Straight to Hell Returns

Despite the title, this is neither sequel nor remake, but rather a revised version of Alex Cox's original 1987 film, previously available on DVD but now out of print. Crafted from a script written in three days and shot on the crumbling ruins of an old movie set in Almeria, Spain (where Sergio Leone's productions were filmed), this scruffy conglomeration of spaghetti western parody, punk gangster flick, and rock-and-roll lark feels like a feature-length private joke between cast members, who include rock singers and musicians (Courtney Love, Joe Strummer, Ed Tudor-Pole, Shane MacGowan and the Pogues, Elvis Costello), indie actors (Sy Richardson, Dick Rude, Miguel Sandoval), and cult figures (Dennis Hopper, Jim Jarmusch, Grace Jones), all playing unsavory characters who collide in a corrupt desert village run by an outlaw family. Greed, lust, and boredom finally culminate in a shootout that decimates, well, pretty much everyone. A minor entry in every way, this sloppy comedy is more notable for its eccentric roster of participants and lively soundtrack than for any cinematic value. For this revised edition, Cox restores some deleted scenes, adds digital effects to the bloody gunfights, and tosses in a new animated shot to punctuate the conclusion with black humor. DVD extras include audio commentary by Cox and co-writer Rude, the 2000 featurette “Back to Hell,” and Cox's 1977 student documentary about Almeria. Optional, at best. (S. Axmaker)