Customer Reviews

Maxx: Original Series [VHS]

5 star:		(61)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

I'm here to officially announce my heartfelt sentiment that "The Maxx" should get a DVD release. "The Maxx" was part of the MTV's Oddities program that ran in the mid-90's before it went BETV and TEENBEAT on us. Back then, MTV still had a shred of respectability by at least offering shows such as these to people who weren't popular, who weren't listening to the Top 40, and who didn't buy into mass-marketing-mainstream-lifestyle-bullcrap that floods our TVs, radios, and internet today.

I can remember another "Oddities" program in particular called "The Head" that was just as fun to watch as "The Maxx" only not as intelligent or curious. Anyone who was a fan of this stuff will remember "Liquid Television" that gave birth to "Beavis and Butthead" and also featured (I believe) "Aeon Flux" which is South Parkesque in that one of the leads dies in every episode. What does this have to do with a DVD release? Well, obviously MTV doesn't feel that these programs stand up on their own to merit an individual release, so why not just lump all these things together and set them out there? Call it whatever you like--Liquid Television DVD, Oddities DVD, Mid-90's Culty Animated DVD, whatever. My point is "The Maxx."

To summarize, this is a two-hour long feature adapted from the Sam Kieth comic "The Maxx" which follows a purple-and-yellow hero with a roided-out build called Maxx. He is befriended by Julie Winters who is the victim of a serial rapist known as Mr. Gone. Mr. Gone is also Maxx's arch-nemesis, or so Maxx thinks. Then there's Sarah, the girl trying to be a writer, who sees Julie as, I suppose, a quasi-therapist. Oh, and there's also a mirror-world called "The Outback," also called "Pangea" filled with Crabbits, Mountain People, Leaping Slugs, Air-Whales, and gobs and gobs of chattering Isz's. Once in this world; Julie Winters make the shift to the Leopard Queen, ruler of that world, and Maxx becomes her protector. Have it figured out yet?

I must have watched this 1,000 times over the years and I'm still not sure if I've got it all put together. After two degrees in Literature and years of analysis experience I'm flustered. As far as I've got is this; "The Maxx" is about potential realities intruding into perception of actual reality, so much so that the degree in which reality is grasped becomes blurred between what is and what probably is (accounting, by extension, for the name of the "Isz"). Grasping and cognating reality is about shuffling through different dimensions, different existences and conflicting outcomes. For example, when Maxx chases an Isz back from "The Outback" into Julie's apartment, he is made small while the Isz remains big. He still maintains his personae as protector, while the Isz remains white (rather than black) and is prey rather than hunter, even though it would seem because of their size their roles would be reversed.

I won't go on, but I know I could. There's so much to work through and so many different possibilities that this stuff makes David Lynch seem like a board game, even though I don't care for Lynch.

And even if you're not in "intellect" mode, you can still turn the lights off, put this on with a beverage and some chips-n-salsa and just enjoy the writing, because it's very good.

When I first stumbled upon this series a few years ago, while flipping past MTV, I was unsure of what to expect. I mean, MTV is not exactly a bastion of intellectual brilliance, nor a standard-setter in terms of quality television programming. This is, after all, the same cable station that tortures us with tripe like "The Real World".

Alas, The Maxx intruiged. My wife and I were so interested, in fact, we promptly purchased the video cassette not long after catching a snippet of The Maxx on television. Once exposed to the full-length drama that is The Maxx, my wife and I could only turn to each other and say: W-O-W!

To call this movie both deep and complex is the understatement of the year. I had to watch it a few times to really get my hands around the characters and the plot. It simultaneously takes you on a tour of a Rogues Gallery of the human soul, while giving us characters that are very flawed and altogether heart-wrenching. Julie, The Maxx, Sarah, Mr. Gone, each one of them is a richly-drawn portrait. They amuse, annoy, invite, provoke, and otherwise engage the viewer.

It's not often that American animation reaches heights like this. For the most part, American animation is cutesy, watered-down, moralistic,and sickeningly huggable. Either that, or it's moronically violent and so utterly devoid of plot that you wonder what shreds of so-called script the animators had to go on in the first place.

Then comes The Maxx, a film that makes you love animation all over again. A diamond in the rough, The Maxx is a priceless gem! I highly, highly recommend this film for anyone who wants to reawaken their otherwise dulled taste in American animated film, or just films in general.

This is not a review per se (the series is great) but I wanted to let those interested know that all the episodes- unedited- can be seen at youtube.com. Until the series is released unabridged on DVD , which seems unlikely, that's the only way I know of to see it in its original form.

Most of the shots and dialogue are taken directly from the comics. Great voice acting on the part of the Maxx enhances the many quotable lines with a dry wit.

The atmosphere is generally dark and surrealistic. The brightly-colored segment that satires Dr. Suess's style is excellent, taking my favorite issue of the comic book and breathing new life into it.

It's a shame that these "cartoons for adults" don't get more respect; this is a very innovative, artistic, and entertaining presentation.

If you liked the comics, you definitely won't be disappointed with this.

If you're looking for a light-hearted, funny cartoon with singing lobsters and bunnies, this isn't for you. If you're looking for a dark, twisted story that will reel you in and leave you wishing for more, buy this today.

So says 'The Maxx' about himself, in one of my all-time favorites. This story is not all that confusing, when you see it as many times like I have. It starts as a standard rogue superhero tale, and then quickly delves into a story of insanity vs reality, first- vs second- wave feminism, and love vs indifference. This story has it all, displaced persons, escapism, Jungian psychology, the nature of sex and violence, and what each individual's role in society is. The character of Sarah perfectly defines the confusion of a teenager that has been abandoned by her parents, Julie shows how people grow up and 'cover-up' in an attempt to heal from extreme trama, and poor old Maxx is just 'a normal Joe, who got in the middle of things'. The multitudes of different animation styles, the soothing voices, and the hypnotic music all add up to a story that has entralled every guest I've ever shown it to. Really, William Faulkner himself would love this. Do your self a favor and get a copy of this, before it goes out of print.

Let's get this straight--I'm not a comic book junkie. I've never seen 'Ghost in the Shell' or read manga or watched 'Star Trek' and am not anime-obsessed. The closest I've come to the "other world" is a comic convention (in order to research girl-friendly artists), where I was thoroughly disgusted by the creepy loser boys chasing after scantily-clad Xena doppelgangers. How degrading.

Well, you don't have to be a "comic-book guy" to appreciate The Maxx, because I'm your normal urban twentysomething female who was enthralled by The Maxx, the very second I saw it on MTV. Each episode was so insightful, deep, tragically beautiful and narrated. no robotic aliens/violence/slash-em up/gratuitous nudity. Just a pure, good, deep, sad story. And it's a story so hard to describe because it is so dreamlike; filled with so many hidden meanings, metaphors, and riddles, you can watch this tape a million times and each time you will see something new. Maxx and Julie are the main characters, and the story shifts from Real Life to "The Outback", an escapist's never-never land; but also riddled with trouble. To describe the summary is pointless, for The Maxx is subject to your own personal interpretation. Its meaning is so enigmatic, it's part of the surrealist's experience.

All I can say is that the visuals are amazingly moving yet simple, a juxtaposition of well-spaced images, silhouettes, and sounds that draw you into Maxx's world. Watching this video once is not worth it. It's just too deep, too insightful, too much to absorb. I have had this tape for quite a long time and whenever I want to be visually and mentally stimulated, I pop in the Maxx. I highly recommend you do the same.

I don't have this retail version of the show, but I do have the original episodes that I recorded from MTV Oddities in 1995. I think the show and the original comic book are excellent! I pulled them out and watched them for the first time in over 5 years. I wish there was some way to get this released on DVD.

I don't think i need to say a whole lot about this video...the other reviews pretty much sum it up. Release that bad boy on DVD already! While you're at it get the rest of Aeon Flux on DVD too.

But it's sadly been hacked down from its original form when it aired on MTV.

Hopefully, though its extremely unlikely, we'll see a complete and unedited version released on DVD.

I recently found my VHS tape of this series & wondered if there was a DVD version available, no such luck! This was perhaps the best thing to come from MTV in the 90's, only to disappear into obscurity.
When I found this listing I was dissapointed to see the running time as 2 hours. My tape of MTV's Oddities marathon comes in at 3 1/2 hours!(with commercials) Each show is 30 mins, with 2 episodes per show, & one double length episode, for 13 episodes. My math gives me a length of 9.23 mins per episode for 2 hours! I thought they usually run at least 11 mins per, but that would still be 143 mins for 13 episodes, not 120. Is this really the whole series?