Straight to Hell (with commentary) [1987] dir Alex Cox

Straight to Hell (1987)



http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0094048/




COMMENTARY BY ALEX COX AND DICK RUDE ON AUDIO TRACK 2



Straight to Hell is a 1987 action-comedy film directed by Alex Cox, featuring Sy Richardson, The Clash frontman Joe Strummer (after whose song the film is named), Courtney Love, Dick Rude, Dennis Hopper, Grace Jones, Elvis Costello, Xander Berkeley, Kathy Burke, Jim Jarmusch, Edward Tudor-Pole, Miguel Sandoval, Jennifer Balgobin, and members of The Pogues, Amazulu and The Circle Jerks. Its tagline is: "A story of blood, money, guns, coffee, and sexual tension."



Dick Rude ... Willy

Sy Richardson ... Norwood

Courtney Love ... Velma

Joe Strummer ... Simms

Gloria Miralles Ruiz ... Maid

Juan Uribe ... Policeman

Joe Cashman ... Dead Man in Car

Jose Pomedio Monedero ... Gomez

Sara Sugarman ... Chuch

Miguel Sandoval ... George

Jennifer Balgobin ... Fabienne

Biff Yeager ... Frank McMahon

Shane MacGowan ... Bruno McMahon

Spider Stacy ... Angel Eyes McMahon

Frank Murray ... Biff McMahon





Often viewed as a parody of Spaghetti Westerns, it is really more of an homage. While the film received almost no positive reviews, it has (like several other of Cox's films) achieved a minor cult status, largely due to its cast of musicians, many of whom have cult followings of their own.



The film was not originally intended to be made at all, and the reason for a preponderance of musicians in the cast was the result of a concert tour of Nicaragua that was planned in the first place. Political problems arose concerning the support of the left-wing government of Nicaragua, and the tour was cancelled. In its place Cox decided to have the bands, and several actors he could assemble, make a movie in Almería, Spain. Cox and co-star Dick Rude wrote a script in a hurry, and the entire film was shot in just four weeks.



Alex Cox turned down the chance to direct ¡Three Amigos! in order to film Straight to Hell.



Straight to Hell's premier was held at the Pickwick Drive-In in Burbank, California. Invitees were asked to come dressed in "post-apocalyptic fiesta garb." Everyone who arrived was handed a water pistol.



The film was not well-received by critics, drawing mostly negative reviews. In her review for the New York Times, Janet Maslin wrote, "The result is a mildly engrossing, instantly forgettable midnight movie." Hal Hinson, in his review for the Washington Post, wrote, "The action is so gratuitous, and so indifferently presented, that it's impossible to think that Cox ever truly intended it to be seen by anyone outside of the cast and crew and their immediate families."



Straight to Hell was rated "R" for violence and language. The latter reason caught the producers by surprise, as the writers deliberately refrained from including any sort of profanity in the dialogue. Even the word "hell" appears only in the title (at one point a character quite noticeably says "what the heck is going on here?"), and the insults that fly before a showdown are no worse than "go boil yer head!"



SOUNDTRACK



"Yakety Yak"

Written by Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller

Performed by The Coasters and Dick Rude, Joe Strummer and Sy Richardson



"Ambush At Mystery Rock"

Written by Joe Strummer

Performed by Joe Strummer and The Bug Out Gang



"Delilah"

Written by Les Reed and Barry Mason

Performed by Fox Harris



"Big Nothing"

Written by MacManus

Performed by The MacManus Gang



"3 Deadly Cars"



"Spoiles"



"Save My Baby"



"Body Parts"



"Kill'm Again"



"The Suitcase"



"Long Coats"



"Coffee Trap"



"Burning Down The Store"



"Mercy Killing"



"No Brakes"



"Love Swell"

Written by Dan Wul

Performed and arranged by Pray for Rain



"The Killers (Opening Titles)"



"Fan Out"

Written by Dan Wul

Performed and arranged by Pray for Rain and Zander Schloss



"Blood Sausage"

Written by Zander Schloss with Dan Wul

Performed by Zander Schloss with Pray for Rain



"Salsa Y Ketchup"

Written by Zander Schloss, Joe Strummer and Miguel Sandoval

Performed by Zander Scholss

arr. Zander Schloss and Pray for Rain



"Sado Sausage"



"Insipid Sausage"

Written by Zander Schloss and Dan Wul

Performed by Pray for Rain



"Sexy Sausage"

Written/arr./performed by Zander Schloss



"Widdle Binky Boo"



"High Fives"



"Smoke"

Written by Zander Schloss and Dan Wul

Performed by ?

arr. Zander Schloss



"Happy Hour"



"Bolero"

Written by Fearnley



"Night On A Bare Mountain"

Written by Mussorgsky

Arrainged Fearnley



"Flamenco"

Written by Fearnley/Finer



"Long Cool Day In Hell"



"Tango"



"Quiet Day In Blanco Town"



"Obsession"

Written by Finer



"Bounty Hunter"



"Hot Air"



"Sexy Bongo"



"Long Coats"

Written by Ranken



"Rake At The Gates Of Hell"

Written by MacGowan

Performed by The Pogues