Ti West’s ‘X’ Explores the Connection Between Sex and Death [The Lady Killers Podcast]

“You know I don’t like blondes.”

When referring to orgasm, the French use the term la petite mort which literally translates to “the little death.” At first glance, this seems morbid – why would we want to think of our own mortality in such a moment of extreme ecstasy – but at closer glance, sex and death may have more in common than meets the naked eye. After all, who hasn’t enjoyed the feeling of death and rebirth while basking in the glow of post-coital relief? Films dedicated to each bear out this connection as well. Horror and porn, both maligned and misunderstood, deal with bodies on screen – the giving and receiving of exquisite pleasure or pain. And that’s not to mention the many phallic weapons and stabbing acts of penetration scary movies are known for. Ti West explores this overlap in his throwback slasher X. By following the cast of a classy porno that descends into horror, he gives us a murderous killer lady who may be obsessed with both.

Maxine (Mia Goth) will not accept a life she does not deserve. This freckle-faced “sex symbol” has traveled out to a rural cabin in the deep south to shoot a pornographic art film called The Farmer’s Daughters with her boyfriend/producer Wayne (Martin Henderson) and friends. Once they arrive, it’s straight to the fuckin’, but a watchful eye from the house next door has other ideas. Pearl (Goth) is an elderly former dancer who longs to once again command attention with her beauty. Jealous of these hot, young actors, she stalks and kills them one by one, enlisting her husband Howard (Stephen Ure) to help finish the job. But can these old bodies still hold up under the physical strain? And will anyone be able to slip out of their wrinkled grasp?

The Lady Killers penetrate the themes of this explicit film in an episode dedicated to one of horror’s reigning queens. Co-hosts Jenn Adams, Mae Shults, Rocco T. Thompson, and Sammie Kuykendall will discuss Goth’s dual role and West’s cinematic eye while marveling at the southern drag and old-age makeup on display. Is X inherently misogynist or does it present a sex-positive cast of empowered women? Is Howard’s devotion to his murderous wife sweet or horrific? Is this Brittany Snow’s best performance? Has Henderson become a bona fide Scream King? Is it ever safe to swim in a lake and can you ever truly trust a gator? As the summer heats up, the Lady Killers will pour out the lemonade and bust out the guitars as they chat about the opening chapter of an exciting Lady Killer trilogy.

It’s a gas.

Stream below and subscribe now via Apple Podcasts and Spotify for future episodes that drop every Thursday.

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