Hex (1973 film)

Hex
Theatrical release poster
Directed by	Leo Garen
Written by	Leo Garen Stephen Katz
Story by	Vernon Zimmerman Doran William Cannon
Produced by	Clark Paylow
Starring	Keith Carradine Tina Herazo Hillarie Thompson Mike Combs Scott Glenn Gary Busey Dan Haggerty
Cinematography	Charles Rosher Jr.
Edited by	Robert Belcher Antranig Mahakian
Music by	Charles Bernstein Patrick Williams
Production company	Max L. Raab Productions
Distributed by	20th Century Fox[1]
Release dates	September 8, 1973 (1973-09-08) (Atlanta Film Festival)[2] November 21, 1973 (1973-11-21) (United States)[1][3]
Running time	92 minutes[4]
Country	United States
Language	English
Budget	$980,000[5]

Hex is a 1973 American Western supernatural horror film directed by Leo Garen and starring Keith Carradine, Cristina Raines, Hillarie Thompson, Dan Haggerty, Gary Busey, and Scott Glenn. Set in 1919, its plot follows a wayward band of motorcyclists who seek shelter at a rural Nebraska farm inhabited by two Native American sisters. When one of the motorcyclists tries to rape the younger sister, the elder places a curse on them, resulting in their subsequent deaths.

Blending supernatural horror with elements of classic Westerns and the contemporary biker film, Hex was written by Garen and Stephen Katz, based on a story by Vernon Zimmerman and Doran Cannon. The film was shot on location at the Cheyenne River Indian Reservation in South Dakota during the fall of 1971, and was distributed by 20th Century Fox. The film was shelved for nearly two years while the studio re-cut it into a more straightforward occult-themed horror film.

The film was released in the fall of 1973, opening at the Atlanta Film Festival, where it won the Golden Jury Award for Best Film. Through September 1973, it screened in some locations, before receiving regional test releases as Hex on 21 November of that year.