Straight to Hell

1987 "A story of blood, money, guns, coffee, and sexual tension."
Straight to Hell
5.6| 1h26m| en| More Info
Released: 26 June 1987 Released
Producted By: Commies From Mars Corporation
Country:
Budget: 0
Revenue: 0
Official Website:
Synopsis

A gang of bank robbers with a suitcase full of money go to the desert to hide out. After burying the loot, they find their way to a surreal town full of cowboys who drink an awful lot of coffee.

... View More
Stream Online

The movie is currently not available onine

Director

Producted By

Commies From Mars Corporation

Trailers & Images

Reviews

Mr_Ectoplasma "Straight to Hell" follows a trio of criminals (with a female sidekick, making them a quad) who rob a suitcase full of cash and take off into the desert to go into hiding. Their car breaks down, leaving them stranded in the middle of a desert valley, where they find a seemingly abandoned ghost town. The next morning, however, a band of wild, murderous cowboys roll into town with guns, whiskey, and... espresso machines. This utterly insane late '80s western romp pays homage to spaghetti westerns, Sergio Leone, and Clint Eastwood in equal measure, but drowned in such heavy idiosyncrasies and whacked out writing that the audience can do nothing but sit back and attempt to take it all in. In all truth, the writing here is completely underdeveloped, and the film feels like a melange of punk rockers and culture icons thrown in front of a camera in the Spanish desert—because that's kind of what it is.Alex Cox, who infamously directed "Repo Man" and "Sid & Nancy," is the director and co-writer here, and while the script is delightfully absurd and full of issues (it has been said that Cox and his co-writer came up with it in a matter of three days), the direction is decent, and the film seems to rise above its production values on a visual level. It utilizes the western ghost town sets in Almeria, Spain, which were historically used in many spaghetti westerns, and even some Eastwood films, and the dusty desert atmosphere is laid on thick.The real attraction of this film is its cast, largely made up of musicians—we've got Joe Strummer, Sy Richardson, and Dick Rude as the three bandidos, with a pre-Hole, pre-rhinoplasty Courtney Love playing their screeching yet somehow endearing pregnant sidekick. Rounding out the cast is The Pogues, Xander Berkeley, Elvis Costello, an insouciant Grace Jones, and Dennis Hopper, mad as a hatter. The film really seems like an excuse for this ensemble of punk rockers, rejects, and icons to run around the desert dancing, shooting each other, and drinking coffee, and that's just the pretense one has to accept with this film.All in all, "Straight to Hell" will be a chore for many to sit through, but for anyone who appreciates bizarre cinema, spaghetti westerns, or exploitation trash will have a great time with this film (watching it through, one can see the referential moulds which Quentin Tarantino would come to bring into the cultural lexicon several years later). The narrative is almost completely nonsensical, but the visuals, paired with what is probably one of the weirdest casts in film history, really make this not only a time capsule, but a complete and utter anomaly. 7/10.
mbesozzi OK, so I usually don't do this, but I felt compelled after watching this film to ward off other viewers who might be interested. I am a lover of bad movies and trash flicks. Troll 2 was hysterical, Showgirls is on my top 20 favorites, and there will always be a special place in my heart for Ray Dennis Steckler (far more deserving than Ed Wood of worst/underrated director). All that said, Straight to Hell sucks. And not in a "so bad its funny" or in any cool cult way (yes Grace Jones, Joe Strummer, Dennis Hopper, The Pogues, and Dennis Hopper are in it). It's boring. Like really boring, and not in an interesting Andy Warhol/European art film way. The plot of a bunch of bungling bandits who encounter a small town controlled by the Pogues that leads to a bloody showdown is muddled by, well, its hard to say. The director's films aren't bad, Walker is totally underrated (oh and do not believe for an instant anyone who states "if you like Repo Man, you'll like this". You won't.)The cast isn't really that terrible either. In fact the bad acting might of worked for the film. Even Courtney Love who gets a lot of sh*t for her obnoxious whiny role might have been mildly entertaining (though there is a lot stacked up against her outside this film I guess to warrant contempt). The setting is well realized (easy, a desert sh*thole). The problem is the execution of the script, if there was one. One does get the feeling this was just a big excuse for some hipster party, and we, the outsider audience, are left with the consequences. But there is no build up in tension, character interactions are proved meaningless or are not developed by the films end, there is a lot of standing around talking about coffee, Elvis, sex, and other pseudo-pretentious whatever, which is fine and dandy except it amounts to squat. Characters come and go, and unless you're REALLY paying attention, you'll get an explanation. And the purposeful jokes fall flat due to the bad execution of timing. The film drags. Even Dennis Hopper's cameo is deadened by the supposed rivalry between the two gangs (and the fact his weapons are useless, another unfunny joke). Oddly enough, the film might of fared better if it focused more on Grace Jones and Hopper, as their (very) brief appearance usually gets credited as the best part in the film. I'm being as honest as I possibly can be, this is an awful movie. If you want bizzarro convoluted Western weirdness, watch Alejandro Jodorwsky> If you want a cameo filled punk film filled with dated pretension, watch Jubilee. Hell, re-watch a movie you really really love instead. Let this film be forgotten. Really.
hadmatter This movie is so amazing, and I deeply envy any fan of Repo Man who has yet to unearth this incredible gem. But there is very little middle-ground in terms of this film's audience. Either you get it, or you don't. You fall over laughing or you yawn. Just read the other comments for this title and you'll see what I mean. Maybe you have to be a punk (or to HAVE BEEN a punk) for this flick to really work, because that sensibility, and the New Wave, this wonderful amalgam of anarchy and spaghetti-western suffuses the entire film. I see so many comments that say things like "Weird, but interesting", as though anything "weird" ought to be regarded with suspicion. Well, if that's your attitude, STAY AWAY from this movie. This is not about perfectly narrative storytelling. This is not about special effects. This is a gleeful celebration of cinematic language, angry music and cultural icons. Fox Harris and Jennifer Balgobin are in it, for the love of god, and so are the Pogues!
elisabetam This is the only movie that accurately portrays people with a coffee obsession. This art-house, spaghetti western is vivid and almost completely incomprehensible. (Why would a group of violent cowboys stop from shooting at the intruders? Because the coffee is ready! Thick, rich, beautiful coffee - you can almost smell it as they are pouring it.) If you liked Mystery Train, and who didn't, this film is definitely worth watching if only to have someone else to drink coffee with...