Hex - Dimensionen der Furcht

I caught this one online under the title THE SHRIEKING. It's an odd little amalgam of no less than three genres, none of which work out very well. It has a western setting with Native American folklore playing a role in the proceedings. The idea of an outlaw gang holing up at a remote ranch occupied by a couple of young sisters is a familiar western trope. It's also a biker movie, with familiar faces like Keith Carradine, Robert Walker Jr., Gary Busey and Scott Glenn filling out the roles of the ragtag bikers. Finally, it's a supernatural horror story of death and revenge, although these plot elements are so subtle that you could almost miss them. Some interesting ingredients are present here, but as a whole it's a quiet and lacklustre movie.

While there are better films tucked into the sub-genre of the weird western anyone who really enjoys those movies should take a look. If you've never heard of weird westerns then this could be an easy entry. A lot of familiar faces here and there.

Marauding early 20th century motorcycle gang takes lodging in a rustic prairie farmhouse owned by two weird young sisters. We come to learn that the girls' parents are both deceased, and that "Ma" was a white woman, and "Pa" was some sort of Native-American spiritualist. Following a foiled rape attempt, the biker gang begins to rapidly lose its members under very mysterious circumstances. This creepiness transpires to the accompaniment of a rather harsh washboard/jaw-harp/kazoo music score which will have many folks ripping their hair out at the root within minutes.

Things get off to a decent enough start in this rummy little "rara avis", which introduces some colorful characters and offers enticing whiffs of what's to come. The upshot to these tantalizing prospects is an awkward and admittedly atmospheric juggling of genres which is proficiently executed on a technical level, but rather weak in exposition of its story. It's consistently watchable for the most part, chiefly by virtue of its idiosyncratic stylistic trappings, and a few solid performances from players at the budding-stage of prolific careers.

Though categorically a horror film, it probably has a stronger foothold in the revisionist/acid western subgenre, and might appeal to enthusiasts of pictures like THE SHOOTING(1966), EL TOPO(1970), and THE HIRED HAND(1971). In any case, I don't strongly recommend it.

4/10.

This film begins in 1919 with two sisters named "Oriole" (Cristina Raines) and "Acacia" (Hilarie Thompson) working alone on their farm several miles from the small town of Bingo, Nebraska. Although they don't go into town very often, when they finally decide to do so, they are surprised to see a small group of World War I veterans riding motorcycles and causing all kinds of pandemonium. So much of a ruckus in fact, that not long afterward these same veterans are subsequently chased out of town by an armed posse. Since none of this affects Oriole, she simply continues on with her business and afterward the two of them head back to their farm. When they get there, however, they are surprised to find the motorcyclists hiding in their barn in order to elude the posse. So, unable to convince them to leave or forcibly evict them, the two sisters decide to show them some hospitality by allowing them to sleep in the barn for the night and hoping that they will leave the next day. Unfortunately, when one of the veterans named "Giblets" (Gary Busey) tries to rape Acacia, Oriole takes matters into her own hands and conjures an evil curse upon him which kills him in a ghastly manner. Not realizing that Oriole has such mystical powers, the veterans decide to stay there a little longer-with horrible consequences for them all. Now, rather than reveal any more, I will just say that this could have been an excellent film if the director (Leo Garen) knew what he was doing. But apparently, that wasn't the case as each time he arrived at an important crossroads--he chose the wrong direction and let the moment slip. So rather than creating something special all we're left with is an incoherent mess. What a shame.

Summer in Nebraska, 1919 and a group of bikers on vintage motorcycles ride across the prairies on their way to California. On their journey they find themselves being pursued by a town posse. They decide to lay low, and invite themselves onto an isolated farmed owned by two sisters. Daughters of an Indian medicine man. The younger sister is welcoming, while the older is weary as she uses sorcery to defuse any sort of threat. Trippy rural, low- budget horror-comedy-romance-drama... I don't know how to categorise this one. I mainly sorted this one out for Scott Glenn. A bizarre, laid-back atmosphere with a touch of airy mysticism and a bunch of familiar faces giving animated performances (Keith Carradine, Scott Glenn & Gary Busey playing hillbilly cousins). While atypical (just look at the death scenes and ominous underlining), it was rather annoying to sit through (mainly the performances - Christina Raines taking top honors, music and its erratic mood swings) and its plot is threadbare with very little happening throughout. "Hex" is a neurotic story of love, acceptance and horror. But it doesn't completely come together, as there's not much to hold it there.