No. 30 (2022) X April 7th.

 

Film No. 30 (2022)  April  7th.  12.20 PM   Cinema 8.  LUNA,  Leederville. 

"Their eyes are going to pop out of their damn skulls when they see this" (Producer Wayne predicts the audience reaction to his low-budget film, it turns out to be a look into the future he was not planning on).

In the precise vein of a 70's slasher / thriller comes X. The backdrop has no surprises; a mid-Texas rural backwater with a humid atmosphere and dark, dank pallet. The "lambs to the slaughter" are visiting "Dankville" to shoot a low budget (with big ideas) porno titled THE FARMER'S DAUGHTER, a likely porno tale indeed. A 70's porno of the style copied onto VHS tapes now sitting in cardboard boxes covered in dust somewhere. 

The talented Ti West (THE INNKEEPERS, IN A VALLEY OF VIOLENCE) has recreated everything films like THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE and FRIDAY THE 13th brought to cinemas in the 70's and 80's. There is no façade. He has simply recreated a 70's design, thanks to Thomas S. Hammock (BLAIR WITCH), as if it has come from the vaults of the VHS era (excerpts of the inane porno storyline included). It's clever work indeed, I must say.

What more do you need to know? Slasher buffs have seen it all before. From the opening prequel scenes of Sheriff Dentler (James Gaylyn) stepping over maimed and mutilated bodies just prior to the 24 Hours Earlier fade up, to the dirty tropical pond shown sometimes from the POV of an Alligator through to the twist emanating from the vision and voice of a religious zealot blaring from a retro T.V. unit,  X does the genre proud. But don't take my word for it, seek out an aficionado of the genre who's watched X, they'll set you straight. 9GUMS.