Movie Talk: Hex Education (2008)

Originally released as Voodoo Dollz, this Fred Olen Ray horror comedy has been trimmed down and released as Hex Education on a Full Moon's streaming platform. This one is an odd duck, as it was originally a dirty movie, with several softcore sex scenes sprinkled through out the film. Now, the movie just barely reaches an R rating with a little brief nudity, and a lot of implied love making. Anyone who would want to see the movie in its original form better better start hunting, as the DVD is not easy to find. I found 2 listings on eBay, with the cheapest starting at $50.

So, if this is no longer really a dirty movie, then why cover it on the blog? This is what is actually happening to a lot of Fred Olen Ray's softcore output from the 2000's.  They are being trimmed down into essentially shorts, and being released on platforms like Prime and even Tubi. The question then is, is it worth going out to try and find the original release? Well... 

The basic plot of the movie is that Christina, played by Ray Regular Christine Nguyen, gets caught in a compromising position with another female classmate by her head mistress, played by Scream Queen Michelle Bauer. Bauer, upon learning that Christina only yearns for the ladies and has never been with a man, decides her punishment is to be sent off to the Lovecraft School for Girls. The school, run by late night queen Monique Parent holds dark secrets, and Christina is the key to... something. Ray regulars Nicole Sheridan, Syren, Charlie Laine, Voodoo and Beverly Lynn round out the cast. 

The movie is very unserious. I actually watched this back to back with Haunting Desires, and I have to say, this one was way more fun. There are jokes pretty much non-stop, and pretty much everything leads to people falling into bed with each other. I don't believe I ever saw the uncut version of this one, but I have seen other films from Fred Olen Ray at the time, and the love scenes were fine. Nothing to right home about. He utilized a lot of adult film stars in his cast, as well as B-movie actors and actresses, so everyone knows what to do in front of the camera. The acting is hammy, and the plot is thin, but for the whole 45 minutes that the movie lasted, I had a good time with it. It even got a chuckle out of my husband. It actually does work as a movie, and because this has been so paired down, it does not overstay its welcome in the least. 

Also, unlike the cuts made to Bad Wives, this one still feels coherent. There are never moments where a character mentions something happening, and then we have no idea what they are talking about. These trims are essentially made to make them acceptable for free streaming platforms. This is common practice for Full Moon, with them releasing trimmed versions of Femalien: Cosmic Crush and Cassex (under the title Videoverse). With those movies, if you wanted to see the uncut (but still softcore) films, you had to either buy the DVD, or sign up for their specific streaming service. They have done this with one or two of their own Surrender Cinema movies. The issue I have with what is happening to Fred Olen Ray movies is, there is no way to see these uncut. For me that isn't a huge issue, but for fans of the cast (or those who just hate all types of censorship), this could be a big problem. 

I will say this, if you see it for free on Tubi or Prime, give it a watch. It is fun, and the cast all do a good job at making a light hearted horror comedy. Do not pay money for this, however, as you are getting a very watered down product, as literally all the sex and most of the nudity have been trimmed out of the film to the point that this is almost a PG-13 cut. I still enjoyed it in the long run, but be aware of what you are about to watch, and what was done to it to meet the content standards of streaming services. I honestly think it might be Amazon's S&P over Tubi's, as Tubi has some pretty steamy films in their catalog. 

Either way, there are worse ways to spend 45 minutes, but for those looking for that steamy content, you will be sorely disappointed. 

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