you why this film is so good. First of all, this film is really well made, considering the budget. You get a sense that director Ti West really wanted to capture the time period of the early 80´s, and he does in a very effective way. This film also manage to feel like a very powerful throwback to satanic films of the 70´s, that especially takes place in one house. I have to mention lead actress Jocelin Donahue ( also worth checking out in the really good independent horror film I Trapped The Devil ) as the character Samantha Hughes. She is definetely a perfect match for this character, and deliver a very solid performance. I should mention that legendary actor Tom Noonan is also in this film, delivering dialogue in his own unique way. The House Of The Devil is a must see on physical media, and i highly recommend that you listen to the commentary track. Director Ti West continued releasing solid films such as The Innkeepers and The Sacrament. And here we are with his latest film, simply known as X. Since i am a big fan of Ti West, i was really excited to see if X would be just as good as The House Of The Devil. Is this the horror film you need to see this summer, or have director Ti West lost his passion for horror with X?

It is the year of 1979, a group of adult film actors and a small film team arrive to a farmhouse occupied by an elderly couple in the desolate Texas countryside. Adult film director Wayne ( Martin Henderson ) is prepared to make his next film, and he hopes this one will be appreciated by the home video audience. But as they start working on the film, they will soon find out that this was not the perfect location they thought it would be.

There is no doubt that director Ti West feel a big passion for films of the 70´s, and this becomes very clear with X. You get the bright colors of the 70´s, and you feel the time period is captured in a very effective way. Everything from the costume design, even to the hair style´s, it definetely feels like we are back in 1979. I think it was a really good idea to tell a story about the making of an adult film, since we know that this was a big industry for home video. I still remember seeing adult films in VHS stores back in the 80´s, so for a younger generation today, this is a great way to show them how different it was back in those days. It was ok to show nudity and sex in stores, after all, people enjoyed adult films. If you wanted to see sex on film, you just picked up a couple of VHS films, no matter what you enjoyed. And the film X really manage to capture the feeling that this is supposed to be the making of a sex film, for anyone who enjoys watching porn. But this is just a piece of X, in the end this is an old school slasher film. And i have to say, this film does a really good job delivering some really brutal slasher moments. If you love lots of blood and people being killed, you are in for a treat. How about the characters? There are several characters that i enjoy in X, and especially actress Brittany Snow ( mostly known for her character Chloe in the Pitch Perfect movies ) as the porn star character Bobby-Lynne. This is honestly the best acting performance i have seen Brittany Snow do in her movie career so far, so she is perfect for this role. She finds the perfect balance to portrait this character, with a good sense of humour. Martin Henederson ( who i especialy remember from the American remake of The Ring ) is really good as the adult film director Wayne. The thing that makes Wayne such a funny character, is his charming personality, always seeing the possibilities than problems. And of course we have actress Mia Goth ( who i will always remember for her performance in A Cure For Wellness, a must see ), giving us a very strong performance as porn actress Pearl / also known as Maxine. X is a horror film that knows exactly what audience it was made for, and that is fans of old school horror with influences from the 70´s grindhouse era. There is one ridiculous sex scene between the old couple living at the farm, that didn´t really add anything to this film. But other than that i am very pleased with X for what it is trying to do, tell a story about the adult film film industry in the late 70´s, and bring back a nostalgic feeling of the good days of horror films. Director Ti West knows exactly what he is doing, and brings back practical make up effects horror, just the way we like it. Definetely worth picking up on Blu Ray this summer, and i promise you will have a really good time. 

Rating: DDDD