"Straight to Hell" starts with three hitmen, Norwood(Sy Richardson), Simms(Joe Strummer), and Willy(Dick Rude, who also co-wrote), brutally murdering a bed, instead of their intended target. Fearing for their physical safety, they hightail it out of town with Norwood's pregnant girlfriend Velma(Courtney Love), but not
before a little fundraising at the local bank. It's a shame they did not also buy a new car while they were at it because their old car breaks down in the middle of nowhere. Eventually, they stumble upon a town full of desperadoes, two of whom they rescue from bounty hunters.
The quirky neo-punk spaghetti western "Straight to Hell" may have one of the strangest casts of all time(now, there's an idea for a list), made up largely of musicians that also includes Dennis Hopper, Grace Jones and Jim Jarmusch.(And somehow I missed Elvis Costello.) Of everybody, Joe Strummer makes the best impression. The eclectic cast and a certain chaotic energy are what makes this at least watchable, as director Alex Cox almost stumbles across a sign of intelligent life and thought.
December 16, 2009
