Did you notice the question and number at the end of the MaXXXine trailer? What happens if you text it? Would you be taking a risk?
Since it worked out okay last year when I texted “I want to play a game” to the number in the SAW X trailer, I decided to find out. (Not gonna lie. I was a little apprehensive about that one.)
When I saw a similar ploy in the MaXXXine trailer, I figured, “Why not? What’s the worst that can happen? It’s just Maxine Minx. It’s not like I’m tempting fate with Jigsaw or Pighead or something.”
Plus, I’m an absolute sucker for this kind of movie marketing. (My FOMO can’t resist it.) Here’s what happened.
Hello?
I wasn’t sure what to text, so I went with the failsafe, “Hello?” However, in retrospect, I wish I’d put something more clever, like, “How far does Maxine need me to go?” (I know it’s all automated, and no one would’ve seen it. It would’ve been strictly for my own entertainment purposes.)
However, the simple “hello” did the trick and generated a response.
Welcome!
Once I signed up for the community, I received a warm welcome from the official Maxine Minx fan club. They even included her contact information for me to add to my phone and everything!
Trivia Time
There was nothing else to text back after the fan club welcome. I figured that was that. But within a few hours (or less), I received another text, one that was going to test my familiarity with Maxine Minx. Could I answer the question correctly?
*SPOILER ALERT* – Stop reading after the screenshot in this section if you plan on testing your own trivia knowledge. The answer is revealed in the next section.
3rd Time’s a Charm
There’s a line in the MaXXXine trailer that stuck in my mind. I didn’t think it would be the right answer, but I couldn’t resist. It tickled me. So, I tried it. Crickets.
Okay, what else might it be? I tried again…with the same results as the first time. However, my answer had a typo. Was the bot working the system programmed to take typos into account? Maybe. But I also had a feeling that wasn’t the right answer either, so I tried again. Bingo!
Special Surprise
Ooo! A gift? One I could print out? What on earth could it be?
It turned out to be a two-pager: Maxine’s headshot and actor resume.
Worth it?
Did I need Maxine’s headshot or resume? No. Was it fun getting them as a free gift? Sort of.
It’s neat to see what technology can do these days. I always think back to the ’80s and what some of my favorite horror movies back then might’ve done with this sort of promo at their disposal. (Maybe a snarky message from Freddy or a hint about what weapons Jason would use in his latest movie?)
And if you paid attention to the “stay tuned” part in the welcome message, yes. You will receive other texts after the initial one. So far it’s only been two. One with a link to theaters and showtimes. The other with a way to show off your headshot in the fan club on TikTok.
Not sure what else they’ll send, but I’m staying opted in to find out. (Because, you know, who I am to fight my FOMO at this point?)
Check-In
What would you have texted to the number to kick off the text exchange? Hello? Or something else?
Courtney Mroch is a globe-trotting restless spirit who’s both possessed by wanderlust and the spirit of adventure, and obsessed with true crime, horror, the paranormal, and weird days. Perhaps it has something to do with her genes? She is related to occult royalty, after all. Marie Laveau, the famous Voodoo practitioner of New Orleans, is one of her ancestors. (Yes, really! As explained here.) That could also explain her infatuation with skeletons.
Speaking of mystical, to learn how Courtney channeled her battle with cancer to conjure up this site, check out HJ’s Origin Story.