Hide your chips and hold onto your husbands! Bette Midler "is pure stardust" (The Village Voice) as a saucy and seductive lounge singer seeking better fortunes in this irresistible black comedy that deals in big laughs! Co... more »-starring the "truly comic" (The New York Times) Rip Torn and the "darkly handsome and virile" (The Hollywood Reporter) Ken Wahl, Jinxed is "bubbling with wit and merriment" (The Village Voice)! After losing his latest card-dealing job in Tahoe, Willie Brodax (Wahl) moves to Reno to shake Harold (Torn), a gambler who's made a career of following him clear across Nevada. But their luck changes when Harold's wife (Midler) falls head-over-heels for WillieÂ...and deals him in on a madcap murder plot that'll have you doubling-down with laughter!« less
Michel D. (michelann) from WALNUT GROVE, MO Reviewed on 9/9/2013...
I will always wonder if Ken Wahl badmouthing Bette Midler about her acting in this movie may have hurt his career? I mean who is he anyway? This is such a fun and thoroughly enjoyable movie! Bette and Rip Torn make the ideal zany couple, at least until he gets killed in the shower. Watch for a great appearance by the unforgettable Jack Elam and some fun at the Vegas blackjack tables too.
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Movie Reviews
DVD Is MISSING the films Original Dolby Stereo Track!
movie man | Queens, ny United States | 01/15/2005
(3 out of 5 stars)
"A note to all buyers of this DVD edition from MGM.
While the picture quality is better than the Vhs version and looks good but not great, the audio has a major problem.
This film was originally filmed with a Dolby Stereo 2.0 track but on this DVD the audio is just in 2.0 MONO!
The sound is horrible and flat."
It Has Its Moments
Brian Himes | 03/22/2006
(3 out of 5 stars)
"I had to give this film three stars just because I have such a soft spot for it. Yes, it's bad. Yes, the plot is thin. Yes, the movie can't decide what it wants to be...black comedy, romantic comedy or drama with a murder twist. Yes, there was no chemistry between Wahl and Midler. Yes, there was tons of back stage fighting between Wahl, Midler and the director.
However, the film does have its good points. Hear me out. The second half of the film (after Rip Thorn commits suicide) is laugh out loud funny. The tumble weed scene still cracks me up. The look on Midler's face after the weed hit her is priceless. The scene with Miss Nina is always a gas. And the line Midler shouts at the insurance man is still one of my all time favorite Midler lines ever. "Talk to my a**! My head's had enough!"
The film had the potential to be a really good black comedy. I've always wondered just what happened with this film. Outside of the whole in fighting between the principles. Something just didn't translate from script to screen. This film had to look better on paper. I'd love to see some of the deleted scenes to see if there was someway to piece together the rather disjointed plot. Maybe in the future some one will dig those up.
Anyway, the film is worth one viewing just for the second half. Not recmended for the average viewer, but if you're a Bette fan like me, then this movie is a must see. If just to see if what everyone says about it is true."
JInxed by who?
G. A SENDEROFF | North Miami Beach, FL | 12/14/2005
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Bette Midler's plays a lounge singer in Reno who plots to kill her abusive boyfriend with the help of a befriended card-dealer, leading to a fun scavenger hunt for the man's hidden loot. There are some big laughs in this comedy, mostly due to Midler's hamming and wicked throwaway lines that established her career. Ken Wahl is a tepid stud, but Rip Torn is a hoot as Midler's scummy roommate. Overall, I don't understand why the critics did not like this film and have always referred to the movie's outcome by its own title, Jinxed!
"
Great entertainment
Joan Crawford | Lansing, MI USA | 12/29/2004
(4 out of 5 stars)
"Get out the popcorn and get your friends together for this one. Jinxed is the funny and cute story about a "jinxed" blackjack dealer Willie (Ken Wahl --HOT!!) who is being followed from job to job by a gambler (Rip Torn) and his wife (Midler), as they make money off him! Naturaly, Willie can't keep a job, until one day he meets up with Midler and they have some steamy love scenes and they fall in love. One problem--her husband is a possessive, abusive low-life who won't allow her to leave him. So Midler and Willie devise a scheme to murder her husband and run off together with his life insurance policy and gambling winnings! Not all goes according to plan, and there are some big surprises and laughs along the way.
This is one of those movies where everything is quite absurd, but lovable and fun just the same. The plot is actually quite clever and the performances are very good. Just a light, funny, so-bad-its-good movie that would be entertaining to just about anyone. Yeah, it was a flop, but that's part of its charm. Lighten up and enjoy it!
"
A Chance to Enjoy The Divine Miss M
Marcos Valenca | Recife - PE - Brazil | 01/09/2007
(5 out of 5 stars)
"This comedy is a vehicle for The Divine Miss M, Bette Midler. It was made after her first Academy Award nomination as Best Actress for "The Rose" and before the first (Down and Out in Beverly Hills) of several films she would star for Disney. One can see her great talent as a comedic actress and the song she recorded for this movie is fun.
It was director Don Siegel's last production and it's making is a whole new story: he had a heart attach during production, was replaced by Sam Packinpah who would die prior to him..."