 Ever since the existence of a third film in Tai West's X series was teased back during the end credits of Pearl, horror fans have been eager to lay their eyes on Maxine. Well, the time has finally come for us to analyze and speculate wildly about this film as A24 has just released the first official trailer for the film. Let's take it piece by piece as I share my thoughts regarding the trailer's biggest moments. Starting with a handful of meta connections to both films of the past and the X film series itself, let's talk about that moment on the set of Alfred Hitchcock's 1960 film Psycho. There are a handful of scenes that take place on a studio back lot considering Maxine is filming a movie during the events of this film. One of those scenes places Maxine on the very familiar steps of Norma and Norman Bates home behind the Bates Motel. The trailer also includes a shot that both references Psycho and X as we can see none other than Pearl peering out of the second story window, just like the iconic shot from Psycho where we are shown the silhouette of who we believe to be as Norma Bates. Throughout the trailer we get a handful of cutaway close-up shots of leather gloves wielding a knife, among other things. These shots seem like a clear reference to the Giallo genre and more specifically Dario Argento. A common motif in Argento's films is the killer's identity being hidden by the film only utilizing these disembodied close-ups of the killer's hands, which are almost always wearing those iconic leather gloves. Dario Argento's work also clearly has an Alfred Hitchcock influence to it, as does many other Giallo films, so these Argento and Hitchcock references seem very intentional. In my eyes the American slasher genre post 1970 is a mix of Hitchcock influences and Giallo influences from across the pond. So this film definitely seems to be playing into those elements as well. Another iconic location that is featured heavily in the trailer is Grauman's Chinese Theater, which of course is a real place in Los Angeles on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Also on the Walk of Fame we see a street performer dressed as Charlie Chaplin, as the film appears to not only be an homage to horror and slasher films, but also just film history in general. Another meta reference in the trailer is all of the talk about the night stalker who was a very real serial killer by the name of Richard Ramirez, who remained on the loose between the years of 1984 and 1985, before he was caught in August of that year. There have been a couple of films about this, and also Ramirez and this history plays a large role in the events of AHS 1984 from a few years back. One smaller detail that I believe is a nod to X is Maxine's denim top that she wears in a couple of scenes, which is visually reminiscent of Maxine's costume for a large portion of that first film. Another scene in the trailer shows Maxine opening an envelope, which contains a copy of the film that she and her friends made in 1979 during the events of X, and in one more reference to both X and Pearl, the trailer closes with Maxine delivering a very similar line to her I'm a Star line, which is said by Maxine in X, and is similarly expressed by Pearl in Pearl. Although it's obvious that these three films will definitely be speaking to each other, I am happy to get confirmation that these types of motifs are continuing to be played upon, and that the events of X will play a big role in the events of Maxine. So I wanted to focus this breakdown on those meta references that I just spoke about, but before I go, I want to leave you with some miscellaneous tidbits that I picked up from this trailer. I can't quite make out all of the VHS tapes that Moses Somney's character is holding, but these are the ones that I could. The Godfather, Midnight Hustle, Gums, and Hotter Than Hell. Like I said before, the film will partly revolve around Maxine filming the Puritan 2, which is a fictional film in this universe, which seems to be about 17th century accused witches who are burnt at the stake, like we see happening to Lily Collins here and Maxine later on. And lastly, during one shot of the trailer, we see a clapboard with the date of July 5th, which of course is the film's release date this year. There is definitely a lot packed in this trailer that I didn't talk about, including some confirmed character deaths, but those moments are blink and you'll miss it, so I won't bring them to your attention if you did happen to miss them and you don't want to know who dies in this film. So there you have it, be sure to let me know all of your thoughts and theories in the comments below, and make sure you're subscribed so you don't miss any updates regarding Maxine and your other favorite horror properties. I am currently reviewing the current season of American Horror Story, so make sure you check out those reviews. Thank you guys so much for watching, and I will see you next time.