27 reviews
I went in thinking that "Hexed" would be something enjoyable, but at the same time forgettable throwaway. Yep it was sprightly, but never unmemorable thanks to the neurotically psychotic female fatal performance by the stunning Claudia Christian as an international supermodel with a murderous streak, which Arye Gross' unlucky hotel desk clerk character eventually finds out. This is one surprisingly good, twisted black comedy with moments of overstated cruelty and hilarious activity in the theme of the boy who cried wolf as the line between fantasy and reality becomes blurred. Matthew Walsh is a geeky hotel clerk who is tired with the life he leads that he feels the need to embellish it with tall tales and outrageous lies that no one takes seriously, but this comes back to hurt him when he becomes secretly involved with mega-star model Hexina. What seems like a harmless dream coming true turns quite dangerous when he learns her true identity and dead bodies begin to pile up. Now who is going to believe him? It might be a one-idea joke, but there are visual gags aplenty in a cartoon-like tone, clever Hitchcock touches and the tidy script is humorously sharp with the banter. The support cast are just as kooky with raucous turns by R. Lee Emery, Normal Fell, Ray Baker, Michael E. Knight and the lovely Adrienne Shelly. Frenzy comic-laced entertainment.
"How many f*cking men do I have to kill in this f*cking town."
"How many f*cking men do I have to kill in this f*cking town."
- lost-in-limbo
- Jan 21, 2012
- Permalink
The biggest strength of "Hexed" is that it's a movie difficult to categorize. Although it resembles your typical hapless-everyday-man-gets-in-over-his-head comedy, you never really know where it's gonna to take you. It's offbeat, unpredictable and gets darker by the minute. It also gets jarringly violent at times, but it's competently acted and deserves a solid ** rating.
Somewhat similar to the movie, Mystery Date, Hexed is the story of a little white lie that leads to big trouble. Ayre Gross plays a single hotel clerk. He uses, it seems, every opportunity available to pretend he is someone he's not (using his employee advantages) to pick up women at the hotel, and unsuccessfully so. This is usually thanks to his sneaky rival coworker who wants to see him fired, although it is also partly his own fault (he doesn't exactly have the charm of say, Ferris Bueller, or similar types able to easily manipulate a little white lie).
When word gets to the employees that the French supermodel, Hexina (Claudia Christian), will be staying at the hotel, Ayre's character bets his rival coworker that by night's end, he will have a date with Hexina. Opportunity comes a knocking when Hexina mistakenly believes that the clerk is a blackmailing producer (which he doesn't deny) and suddenly, he suddenly finds out that Hexina is a bigger fraud than he is. And his little charades suddenly get him into huge trouble involving a psychopathic seductress, a few murders, and a town full of oblivious idiots that is going to give the clerk a hard time to set the record straight.
There are amazingly funny moments, especially from R. Lee Ermey as the irritable Detective Furgeson and the witty retorts and wonderfully hilarious facial expressions of Claudia Christian as Hexina. Though the filming was rushed and done on a crunch budget, there is quite a bit here that delivers some great laughs. However, it might be for the same reason that just as much of the film is also delivered with some kind of comedic restraint. The movie never really gets off the ground until the clerk and Hexina actually meet. And some of the more subtle humor and gags tend to go unnoticed, possibly by more disinterested viewers. It's not a bad one to try out, however, if you're in the mood for something different. Although it shares a similar theme to Mystery Date, this is certainly no mild comedy (they do let the expletives fly). I imagine that probably, had there been more time and a bigger budget available, Hexed would be a bit less forgettable as a sort of murder-mystery comedy.
When word gets to the employees that the French supermodel, Hexina (Claudia Christian), will be staying at the hotel, Ayre's character bets his rival coworker that by night's end, he will have a date with Hexina. Opportunity comes a knocking when Hexina mistakenly believes that the clerk is a blackmailing producer (which he doesn't deny) and suddenly, he suddenly finds out that Hexina is a bigger fraud than he is. And his little charades suddenly get him into huge trouble involving a psychopathic seductress, a few murders, and a town full of oblivious idiots that is going to give the clerk a hard time to set the record straight.
There are amazingly funny moments, especially from R. Lee Ermey as the irritable Detective Furgeson and the witty retorts and wonderfully hilarious facial expressions of Claudia Christian as Hexina. Though the filming was rushed and done on a crunch budget, there is quite a bit here that delivers some great laughs. However, it might be for the same reason that just as much of the film is also delivered with some kind of comedic restraint. The movie never really gets off the ground until the clerk and Hexina actually meet. And some of the more subtle humor and gags tend to go unnoticed, possibly by more disinterested viewers. It's not a bad one to try out, however, if you're in the mood for something different. Although it shares a similar theme to Mystery Date, this is certainly no mild comedy (they do let the expletives fly). I imagine that probably, had there been more time and a bigger budget available, Hexed would be a bit less forgettable as a sort of murder-mystery comedy.
- vertigo_14
- Mar 10, 2006
- Permalink
This is a stupid, spoof like comedy. But it's pretty funny. There are no big name actors really but a lot of familiar faces. I couldn't stop laughing when I saw this and don't understand why people hate it so much. I guess too many "Titanic" and "Lord of the Rings" fans are voting for it. Oh well, this movie kicks ass. If you like this check out Repossessed. It's another underrated spoof that made almost no money.
- bodyshots80
- Feb 19, 2003
- Permalink
- Leofwine_draca
- Feb 11, 2019
- Permalink
Matthew Welsh (Arye Gross) is a lowly desk clerk of a midrange hotel. He's tired of his job and constantly lies. It's New Year's Eve and he's pretending to be rich to get a woman. It goes badly but he is excited when his international model crush Hexina (Claudia Christian) is booked into the hotel. He pretends to be the person she's meeting but it turns out that she's a crazy psychopath being blackmailed with her dark history. Fellow desk clerk Gloria O'Connor (Adrienne Shelly) has a crush on him.
I think this could be a funny screwball comedy if I actually like Matthew. Sadly, I find him annoying and frustrating. I never care about his character and his caper is meaningless. Claudia Christian is great as a psycho killer. I can't decide whether I prefer she succeeds or not.
I think this could be a funny screwball comedy if I actually like Matthew. Sadly, I find him annoying and frustrating. I never care about his character and his caper is meaningless. Claudia Christian is great as a psycho killer. I can't decide whether I prefer she succeeds or not.
- SnoopyStyle
- Feb 29, 2020
- Permalink
I was working in downtown Fort Worth when they were filming this. I was working in a nearby office building and we could see them shooting part at the end when Gross sees Hexina's eyes in his rear view mirror, but it's really just a poster on a city bus, and then he wrecks the car (well, they were shooting the car/bus part--I assume the close ups were shot separately). They did that all day. They were still out there the next day. I was just working temp, so I took off to check out the shoot (don't worry, I didn't claim the hours). I watched them filming the ending scene, after the bus incident that wrecked the car. They wrecked the car a couple of more times, but it didn't look wrecked enough for the director, Spencer, so he had some guys smack it with a bat (I think it was a bat, maybe a hammer?). Then they filmed the last scene where the dude jumps out of the wrecked car and attacks Arye Gross. Over and over again. The actor was improving it each time, egged on by the director. Then the camera, which was on a crane, craned up to the big billboard. Once Spencer got what he wanted (or close to it, I guess) he put his hands up in the air and the crew cheered. At the time I didn't know it was the last scene of the movie. Perhaps they filmed the movie in sequence and that shot wrapped it. I remember that director Spencer seemed to be a naturally funny guy; he was kind of performing for the crew and small crowd, I think. It was a fun intro into how movies were actually made. I saw the movie during it's kind of limited theatrical release and was a bit disappointed. (maybe I saw a preview). I remember thinking at the time that watching the director make the movie was funnier than the actual movie was. But I just re-watched it and liked it a lot better. I read that the studio downgraded this movie from a major production budget and schedule to very low budget just a month before they shot it, so it's really pretty amazing Spencer got it done at all. Probably would have been really great if he'd been able to do it as planned.
Is there anyone else out there who saw the shoot in FTW, or perhaps acted in the film or was an extra? What are your memories?
Is there anyone else out there who saw the shoot in FTW, or perhaps acted in the film or was an extra? What are your memories?
Arye Gross and Claudia Christian make a great team. Arye plays a night clerk caught in a fantasy land. He pretends to be everything he isn't, but always ends up getting caught at it. When he has the chance to actually meet the famous model Hexina, he jumps at it. Even though he has to pretend he's someone else, it's nothing new for him. The love scene is super funny. Hexina has the most intense orgasms ever put on film, so intense they are played for laughs.
Norman Fell and R Lee Ermey have small parts but add a lot to the film. When someone asks Hexina what is wrong with her, she responds with "I'm f**king bonkers!" When Arye Gross accidentally falls on his female uptight landlord, she says "This feels like a rape, this feels like a rape." This movie is full of sight gags and had me rolling. A good spoof. The last twenty minutes got lame, so I give it a fair vote. 4/10
Norman Fell and R Lee Ermey have small parts but add a lot to the film. When someone asks Hexina what is wrong with her, she responds with "I'm f**king bonkers!" When Arye Gross accidentally falls on his female uptight landlord, she says "This feels like a rape, this feels like a rape." This movie is full of sight gags and had me rolling. A good spoof. The last twenty minutes got lame, so I give it a fair vote. 4/10
- campblood13
- Sep 24, 2003
- Permalink
I have now seen Hexed on TV twice.. and one was heavily edited, very annoying. SO..I have been after the DVD ever since, no joy.(since released) Hexed has everything.Humour,action,titillation.. how could one not have that with Claudia in it. Shes brilliant. Babylon 5 did her a favour in the UK. I may be a science fiction nut, and proud of it. It may not be everyones humour, much of the comedy in the UK now isn't to my taste, but this film is exceptional.I want to see it again to remind me.Claudia tends to be totally over the top but it works.Shes totally mad and looks like she enjoys every minute of it. And why not.In Babylon five she was a responsible officer, so it was good to see her let her hair down.
Very entertaining and highly original. "Hexed" will be fondly appreciated by those who enjoy movies of questionable taste, with plenty of dark humor. This film will divide audiences in much the same way "Eating Raoul" does. Blackmail, outrageous beatings, sex, and murder, are used to great advantage in "Hexed", much the same as they are in "Eating Raoul". The character development and acting are top notch. I think this movie has to be approached, not from the standpoint of an erotic thriller spoof, but rather as something original, that can easily stand alone. So put everything else out of your mind and enjoy this fine comedy. - MERK
- merklekranz
- Mar 25, 2008
- Permalink
The box copy advertises a laugh riot, and this movie just isn't that. Sledge Hammer creator Alan Spencer would seem to be the man to put this baby together; he has a proved flair for absurd comedy and knows his way around action/crime comedy plots. Unfortunately, none of that experience translated into good movie-making here. The mistaken identity plot is nothing fresh, the gags are familiar and obvious and both Claudia Christian and Ayre Gross fail to reach the right level of manic energy or wackiness to properly drive this sort of exercise forward. The jokes fall flat and there are actually pauses in the timing to allow for laughs that don't materialize! Instead of laughing, I found myself critiquing the movie as it went along, just to give myself something to do. Christian just doesn't hit the right notes as a French supermodel/psycho - the accent is off, and the character lacks the right mix of high maintenance lifestyle habits and eccentricity to make the character either convincing or interesting. And Gross is just boring as a nebbish who gets a date with the woman of his dreams. The viewer doesn't root for him either to hit it off with his date or to escape when the cops mistake him for a killer. The movie looks decent enough and had potential in the development stage, but the material just isn't there and the main performances just aren't that interesting to watch.
I can not believe there are so many people dissing this movie! I found it by accident, and I rent it every time i can find it! i hear it is finally coming out on DVD, and i couldn't be happier! this movie is totally hilarious! the absolute funniest sex scene ever! (if i ever meet a girl who does this, i think i would shoot myself!) I would highly recommend this movie to anyone breathing with a sense of humor! It is one of the best "black humor" comedies ever made. As someone else pointed out, there are no big name actors or actresses in this film, but there are a lot of familiar faces. The bottom line is, from the screenplay down to the acting, this is one funny movie!
- tomcastlebury
- Jun 24, 2005
- Permalink
Maybe my expectations were too high -- but then again, all I wanted was a few laughs from a movie promising to be a send-up of all those Fatal Attraction-type thrillers. Claudia Christian and Arye Gross weren't bad, but the dialogue they were handed was just doltish, and the supporting cast was about as funny as a hearse -- what was with that ridiculous police sergeant? I just got the sense that everyone involved was either trying way too hard to make a lousy script funny, or (in the case of Norman Fell and the rest of the supporting cast) just marking time and waiting for their paychecks. 90 minutes, maybe half a dozen laughs. A waste of a great premise.
This is without a doubt one of the best comedies ever. Brilliant acting by Claudia Christian , who holds nothing back from her portrayal of Hexina, the nutbar serial killer/model. Arye Gross is the liar Matthew Welsh who stumbles into becoming Hexinas lover and accomplice. Despite the ratings here on IMDb , trust me, this film is brilliant. Sharp direction by Alan Spencer (Sledgehammer ) just makes this film an absolute delight. IMDb gives clues to why this is not of the highest budget but don't let that throw you.
"The budget and shooting schedule for was slashed by the studio one month before principal photography was set to begin. Rather than abandon the green lighted film, director Alan Spencer drew from his background in TV, forged ahead and completed the movie in thirty days."
Incredibly , this cast delivers everything and more. A treat for sure, check this out on DVD. If you can't enjoy this you have no sense of humor.
"The budget and shooting schedule for was slashed by the studio one month before principal photography was set to begin. Rather than abandon the green lighted film, director Alan Spencer drew from his background in TV, forged ahead and completed the movie in thirty days."
Incredibly , this cast delivers everything and more. A treat for sure, check this out on DVD. If you can't enjoy this you have no sense of humor.
- mark.waltz
- Jun 3, 2021
- Permalink
I saw this with my wife about 5-6 years ago.
We rented it because I was on my Claudia Christian phase. (Still am, but that is another story...)
Claudia was also in The Hidden - a classic sci-fi / horror film.
I've been recommending this movie for years.
Today, I found out that it was written by Alan Spencer, the Creator, and writer for Sledge Hammer!
Very screwball, about a liar's fantasy gone bad.
Enough comedy, and enough storyline to make you forget that there is a method to the madness.
Now I double recommend this film - no wonder it was so great! Enjoy!
We rented it because I was on my Claudia Christian phase. (Still am, but that is another story...)
Claudia was also in The Hidden - a classic sci-fi / horror film.
I've been recommending this movie for years.
Today, I found out that it was written by Alan Spencer, the Creator, and writer for Sledge Hammer!
Very screwball, about a liar's fantasy gone bad.
Enough comedy, and enough storyline to make you forget that there is a method to the madness.
Now I double recommend this film - no wonder it was so great! Enjoy!
- Joe_wilger
- May 23, 2005
- Permalink
Hmmm...I seem to be in the minority here. Judging by the IMBD votes this film wasn't very popular. I usually vote a tad lower than the average, but for this one I was way off the scale on the high end. That's because in my opinion, for a low-budget movie, it's quite a surprise. Many plot twists, very unpredictable. OK, maybe it's not that there are no Oscar performances, but what do you want from a comedy? Laughs. And this film really is quite funny. Plot revolves around a habitual liar who says he knows a female sex goddess and has to save face when he's called on it. Definitely worth a rental.
What's wrong with you people? Is everyone crazy? This movie is hilarious. At the time I voted, this
thing had a 4.4 which is way too low. It is not best picture and has
no best actors but among the genre of modern comedy (which is
horrible), I give this an 8.
They should put this out on DVD tomorrow.
thing had a 4.4 which is way too low. It is not best picture and has
no best actors but among the genre of modern comedy (which is
horrible), I give this an 8.
They should put this out on DVD tomorrow.
This is one of those movies that never got the appreciation that it deserved. Most of the humor is very tongue-in-cheek, and it has some of the best lines and visuals of any comedy from the late 80's early 90's era. One of my favorite lines comes from Det. Ferguson (Full Metal Jacket's R. Lee Ermey) when he is questioning a witness and tells her that he has all the night to wait because "I'm divorced and have no charisma." This movie is chock full of satire and subtle jokes that you will probably not get until long after the movie is over or upon a second or third screening. Treat yourself to this movie if you want to see a light comedy with some very funny moments reminiscent of some of the great comedies of the 30's and 40's. (fans of this genre will hopefully understand my meaning after seeing this movie)
- xanadu2300
- Feb 23, 2004
- Permalink
I think this is one of the funniest movies that I have ever seen. I was laughing throughout nearly the entire movie. C'mon people, this movie is funny!! Where is the love, why is the rating so low?? the drill sergeant from Full Metal Jacket is a riot.
- babyfarmer2k2
- Feb 17, 2003
- Permalink
I didn't know what to expect of this movie. Every time I felt like giving up on it, suddenly something hilarious and unexpected would occur. I got the sense that this film may have been drastically recut by the studio because there was an odd "start and stop" quality about it. Claudia Christian is a riot. I wish they would allow her to do more comedy, not just the obligatory genre stuff like "Babylon 5" which I think is cheesey.
I taped this movie in 1994 and have watched it many times since; it's hilarious. It's been a few years since the last time I watched it but there are so many comic scenes in it that often plays out in my head. A few favorite moments from the film:
Simon (Matthews's jock-like obnoxious supervisor who behaves like Louise's husband in Thelma & Louise) and Hexina arrives at Matthew's apartment and starts going through his stuff. Simon looks scornfully at a bookshelf and hisses "books"!
Matthew borrows a tape recorder from his sweet coworker Gloria who hesitantly gives it to him with the words "Be careful, it's a Sony and I'm still making payments on it"
Hexina, having an orgasm, yells "Papa Papa".
Detective Ferguson, while chasing Matthew on foot, jumps up on the hood of a car and falls down flat on his face. When discovered by other detectives he utters "The son of a bitch hit me with a lead pipe"
Simon (Matthews's jock-like obnoxious supervisor who behaves like Louise's husband in Thelma & Louise) and Hexina arrives at Matthew's apartment and starts going through his stuff. Simon looks scornfully at a bookshelf and hisses "books"!
Matthew borrows a tape recorder from his sweet coworker Gloria who hesitantly gives it to him with the words "Be careful, it's a Sony and I'm still making payments on it"
Hexina, having an orgasm, yells "Papa Papa".
Detective Ferguson, while chasing Matthew on foot, jumps up on the hood of a car and falls down flat on his face. When discovered by other detectives he utters "The son of a bitch hit me with a lead pipe"
- NavarroOne
- Dec 30, 2011
- Permalink
Hexed is daft, but enjoyably so. It's clever in places too.
Once you've figured out the idea behind each of the characters, the plot becomes fairly predictable. You don't mind that though, it's all good to watch and there aren't really any dull moments. It's not laugh out loud funny but that's OK too. The two lead characters have good chemistry and the supporting characters all contribute something. Claudia Christian is stunningly beautiful in the two black outfits we see her wearing :-)
RIP Adrienne Shelly
Once you've figured out the idea behind each of the characters, the plot becomes fairly predictable. You don't mind that though, it's all good to watch and there aren't really any dull moments. It's not laugh out loud funny but that's OK too. The two lead characters have good chemistry and the supporting characters all contribute something. Claudia Christian is stunningly beautiful in the two black outfits we see her wearing :-)
RIP Adrienne Shelly
I loved this movie, it ranks very high on my list of offbeat twisted b-flavor movies. I first saw it years ago, back when HBO and Showtime were actually good channels. And just recently I picked it up on DVD, it's funny to go back to something and go 'holy cow, that's the guy from Ellen, that's the girl from Babylon 5!' - though I wish there were more extras on the DVD. It's weird and it's stupid and I wouldn't have it any other way.
It's kinda funny how these types of movies are made, it's so difficult to see this kind of weirdness anymore. And according to the IMDb entry, the budget for this film was slashed - and I think it probably benefits from that restriction.
The cast was brilliant and I wish they'd done more movies like that back in the day. If you're a fan of movies that are twisted and funny, you need to see this flick. I have a strange taste in movies, I like when there's something that doesn't sound like it should work but then you see it and can't stop watching.
It's kinda funny how these types of movies are made, it's so difficult to see this kind of weirdness anymore. And according to the IMDb entry, the budget for this film was slashed - and I think it probably benefits from that restriction.
The cast was brilliant and I wish they'd done more movies like that back in the day. If you're a fan of movies that are twisted and funny, you need to see this flick. I have a strange taste in movies, I like when there's something that doesn't sound like it should work but then you see it and can't stop watching.
- randomlynx
- Mar 23, 2007
- Permalink
This movie is not one to be dissected. The actors, plot, and execution was perfect. Watching Claudia (I was) you do not realize all the support around her. I think she was in her element, and this is how I will typecast her.
Matthew Welsh (Arye Gross) is a bell boy at a hotel. He fantasizes that he is some sort of lover and flirts with the guests. Hexina (Claudia Christian) is a supermodel with a secret. He picked the wrong guest to flirt with as he shall soon find out her secret and now, he must die.
Matthew Welsh finds out what it is like to have your bragging come true. When he shows Hexina off in the car it reminds me of the photograph scene in "Sixteen Candles (1984)." It is no fun if no one sees you. However, the people that see Hexina (Claudia Christian) have a tendency to shuffle off this mortal coil. So, watch out who you chose to have a rooftop rendezvous with.
Matthew Welsh (Arye Gross) is a bell boy at a hotel. He fantasizes that he is some sort of lover and flirts with the guests. Hexina (Claudia Christian) is a supermodel with a secret. He picked the wrong guest to flirt with as he shall soon find out her secret and now, he must die.
Matthew Welsh finds out what it is like to have your bragging come true. When he shows Hexina off in the car it reminds me of the photograph scene in "Sixteen Candles (1984)." It is no fun if no one sees you. However, the people that see Hexina (Claudia Christian) have a tendency to shuffle off this mortal coil. So, watch out who you chose to have a rooftop rendezvous with.
- Bernie4444
- Dec 4, 2023
- Permalink