Brian T

Glad to see I wasn't the only one thinking she should (but probably won't) get some acting nods for this, as I mentioned a few days back. I also think Tandi Wright deserves some kind of supporting actress nominations, but again I doubt we'll see much for either actress because of this being a horror film. Agree on your other points as well. It would have been interesting if they could've gotten MAXXXINE in the can quickly to renew interest in this one closer to awards season.

Forgot to mention earlier that the final shot (under the closing credits) was brilliant. They actually discuss it in the Q&A I posted earlier, toward the end, I think.

d2cheer

Do you need to see X to get this?

I saw it but my wife did not...

dex14

I would say no. It stands on it's own. Having seen X could enhance this due to some references.

Brian T

This kind of reminds me of a previous similar discussion regarding THE ENDLESS and RESOLUTION. Like those films, both enhance each other greatly, but can probably be watched in any order. If anything, I found watching X a second time right after the TIFF screening of PEARL made X a little more rewarding due to the backstory, set details, etc., so watching them chronologically – along with MAXXXINE eventually – seems perfectly acceptable. Personally, I'd be game for a PEARL sequel as well, detailing subsequent eras of her journey to becoming the old hag in X. We could end up with duelling franchises here with the same actress!

Brian T

​​​​
Mia Goth’s Show-Stopping 9-Minute ‘Pearl’ Monologue Deserves Oscar Attention (contains spoilers, naturally)
https://variety.com/2022/awards/awar...ss-1235377891/

Nice comparison to the iconic opening scene in Inglourious Basterds, which actually popped into my head when I was watching Goth's scene, with that whole 'unseen' element (her sister-in-law, who gradually 'disappears' from the sequence) that you keep thinking about as the monologue grows more menacing.

Mondo Kane

So, um, have any of you guys visited 'Pearl's Peep Show' yet? (I won't directly link to it here for safety reasons. Just type it in for yourself)

TomOpus

Yep, just like the page says when you find it, it's a collection of vintage peep shows.

Paff

Are you referring to the thunder-and-lightning dinner scene, where Pearl informs her mother that she's going to the audition whether her mom likes it or not? Because yes, that immediately had me thinking of Carrie.

I'm sure you've heard about troubled teens who cut themselves. Apparently, the reasoning behind it is to feel a different kind of pain than the emotional pain they're enduring. Interestingly enough, I compare it to depressing movies (except of course, depressing movies are a far better method of dealing with issues than self harm). When you see a movie that deeply affects you, really brings you into a sad and depressing world, you're no longer in your own world. And that out-of-body experience, that's what makes me really appreciate the art of cinema, even if it's a real downer. It's why I never understand "turn your brain off and enjoy it" movies. Because I can't. But if a movie can take my brain and put it somewhere else, that's true magic. I may feel shitty after a downer movie, but I paradoxically love when a movie can do that to me.

Anyway, just saw Pearl for the first time this afternoon, my theater is down to one showing a day meaning I'd better get it in before Friday so I did. And was very glad. I liked this a lot, and the first thing I want to do is see X again. I generally don't go for "origin stories", because more often than not it tends to be far less interesting than what you had built up in your mind (ex: I saw Star Wars in 1977, and to me Darth Vader was the badass of all badass characters in movies. If I had walked out of the theater back then, and George Lucas told me "Yeah, he's just a feeble old guy who misses his mommy and hooking up with Natalie Portman", it would have totally ruined my experience), but this is the exception that proves the rule.

Even though it would have been a tired cliche, I'd have liked if Pearl's . That's about my only gripe with the film.

RichC2

I guess X and Pearl both had $1m budgets. I wonder what MaXXXine will end up with.

Brian T

That would've been interesting but I'm fine with them not feeling compelled to include it, mainly for the reason you noted. I like the suggestion that Pearl's reasoning, especially in X with hindsight, is informed by a possibly lifelong denial to her of any kind of "fame" (and sexual freedom) as she perceived it, even the porn kind, which gives her this creepy fascination/repulsion syndrome in relation to it and those who seem to have it in her eyes. Plus it leaves Maxine open to actually experiencing that fame, and perhaps doing whatever or killing whomever it takes to maintain it in the next film. Mind you, I also think PEARL as a character is strong enough to warrant a sequel of her own, so maybe they'll have another opportunity to explore what made her tick in the decades leading up to X, although I'd imagine being stuck with Howard on that farm for the next 60 years would prevent plenty of other opportunities and thus drive her psychosis even deeper.

Paff

Oh, I forgot to mention, I liked the use of the 1918 Flu Epidemic as a not-so-subtle stand-in for Covid 19.

dex14

The A24 Screening Room is doing an X & Pearl double feature on the 20th, so this should be available on VOD on the 25th (or sooner).

dex14

Nice print.

Gunde

Finally caught up on this, and just like with "X" I came away disappointed.
I found the story thin and unengaging, and contrary to what most are saying, and besides the long monologue (which was indeed amazing), I found Mia Goth's acting quite mediocre.
Guess I'm just not a Ti West fan.

philo

Watched it last night and really enjoyed it. It's very different from the tense slasher of X. Mia Goth deserves an Oscar nomination. It's a great performance, fragile and sympathetic, full of yearning but easily slipping into paranoia and fury. I think Pearl is a character every bit as memorable as Annie Wilkes in Misery and the final lingering shot is unforgettable. The movie is beautifully shot, capturing the period but also evoking The Wizard of Oz. Standout supporting performances from the mother and the actor playing the projectionist.

Rival11

Didn't like this one except for that last kill setup - that was outstanding. Pretty boring movie with not much interesting going on. It wasn't fun like X either.

I'll say this though, Mia Goth it outstanding as this character - she does hold back at all. It's cool that both her and West wrote it together.

I actually like the end/ending credits as well - that was pretty funny.

I'm definitely going to finish this trilogy out as well.

DJariya

I originally saw this in the theater, but unfortunately fell asleep for 45 minutes of it. Didn’t feel like going back to see it again.

So I had a free rental from Red Box and rented the DVD last week. I did not like this as much as I liked X. Most of it was boring and Pearl was so annoying. Her obsession with wanting to be a star got really grating. The kills weren’t even really that fun.

Brian T

Signed this out from the local library here just to revisit Goth’s big monologue at the end, and continued through the closing credits only to discover that the MAXXXINE trailer shown at TIFF last fall wasn’t there! Are all the releases like this? Just DVD? Just Canadian DVD? Were the music rights an issue? Or maybe they just didn’t want to promote it too heavily when nothing’s actually in the pipeline just yet? Bummer that A24 keeps it on YouTube but not on (certain?) home video releases. Oh well, at least it’s out there.

Mondo Kane

The physical release of X didn't have the Pearl trailer at the end-credits either. Just a weird game this franchise has been playing!

Crocker Jarmen

I'm in Canada, saw both X and Pearl at the theatre and neither one had the trailer at the end, which was disappointing.

DJLinus

Finally got around to seeing this. Liked X better, but still enjoyed it. Goth's monologue was great. Like with a lot of movies in this genre, afterwards my mind goes to "well, now how do they explain away the carnage to the authorities?" Especially here since we know she goes on to living on the farm for another 60+ years. The father could be covered up as having to do with his medical condition and the projectionist is a bohemian drifter that could've been thought to have suddenly split town. But the mom and the sister-in-law?

And has Ti West or Mia Goth talked about her accent? It seemed over the top to me, especially coming from a German immigrant household. (I'm presuming the father is also German.) She doesn't seem well socialized enough to have been exposed to others' speech patterns during her verbally formative years. And I don't remember it being that thick in X. I know it's a nitpick I'm focusing way too much on. Ha.

I don't know how accurate she is, but while watching this my girlfriend pointed out that during the Spanish Flu they tied their masks around their heads, not loop them around their ears. But yeah, it was a nice touch.

I rented the digital version (from YouTube) and it didn't have the Maxxxine trailer at the end.

HN

is / was it just this?

dex14

Yes.

Mike86

Watched this tonight. I found it to be far better than X which I was pretty disappointed in and a reason I held off on watching this one for a while.

I just found it an overall more interesting film. The setting and how it was a character study of how Pearl came to be who she is in X. Mia Goth is chilling as an absolute batshit, psycho. I was on the edge of my seat at various points. Very intense.

My big questions are what happens in the time between this and X? There’s a big jump there. Pearl and Howard stay together all that time. Is he just as crazy as she is and has some weird unconditional love or is he just scared for his life? I almost feel like that could be explored with more of a direct follow-up.

Brian T

I’d be curious to see what happens in the intervening years (and have mentioned it in a couple of earlier posts). Not sure if they have plans beyond a trilogy, but there would certainly be room for a PEARL 2 to bridge the gap between PEARL and X. Based on how Pearl is in X, you do get the impression that she never left the farm, which might be limiting, story wise. There are certainly aspects of the history of American pornography circa the 1940’s or 50’s that could feasibly enter Pearl and Harold’s world, but simply having 1950’s nudie-cutie filmmakers or Irving Klaw-style bondage photographers and models show up at the farm to be slaughtered would be repetitive. It might be interesting to see her do an about-face and become an anti-porn crusader (which was a thing back then) who takes out local smut peddlers or pimps or whatever, but then the nearby town didn’t seem big enough to support thriving sex industries like that.

Similar thoughts came up in the MAXXXINE thread, where it was mentioned it might be interesting to see a MAXXXINE 2 that brings that character into the anything-goes modern world of porn, perhaps likewise as some kind of crazed crusader out for revenge against the industry that leaves her behind. This assumes she survives MAXXXINE, of course. Who knows what they’re planning.