The Maxx - Free to watch!

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Morkulv
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The Maxx - Free to watch!

Post by Morkulv »

I'm opening this topic to promote one of my personal favorite animated shows of all time; The Maxx.

I only found out about this show because I am a big fan of Aeon Flux and I found out that The Maxx and Aeon Flux both aired on MTV's 'Oddities' back in the mid-ninety's. I don't think it even aired over here in Europe, and if it did I imagine that it had a very limited airtime just like Aeon Flux.

While The Maxx (based on the comic by the same name) may look like your typical superhero-story, it is completely different and blends great storytelling, interesting characters, dark humour and spirituality into a avant-garde masterpiece.

A few years ago, I took the liberty to steal all the episodes off the internet since MTV still hasn't released any DVD of the show ten plus years after it first aired.
But ofcourse, Viacom being the copyright-nazi's that they are, they pulled all episodes off YouTube.

Nowadays it seems like MTV has been in a good mood, and they have now released all episodes (including one missing episode that was cut from the VHS-tape) on their website for free streaming. In great quality as well, I might add.

I encourage every fan of animated shows to check this one out, since to me its a landmark in storytelling and the voiceactors bring the lines from the comics nearly perfect.
Don't let the sometimes abstract comic-style scare you off.

Watch the show here: http://www.mtv.com/shows/the_maxx/series.jhtml
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Re: The Maxx - Free to watch!

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Hmmm... I liked The Maxx when I saw it on MTV waaaaay back when. But even I have to admit that it was really weird. It kept you hooked, and you're trying to figure out what's really going on right up until the end... and that's where it lost me. I'm still (occasionally) tryintg to figure out what the hell was going on with the ending. Did he die? Did he get "cured"? Was that actually a glimpse of the real world, and EVERYTHING else up until that point was part of his delusional mind? For that matter, was it even his delusion? What about what's-her-name? I mean, WTF?!?!?! As with most of the stuff on Oddities, that was all I came away with. I mean, give us some kind of resolution, for crying out loud.
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Re: The Maxx - Free to watch!

Post by Sheba »

Wow I remember this show as a kid. I'd stay up late and watch The Maxx and Aeon Flux. :D
Watched it again and still enjoyed it. I have Aeon Flux on DVD. Time to get The Maxx now.
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Re: The Maxx - Free to watch!

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Uniform Two Six wrote:Hmmm... I liked The Maxx when I saw it on MTV waaaaay back when. But even I have to admit that it was really weird. It kept you hooked, and you're trying to figure out what's really going on right up until the end... and that's where it lost me. I'm still (occasionally) tryintg to figure out what the hell was going on with the ending. Did he die? Did he get "cured"? Was that actually a glimpse of the real world, and EVERYTHING else up until that point was part of his delusional mind? For that matter, was it even his delusion? What about what's-her-name? I mean, WTF?!?!?! As with most of the stuff on Oddities, that was all I came away with. I mean, give us some kind of resolution, for crying out loud.
Hmm, did you really think it was that weird? I mean, I know that alot of people thought it was weird, but when they explained the whole spiritual connection-thing with inner worlds and spiritanimals (which was directly inspired from native american spirituality) I thought it was pretty clarified although I do agree with you that its never really straightforward. Its also a very character-driven show which is something you have to like I guess.

To be honest, I only know about this show for a few years or so. I think it never really aired on MTV in Europe, but I found out about it because I'm a big fan of Aeon Flux (which did air over here).

To me this is easily in my top 5 of best shows of all time. It handles so many different things (good and original looking animation, an engaging story, dark humour, spirituality) and smaller subjects such as suicide, and it pulls them off in a mindbending way. This makes it all the more sad for me that this is such a underrated show (which is probably due to the 'superhero'-appearance). I don't know how it is in north America, but like I said I don't think anyone really knows about it over here, which is a damn shame because it really is a one of a kind show (and comic book). This also goes to show that not only Japanese shows can handle spiritual subjects well. Go western animators! :D

SPOILER ALERT BELOW!

Oh, as for the ending: they said that Maxx has never experienced the Outback without Julie, so what I THINK happened is that Maxx found his own 'place' in the Outback that puts his spiritual subconsious self to rest.
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Re: The Maxx - Free to watch!

Post by Uniform Two Six »

Yes. I thought it was weird. Engaging, but weird. That's an interesting take on the ending, but I've heard something like seven other interpretations from people I know. So, yeah. Weird.
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Re: The Maxx - Free to watch!

Post by Morkulv »

Hehe. Now I'm curious about those 7 other interpretations you heard off! :D
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Re: The Maxx - Free to watch!

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It's been a while since we discussed this, so I don't really remember most of them, but I do remember that one of the alternate possibilities that was floated was that Maxx had dreamed the whole thing (or was delusional, or something) and the last scene where he's just some ordinary guy working in a greenhouse or something was a glimpse of the real world. Another one was that he died in the end, and that last scene was a vision of his afterlife (or something along those lines). I have no idea what the real deal was. I just remember thinking at the end, WTF? I still liked the rest of it, but that ending was weeeeeiiiiird.
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Re: The Maxx - Free to watch!

Post by Morkulv »

Haha! Well, believe it or not, the comic actually introduced a second story apparently. I haven't read the comics, except for a few scans (ssssshh!) so I can't really judge the second story.

According to Wikipedia, the plot of the second story involves Mr Gone (who is now a teacher) turning into a good guy and teaming up with Glory (yes, that would be the girl he molested earlier... What the hell?) and helping Maxx with getting his 'Maxx-powers' back so they can fight a giant snail-monster (so that rules out the possibility of Maxx being dead at the end of the show I guess).

At least thats the small version of the plot according to Wikipedia. It sounds really weird to me, but it does make me curious to read those comics! :P
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Re: The Maxx - Free to watch!

Post by Morkulv »

Just bumping this topic to tell everybody that the show has been blocked off for outside US viewers. Just great. :roll:

Can anyone create proxy, or a torrent perhaps? I would be very gratefull.
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