This story was created in partnership with A24.
"Welcome, everyone, to Maxine Minx's Hollywood Bus Tour!" chirped Lisa, our blonde and bubbly tour guide as she welcomed us onboard. I settled into my window seat, enjoying the breeze and distance from Hollywood Blvd from the refuge of the open air bus. "Today we're not just diving into the glitz and glamor of 1980s Hollywood—we're also stepping into the chilling mystery and excitement inspired by A24's upcoming film, MaXXXine."
In anticipation of the last installment of director Ti West's trilogy, A24 has partnered with LA's venerable Starline Tours to create a new, limited-edition bus tour that takes attendees on an exciting ride through the film's iconic sites. Set in 1980s Hollywood, MaXXXine follows the rise of adult film star and aspiring actress Maxine Minx—played by the captivating Mia Goth—as she tries to make it big in Hollywood. But during her climb to fame, the bodies of sex workers—two of whom are Maxine's friends—end up tying her to the case, putting her in touch with two detectives (played by Bobby Cannavale and Michelle Monaghan) who think Maxine may play a larger role in these murders than she's letting on.
As we took off, tourists peered curiously into our themed bus, and I plugged in our provided headphones. Our first stop was the Hollywood Walk of Fame itself where Lisa took special care to point out the star of Theda Bara, who "enthralled audiences with her mysterious and enchanting persona in the early 20th century, becoming one of cinema's first sex symbols."
Here, Lisa pointed out Bara's similarities with the fictional Maxine, alluding to how Maxine also dreamed of blurring the lines between sex and fame—while also having her name etched into immortality. The stop was accompanied by an exclusive clip from the film where Maxine stubs out her cigarette on Bara's star, a fitting metaphor of how dreaming big in Hollywood sometimes comes with unexpected pain.
The tour's second stop pulled up directly outside of LA's iconic Hollywood Forever Cemetery, where Lisa cleverly joked "stars are dying to get to." We paused outside of the cultural landmark to watch our second exclusive clip featuring the aftermath of a gruesome murder scene. As we drove away, the clip left an eerie feeling throughout the bus, reminding us that although MaXXXine is a work of fiction, the story is set in the very true era of the "Night Stalker",' a serial killer who murdered at least 13 people in California between 1984 and 1985.
"Our most chilling part of the tour takes us through the dark alleys and winding roads that once fell under the shadow of Richard Ramirez, the infamous 'Night Stalker' who preyed upon LA," Lisa shared. Although his killing spree struck terror into the hearts of almost everyone in the city, Maxine couldn't seem to care less: She's too busy trying to get John Labat (played by Kevin Bacon) off her tail, a creepy private detective who seems to know something about the killer's true identity—and Maxine's dark past.
From there, we climbed through the Hollywood Hills, passing stunning vistas and landing at Mulholland Drive's Universal Lookout—which offered a panoramic overlook of Universal's massive studio backlot. "Imagine Maxine Minx gazing over these hills, dreaming big and preparing for her breakthrough role," Lisa narrated, as an exclusive scene of MaXXXine shot on the lot rolled in the background. The scene featured an exchange between Maxine and her intimidating mentor and director, Elizabeth Bender (played by Elizabeth Debicki), as she reminds Maxine the precarious role she occupies as a rising star—and how quickly the tides can turn against her if she doesn't play the right part.
As we descended down to where we started, we were greeted with an uninterrupted view of the Hollywood sign. It felt only fitting: After all, so many people move to LA with these big dreams—and I couldn't wait to see how it ends for Maxine.
MaXXXine opens in theaters on Friday, July 5. A24's MaXXXine: Hollywood Is A Killer Starline bus tour runs through July 7.
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