''Hexed'' is a 1993 American

black Black is a color that results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without chroma, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness.Eva Heller, ''P ...

romantic comedy Romantic comedy (also known as romcom or rom-com) is a sub-genre of comedy and Romance novel, romance fiction, focusing on lighthearted, humorous plot lines centered on romantic ideas, such as how true love is able to surmount all obstacles. Ro ...

film starring

Arye Gross Arye Gross (; born March 17, 1960) is an American actor, who has appeared on a variety of television shows in numerous roles, most notably Adam Greene in the ABC sitcom ''Ellen''. Personal life Gross was born on March 17, 1960, in Los Angeles ...

Claudia Christian Claudia Christian (born Claudia Ann Coghlan, August 10, 1965) is an American actress, known for her roles as Commander Susan Ivanova on ''Babylon 5'', as Captain Maynard on Fox's ''9-1-1'', and as the voice of Hera on the Netflix series '' Blo ...

Adrienne Shelly Adrienne Shelly ( Levine; June 24, 1966 – November 1, 2006) was an American actress, film director, and screenwriter. She gained recognition for her roles in independent films, particularly Hal Hartley's '' The Unbelievable Truth'' (1989) and ...

, and

R. Lee Ermey Ronald Lee Ermey (March 24, 1944 – April 15, 2018) was an American actor and United States Marine Corps, U.S. Marine drill instructor. He achieved fame for his role as Gunnery sergeant, Gunnery Sergeant Hartman in the 1987 film ''Full Met ...

, and written and directed by Alan Spencer. The film centers on a nebbish hotel clerk who is also a pathological liar that falls in love with a supermodel, unaware that she is a psychotic murderess and escaped mental patient. The movie was filmed in Dallas and Fort Worth.

Plot

Matt Welsh, a socially awkward hotel clerk and a pathological liar, falls in love with a supermodel who happens to be visiting the hotel in which he works, unaware that she is also a pathological liar and a psychotic murderer.

Cast

as Matthew "Matt" Welsh *

as Helen "Hexina" Spears *

as Gloria O'Connor *

as Det. Ferguson * Ray Baker as Victor Thummell * Michael E. Knight as Simon Littlefield *

Robin Curtis Robin Curtis (born ) is an American actress. She is best known for replacing Kirstie Alley in the role of Vulcan Lieutenant Saavik in the film '' Star Trek III: The Search for Spock''. Early years Curtis is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Rober ...

as Rebecca *

Norman Fell Norman Fell (born Norman Noah Feld; March 24, 1924 – December 14, 1998) was an American actor of film and television, most famous for his role as landlord Mr. Roper on the sitcom '' Three's Company'' and its spin-off, '' The Ropers'', and his ...

as Herschel Levine

Development

Sony Pictures Entertainment Sony Pictures Entertainment Inc. is an American diversified multinational mass media and entertainment studio conglomerate that produces, acquires, and distributes filmed entertainment (theatrical motion pictures, television programs, and rec ...

made an overall deal with Alan Spencer in 1991 with an emphasis on television, but Spencer wanted to try his hand at features. As part of the deal, Sony acquired a screenplay penned by Spencer from

Weintraub Entertainment Group Weintraub Entertainment Group (WEG) was a film production company considered to be a mini-major studio founded by Jerry Weintraub. History Weintraub Entertainment Group was formed on July 1, 1986 by Jerry Weintraub. In February 1987, WEG receive ...

entitled ''Shattered Nerves''. Spencer was attached to direct.

Reception

Marketed as a parody, ''Hexed'' drew harsh reviews, but also occasional positive notices.

Owen Gleiberman Owen Gleiberman (born February 24, 1959) is an American film critic who has been chief film critic for '' Variety'' magazine since May 2016, a title he shares with . Previously, Gleiberman wrote for ''Entertainment Weekly'' from 1990 until 2014. ...

of ''

Entertainment Weekly ''Entertainment Weekly'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''EW'') is an American online magazine, digital-only entertainment magazine based in New York City, published by Dotdash Meredith, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books, ...

'' gave it a grade of D−, writing it "starts out as the umpteenth ''

Risky Business ''Risky Business'' is a 1983 American coming-of-age teen comedy film written and directed by Paul Brickman (in his directorial debut) and starring Tom Cruise and Rebecca De Mornay. It follows the sexual exploits of high school senior Joel G ...

'' knockoff and then degenerates into a haphazard 'spoof' of ''

Basic Instinct ''Basic Instinct'' is a 1992 erotic thriller film directed by Paul Verhoeven and written by Joe Eszterhas. Starring Michael Douglas, Sharon Stone, George Dzundza, Jeanne Tripplehorn, and Wayne Knight, the film follows the detective Nick ...

''"''.'' In contrast, Jeff Mennel of ''

The Hollywood Reporter ''The Hollywood Reporter'' (''THR'') is an American digital and print magazine which focuses on the Cinema of the United States, Hollywood film industry, film, television, and entertainment industries. It was founded in 1930 as a daily trade pap ...

'' wrote: "''Hexed'' is a little bit ''

Airplane! ''Airplane!'' (alternatively titled ''Flying High!'') is a 1980 American disaster film, disaster comedy film written and directed by Jim Abrahams and brothers David Zucker, David and Jerry Zucker in their List of directorial debuts, directoria ...

'' and a touch of ''

High Anxiety ''High Anxiety'' is a 1977 American satirical comedy mystery film produced and directed by Mel Brooks, who also plays the lead. This is Brooks' first film as a producer and first speaking lead role (his first lead role was in '' Silent Movie'' ...

'', but it's all Alan Spencer. Spencer has concocted a fun, offbeat, uneven murder comedy that is stop-and-go in its delivery... ''Hexed'' certainly has its share of narrative flaws, but they're worth putting up with for the wealth of laughter." Ted Baehr's ''

MovieGuide Millard Robert E. Theodore Baehr (born 1946) is an American media critic and chairman of the Christian Film and Television Commission, a division of Good News Communications, Inc. He is publisher and editor-in-chief of ''Movieguide'', a website ...

'' said, "''Hexed'' is an occasionally funny parody of erotic thrillers (''Basic Instinct'', ''

9½ Weeks ''9½ Weeks'' is a 1986 American erotic drama film, directed by Adrian Lyne, and starring Kim Basinger and Mickey Rourke. Basinger stars as a New York art gallery employee who has a brief yet intense affair with a mysterious Wall Street bro ...

'', and ''

Fatal Attraction ''Fatal Attraction'' is a 1987 American psychological thriller film directed by Adrian Lyne and written by James Dearden, based on his 1980 short film '' Diversion''. It follows Dan Gallagher ( Michael Douglas), an attorney who cheats on his ...

'') that goes too far."

References

External links

* * {{Mojo title, hexed 1993 films 1993 black comedy films 1990s English-language films 1990s sex comedy films 1990s parody films 1990s erotic thriller films American satirical films American comedy thriller films American black comedy films American sex comedy films American erotic thriller films American independent films Columbia Pictures films Films set in hotels 1993 independent films 1990s satirical films 1990s American films English-language black comedy films English-language independent films English-language sex comedy films English-language erotic thriller films