Brent Trafton

25 May 2012

Almodovar in America

I would bet that Sebastian Gutierrez, the writer and director of"Elektra Luxx" is a big fan of the acclaimed Spanish director PedroAlmodovar. "Elektra Luxx" is kind of like an American version of aAlmodvar film. It is full of funny, quirky and sexy characters.I don't typically like most mainstream comedies but I really liked thisfilm so that might say more about me than it does about this film. Iwas laughing out loud throughout the whole thing. The humor doesn'tseemed forced like mainstream comedy. It is the characters that make itfunny.There is not much of a plot but I enjoyed the time I spent with thesecharacters. My only complaint is that I had to watch it on DVD becausethe BlueRay is not available yet. Hopefully it comes out soon.Make sure to watch to the ends of the credits. There is a trailer forthe final Elekta Luxx film at the end that you will not want to miss."Elektra Luxx" is not a movie for everyone. In fact, it is not a moviefor most people. If you like eclectic, quirky, sexy films, you shouldgive it a try. You might be pleasantly surprised.

Alex Frey

25 May 2012

A festival of random dialogs

I always promised myself never to give a 1 star rating on a moviereview because there is always a part where you can give credit for..boy I was horribly wrong about that. I wasn't sure if i should checkthe "contains spoilers" boy or not, fact is there is nothing to spoilbecause nothing is making sense or is connected to something what REALwriters would call a storyline.Now after this introduction you might expect that they packed the moviewith a ton of nude scenes or flat jokes like in American Pie part 23,unfortunately there wasn't even that.It is a pointless mini journey of a former porn actress stumbling fromone random conversation into another, i was sitting put and thought inthe end it they take all strings together and tie a knot. Oh boy i waswrong again. Apparently or better unfortunately this was a sequel, theymust have sent Tony Soprano holding a gun at the producers head to make2 movies out of nothing. The worst part is how the movie was advertisedas a comedy when it turns out to be a wannabe drama, in fact it isneither of that and it is crowned with horrible acting. It has at least5 actors i really enjoyed before, I assume they woke up next to a horsehead and the contract for this "movie" I wish i could sue people forstealing my time, but after learning that the movie grossed only 10,000USD this is a hopeless case since the makers of this "movie" must beflat broke now.The only reason why i got the Blu-Ray was some of the reviews herewhich had 9 and 8 stars and the "movie" was called brilliant. Must be aplug review by the executives who released this "movie" or peoplewatching the movie one handed and when they didn't find any nudity theythought it was intelligent or something like that, don't blame them theblood was elsewhere.Hands down the worst "movie" I have ever seen in my life and I neverthought that could be possible after seeing Titanic2.Do not get fooled by the trailers or make up your own ideas based onthe suggested storyline, it is not what it pretends to be.

23 May 2012

Tries to do too much...but still very funny and thoughtful.

Sebastian Gutierrez's ELEKTRA LUXX doesn't quite know what it wants to be. It's a comedy, there's no doubt--there are some absolutely hilarious moments. It's also an inspirational piece, and a character study, and a romance, and a study of aging and womanhood. In these latter areas, it stumbles a bit, never reaching its full stride.The film revolves around retired porn star Elektra Luxx (Carla Gugino). She's pregnant now and teaching a sex class for housewives, living a relatively quiet life. One day, a woman (Marley Shelton) approaches her with a proposition: cheat with her boyfriend. Shenanigans ensue, and Elektra slowly finds her place in life. The film is framed/narrated/hosted by a porn blogger (Joseph Gordon-Levitt).The cast is solid. Carla Gugino is phenomenal, carrying the entire weight of the film on her shoulders. Gordon-Levitt is hilarious, as is Timothy Olyphant as perhaps the one guy whom Elektra can love. Olyphant and Gugino's scenes are the funniest in the film; too bad he's only in it for the blink of an eye. The supporting roles are also solid (a grossly underused Kathleen Quinnan being the standout), and there is a funny/creepy/thoughtful cameo from an uncredited great actress (no spoilers). Perhaps the most surprising thing is that the film manages to be sexy without being at all exploitative; a true wonder these days. On the other hand, the script is a bit haphazard; there are too many subplots that meander too far from Elektra's story. And Gordon-Levitt's character is inconsequential; the actor himself is hilarious, but his "skits" (for that's what they amount to) add nothing to the story as a whole. The overall effect is a film that tries to do too much. It's still absolutely funny in spots (again, kudos to Olyphant), and gives Gugino a chance to prove just how good she is. But as a whole, ELEKTRA LUXX feels more like a collection of "parts" that never truly congeal.

MBunge

23 May 2012

Second verse, as aggravating as the first.

A sequel to Women in Trouble, this movie has just as much talk and evenless action. If you loved the first film and thought Carla Gugino wasthe best thing in it, you will revel in this motion picture. If it woreyou out with non-stop blather and thought Gugino was just one amongmany other members of the cast, well…you're probably not going to bewatching Elektra Luxx in the first place. If you're unfamiliar witheither movie, this is what you need to know.Aside from a couple of butt shots, there is no real nudity in ElektraLuxx. There is a lot of dialog, and I mean A LOT, but the characters dovery little. This is more like a radio drama than a film or even astage play. Some of the dialog is quite clever and entertaining. Someof it isn't nearly as clever or entertaining as writer/directorSebastain Gutierrez believes. The sheer tonnage of words spoken herewithout accompanying plot will likely wear on you over time, somethingwhich only enhances the lackluster ending of this thing. There's adream sequence which demonstrates that Gugino should avoid any rolesthat require singing and dancing and that Gutierrez has no future inmusic videos. And this movie continues to employ Gutierrez' graphic butrather sanitized presentation of sexual discussion. These characterssay a lot of supposedly provocative things. With the juiceless way theysay them, however, they might as well be talking about the weather orcomparing lawn fertilizer.This story is again about the several intersecting lives, though fewerin number and importance than Women in Trouble. Primarily, it's aboutex-porn star Elektra Luxx (Carla Gugino). She's pregnant with her dead,rock star boyfriend's baby and teaching a class on "How to act like aporn star in bed" at the local community center. She gets caught up inthe personal drama of Cora (Marly Shelton), the stewardess who washaving sex with Luxx' boyfriend on a plane when he died. There's also aprivate eye (Timothy Olyphant), a best selling author (KathleenQuinlan) and a naked, jealous neighbor (Vincent Kartheiser) who orbitaround Luxx. There are also more disconnected plot lines about a Latinosex blogger (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) and about two sex workers from thefirst movie (Adrianne Palicki and Emmanuelle Chriqui) taking a vacationtogether and resolving the relationship cliffhanger Gutierrez left themat in Women in Trouble.Look, the acting here is enjoyable and the direction, while notterribly involving, is perfectly acceptable. The problem is that thisfilm goes on and on and on with the same thing over and over and over.If you took the best scenes here and inserted them into a story wherestuff actually happens in between, Elektra Luxx would have been prettygood. As it is, watching this is like taking a long car ride withsomeone who won't stop talking. No matter how intelligent andinteresting they are at the beginning, after a certain point you justwant them to shut the hell up.This is in no way a poorly made film, though the plot is prettysketchy. It is a movie that completely reasonable people will findintolerable. Only those who were captivated by Gugino in Women inTrouble should bother with it.

skuggyngel

20 May 2012

as unsexy as porn...

I've never felt so compelled to enter IMDb.com just to give a badrating. I saw this movie just because of Carla Gugino, and i've neverseen her so unsexy as she is here, as pornstar Elektra Luxx.The conversations in this movie are so unnatural, it's only to becompared to the horrible horrible light-design of this movie.The forced comedy of the lines are delivered with no sense of timingand the acting leaves me wondering if the director/writer met hisactors, even once, to talk about his text.The director manages to suck all the actors dry of any talent theymight hint in any other movie.If there is anything positive to say at all: there are maybe two linesby character Holly Rocket (played by Adrianne Palicki) that would havebeen funny if delivered with any kind of timing ore feeling...Everything about this movie is so unsexy, but then again, so is porn.

19 May 2012

4.5 Stars

This review is from: Elektra Luxx (DVD) A quirky little movie about a former porn star, Carla, trying to live a normal life while teaching a class at the learning annex. Her day takes a weird twist. Overall, I really enjoyed this flick. Couple of spots where the flow died. It got resuscitated each time. Supporting cast was delight. How their paths cross. Who's doing what & why. If it hadn't died those 2 spots, it would have been 5 stars.I hate giving the synopsis of the movie when you can find it everywhere. I dont like to give plot points away or how each actor/actress plays their roles. All I can say is I hope you found this as enjoyable as I did.Content, for a movie about a porn star, there is only 2 bare asses shown. Deleted scene shows 2 more & some boobies. Little bit of cussing.

jotix100

19 May 2012

Bert Rodriguezs blog

An amateur blogger, Bert Rodriguez, introduces us to famous porn starElektra Luxx, now retired from the sensational days of her stardom. Herfilms are described in vivid details from the comforts of Rodriguez'sliving room where he is recording his piece about the luminous starwhile one hears in the background his mother's voice asking him to takeout the trash.Elektra, who finds herself pregnant from a boyfriend who died on thelavatory of a jetliner, has reinvented herself into a teacher forrepressed women who has no clue as how to behave in bed. The singer hasleft a lot of songs which even Elektra did not know about. Elektra issurprised by one of her students, that turns out to be a professionalwriter who wants to write her memoirs, a sort of guide into thepleasures of sex.There are about three narratives running into the plot, all of whichcome together toward the end. This is not a film for everyone.Sebastian Gutierrez expanded his previous "Women in Trouble" with anemphasis on the character of Elektra. The comedy is witty as it tacklesits subject with an eye toward fun. Mr. Gutierrez even includes a scenewhere the Virgin Mary has a tete-a-tete with Elektra while she ishaving a bath!Carla Gugino makes the most of her character; she really is an optimistin a field where one could not think it possible. The excellent JosephGordon-Levitt is perhaps the director's alter ego, Bert Rodriguez, ayoung man in awe of the pleasures he has received from watching all ofMs. Luxx's films. Most of the cast has worked with the director before.Among the supporting casts there are good performances by MarleyShelton, Emmanuelle Chiriki, Adrienne Palicki, Timothy Olyphant,Kathleen Quinlan, Malin Ackerman, and a great cameo by Julianne Mooreas the Virgin Mary.Mr. Gutierrez keeps things moving at a quick pace, which benefits theenjoyment of the film. The creator of "Elektra Luxx" shows anirreverent streak for the material he wrote and directed.

Tony Heck

19 May 2012

A very moving and somewhat funny movie about a porn star trying to change her life. Not what I expected its better. I say B+

"What kind of person are you?" Retiring pregnant porn star Elektra Luxx(Gugino) fills her days by teaching a sexology class. After beingapproached by a stranger with a tie to her dead ex-boyfriend her daystarts to get weird. If you have seen the previews to this then youthink you know what the movie is about. You would be wrong. From what Isaw I expected a very funny comedy. While this movie does have it'sfunny moments, at its core it actually a very moving story. A woman whois trying to figure out where her life is is the one everyone seems togo to for advice, help or anything she can provide. Being that themovie is about a porn star there are a few pretty raunchy scenes anddialog, but no where near what you would have expected. There is a shota a male and female butt and that is the extent of the nudity. Theacting and characters are very entertaining that it makes you want towatch and see everyone get what they want. This is not at all what Iexpected, it was better. Overall a very touching, and somewhat funnystory about finding out and being comfortable with who you are. I giveit a B+.Would I watch it again? - I think I actually would.*Also try - Finding Bliss

17 May 2012

A very moving and somewhat funny movie about a porn star trying to change her life. Not what I expected its better. I say B+

"What kind of person are you?" Retiring pregnant porn star Elektra Luxx (Gugino) fills her days by teaching a sexology class. After being approached by a stranger with a tie to her dead ex-boyfriend her day starts to get weird. If you have seen the previews to this then you think you know what the movie is about. You would be wrong. From what I saw I expected a very funny comedy. While this movie does have it's funny moments, at its core it actually a very moving story. A woman who is trying to figure out where her life is is the one everyone seems to go to for advice, help or anything she can provide. Being that the movie is about a porn star there are a few pretty raunchy scenes and dialogue, but no where near what you would have expected. There is a shot a a male and female butt and that is the extent of the nudity. The acting and characters are very entertaining that it makes you want to watch and see everyone get what they want. This is not at all what I expected, it was better. Overall a very touching, and somewhat funny story about finding out and being comfortable with who you are. I give it a B+. Would I watch it again? - I think I actually would. *Also try - Finding Bliss

lewiskendell

16 May 2012

The women in trouble return.

Elektra Luxx is the slightly improved sequel to Women in Trouble. Ifyou enjoyed that movie at all, then this one will also probably beworth your time. A lot of the failed attempts at humor where left out this time around,and the story focus also lies more heavily on the characters of Elektra(Carla Gugino), Holly Rocket (Adrianne Palicki), Bambi (EmmanuelleChriqui), and Bert (Joseph Gordon-Levitt). The story lines of thosecharacters in the first movie are continued right where they left off,and they're also joined by a few new faces like Timothy Olyphant, MalinAkerman and Lucy Punch. Elektra Luxx is also a much tamer movie than Women in Trouble, despitethe fact that most of its characters are still porn stars. Besides afew curse words, this could have been a PG-13 film. As I said before, check this out if you're interested in the continuedlives of the characters from Women in Trouble (the doors are left wideopen at the end of this movie for a third entry in the series).Otherwise, there's not a whole lot of reasons to go out of your way tosee this. 

12 May 2012

hot wemon dont make up for a bad movie

this movie was not to my liking, although this movie had a lot of hot girls in it, the story was lame . the only thing in this movie i really like was trhe main actres's performance. i still can't figure out how some of the characters fit in. it was just boring to me. and it just ended. with bret running out of the mall carying elextra. what was that. it would of been a better ending if they showed her having the baby and what came after she had her. if you have not seen this movie then i recommend you don't

fung0

11 May 2012

Masterpiece

I saw Women in Trouble with no expectations and was blown away. I sawElektra Luxx with high expectations and was not disappointed. There'ssimply no way to describe either film, except to say they're bothfunny, touching, thought-provoking, surprising, and, of course,extremely sexy.I particularly love Gutierrez' knack for creating conversations thatnever go where you'd expect, with participants talking at crosspurposes, or simply flying off on wild tangents. (What do you get for$10? A yogurt... and a pony!) But it's always done without compromisingthe characters; always organic, never contrived.I also got a huge charge out of the opening credits, which do the 1960spop-art thing better than 9 out of 10 recent James Bond films. And I'mtotally enraptured by Gutierrez' use of Robyn Hitchcock for music.Women in Trouble made me a lifelong Hitchcock fan, and it's great tohear Elektra Luxx again making use of his talents.The story in this newer film is perhaps a little less focused than inthe first one, but it's not a big deal. When every moment of thejourney is a delight, who cares where you end up?

10 May 2012

Too-quirky Pedro Almodovar wannabe

Some of the most beautiful and talented actresses in Hollywood are featured herein, the acting is good, but the screenplay drags it down. "EL" can't seem to settle on a tone. It tries to be a zany comedy (it's more amusing than funny), a drama, a satire (of porn movies?), a sexy romance,...it juggles all these in a somewhat unengaging, clumsy manner. There are (too) many characters and many silly situations (events that would only happen in porn movies or cheesy sitcoms) that I guess are supposed to be seen as "quirky." Much of the dialogue is stilted and lame, as in, real-people-don't-talk-this-way lame. Carla Cugino's character does a "Cabaret"-like song-and-dance bit that comes out of nowhere and while it's kinda cute-sexy, Carla G doesn't really sing well and it adds nothing to the movie overall. It's worth seeing if you're a Gugino fan, but this is a mediocre movie, basically Pedro Almodovar Lite (and while I like some of his films, I think he's a tad overrated). Watch an old Woody Allen movie instead ("Love and Death," "Play It Again, Sam").

iumma

09 May 2012

Like a Skinimax flick without the payoff

I had the unfortunate displeasure of viewing this movie tonight, and myshock and awe at how bad it is cannot really be put into words. I gotpulled in by the cover, shame on me. Gugino is a feast for the eyes forsure, and seeing Chriqui make out with another chick was a nicesurprise, but those two niceities cant save this deplorable piece oftrash. As with an earlier reviewer, I rarely give a movie one star, asI can usually find SOMETHING redeeming about the experience: that wasnot the case here. It gives off the stink of one of those late nightsoft-core skin flicks, but without the skin! What the hell wasGordon-Levitt thinking reprising this role? He is lucky he didn't screwup his chances landing the role in Inception. I wasn't even aware thiswas a sequel until I read some of the other reviews. Anyway, there isnothing else to say, this is pure garbage. I should receive some typeof reward for making it all the way through...

Gordon-11

09 May 2012

Not as good as it could be

This film is about the life of a porn star who quits the entertainmentindustry because she got pregnant."Elektra Luxx" is not really a comedy, but a quirky semi-serious drama.There are three vaguely connected subplots, one about the life ofElektra Luxx, another about a blogger and the third about two femalefriends of Elektra. While the main subplot of Elektra's life isinteresting, the latter two subplots seem to add little to the mainstory. They seem disconnected and seem to function as fillers. Or, theyare just reasons to put some soft porn in.I find "Elektra Luxx" not so engaging or captivating as it potentiallycould be. What surprises me the most is the number of big names in thefilm, such as Joseph Gordon Levitt, Malin Akerman and even a long cameoby Julianne Moore.

Alexandra Karla

08 May 2012

?

I don't get this movie. It's like ..nothing. Made my day worse. Some of the actors were definitely not that disappointing but still.. wtf?

07 May 2012

Elektra Luxx

This review is from: Elektra Luxx (DVD) This is a really good movie it not a chick flick but a good comedy about a porn star trying to make it outside of porn.

MovieManMenzel

07 May 2012

Elektra Luxx is a fun and enjoyable film with great performances all around.

On March 14th in Austin, TX, I headed into the World Premiere of"Elektra Luxx" at the Paramount Theater and boy was I in for a treat. Iwas so pumped just being at SXSW but sitting a few seats away from mewere Malin Akerman, Carla Gugino, Emma Bell, Emmanuelle Chriqui, anddirector/writer Sebastian Gutierrez. About an hour into the film, theworst thing that could ever happen to a director happened...the moviescreen went blank during the world premiere. Within a few minutes,Sebastian Gutierrez appeared on stage doing a one man show entertainingthe audience to the highest level possible. After about 20 mins, thecast came on stage to help fill the time. This is when my brilliant assdecided to ask the most awkward question to ask a filmmaker period, letalone during a chaotic screening. I began to ask "how do you make asequel to a film that no one saw the original of?" After that sentencecame out of my mouth, I actually felt really bad for asking it becauseI didn't realize how harsh it sounded but luckily for me SebastianGutierrez decided to answer it honestly and poke fun at me a bit in theprocess. The guy is awesome. I have met a ton of directors andcelebrities and he ranks up there as the coolest guy I met in showbiz.He just seemed like the kind of guy who really valued his fans and Itruly admire the man now. But as the 45 minute mark drew near, JanetPierson let everyone know we would not be able to see the ending of"Elektra Luxx" tonight as the projector could not be fixed.About two weeks ago, I was browsing online and came across the Gen ArtFilm Festival and to my surprise "Elektra Luxx" was playing at thefestival. I knew I had to get tickets and surely enough just a few dayslater I did. So finally on Friday April 9, 2010...I entered the theatertook my seat right across from Mr. Gutierrez again and shortly the filmbegan..."Elektra Luxx" is the sequel to the film, "Women in Trouble." For themost part, this film focuses around the life of "Elektra Luxx (playedby the beautiful and very talented Carla Gugino) and her retirementfrom the porn industry. In the film, Elektra is trying to just live anormal life by teaching a class called "How to have sex like a pornstar." Shortly into the film, her past comes back to haunt her as shegets a surprise visit from Cora (Marley Shelton) who has someinformation about her husband. The film only continues to get moreinteresting as it goes along.. A lot of laughs and some dramedy filledmoments ensue..."Elektra Luxx" has a cast of some of the most beautiful women inshowbiz and surprisingly all of them are great actresses as well. CarlaGugino's lead role as Elektra is not only fun but a very goodperformance. Her character isn't as simple as you may think and Guginoplays the role with such passion that you just enjoy every moment sheis on screen. Marley Shelton plays Cora and is very good even thoughshe has very limited screen time. Emmanuelle Chriqui is always pleasureto watch as Bambi. Her role of playing the all business & no fun girlperfectly offsets her partner in crime Holly Rocket played by AdriannePalicki. Holly Rocket is is my favorite character in the film as wellas the funniest. She seems dumb on the surface but if you actually payattention to her character, she really isn't and that's what I loveabout it. Joseph Gordon Levitt is great in the film as Burt Rodriguez.Levitt steals the show every moment he is on screen. Malin Akerman'scharacter Trixie isn't in the film all that much but for what littlescreen time she has, her character looks like it's going to show somepromise in the next film. Overall, everyone does an amazing job eventhe host of people I haven't listed but these are the main ones.Sebastian Gutierrez pulled a "Woody Allen" so to speak and directed,wrote, and produced the film. He is truly great at doing all of thosethings. I guess having done a lot of writing for "Mainstream Hollywood"it is nice to see him create something more independent. After havingseen two different Q&A sessions with Sebastian, I would have to saythat he is one of my most driven and passionate directors in the biz.He loves film and he loves his cast and it truly shows. One thing Ihave to mention is that everyone in the cast pointed out was thatSebastian treats everyone like family and that shows. These films"Women in Trouble" and "Elektra Luxx," are his babies and while somemay not appreciate them for what they are, I really enjoy the filmsthus far and can't wait to see the final chapter "Women in Ecstasy"next year. Great Job Sebastian! I applaud you and support your work. Iwould love to be in or work on one of your films one day.Bottom Line: "Elektra Luxx" isn't for everyone and with that being saidyou have to have a good appreciation for fun independent films in orderto appreciate the film. Horny guys seeing this film hoping to see a lotof sex will surely be disappointed. This movie is very much a characterdriven film that tells a lot of interesting stories. There are a lot oflaughs to be had but also quite a few heartfelt moments thrown in aswell. "Elektra Luxx" is a movie that is definitely geared towards amature and smart audience. It has a beautiful and talented cast and Ihighly recommend it.MovieManMenzel's final rating for "Elektra Luxx" is a 9/10.

Jizdenky

06 May 2012

When A Pornstar Retires

Sebastian Gutierrez's dialogue oriented 'Elektra Luxx' is somewhatbetter than his next film 'Girl Walks Into A Bar', at least in terms ofwriting, especially where dialogue is concerned. It's wittier, fresherand funnier and fits well with the situations. 'Elektra Luxx' also hasa film-noire style feel to it. The story of the title characterjuxtaposes with two others: one about Luxx's 'diehard' and desperatefanboy blogger Bert who's trying to move on with life post Luxx's filmcareer (she quit) and another involving Luxx's former costar Holly. Ithought the latter story, though well acted in by Adrianne Palicki andEmannuelle Chriqui, barely contributed to the film and perhaps itshould have been left out as it only slows down the pace. The overallpacing is also uneven. At times the lighting feels excessive. The scoreis well utilized and pleasant to the ears. Carla Gugino is terrific inthe title role and she is well-supported by Adrianne Palicki, JosephGordon-Levitt, Kathleen Quinlan and Marley Shelton. There's also aninteresting cameo by one of the finest actresses.To sum it up, 'Elektra Luxx' is refreshing. It has a novel premise andGutierrez steers away from clichés. Some good editing was required totighten it up a little.

05 May 2012

truly horrible...

This review is from: Elektra Luxx [HD] (Amazon Instant Video) I am by no means a movie critic and I usually like the cheesy, low-budget movies (at least of particular genres), but this movie is certainly in the bottom 10% of movies I have ever seen. Don't waste your time. No good "views" of anyone, the acting was horrible and overall had no redeeming qualities!