"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.

I hadn't watched any of Cox's films prior to this one, but had always appreciated his knowledgeable input on the DVD of many a cult item (most recently several "Masters Of Cinema" titles).Well, this turned out to be a major disappointment – considering its Spaghetti Western references (of which Cox is a devotee and, indeed, the end credits include a special mention to, among others, Giulio Questi – director of DJANGO, KILL! [1967]) and the cast made up of several rock performers (who, apparently, had been convened together for a concert which never materialized!); though I knew beforehand that Leonard Maltin had rated it a BOMB in his Film Guide, so I guess I only have myself to blame! Anyway, the film is a test to anyone's patience with its gallery of utterly dislikeable characters (a rather plump Courtney Love being especially irritating – a far cry from her subsequent appearance, in both senses of the word, in Milos Forman's THE PEOPLE VS. LARRY FLYNT [1996]!), hopelessly amateurish presentation and the inane attempts at genre spoofing…though, to its credit, the soundtrack is pretty good (which was to be expected, after all). Also featured in the cast are Dennis Hopper, whose one scene barely registers, and director Jim Jarmusch (turning up in front of the camera towards the end) as a baddie!

This movie has at least one enjoyable scene, but it comes 45% of the way through the movie. By that time, you've invested significant time and attention, but you're still not close enough to the end to just grit your teeth and keep on slogging.While a few of the actors turn in very good performances (particularly Sy Richardson, Sandoval, Hopper), the majority of them are about like you'd expect...musicians forced to perform in an unfamiliar genre.If you're looking for good parody, this isn't it. Spaghetti westerns and Leone are beyond parody.Several reviewers have stated that this film will be of interest to those who enjoy "Repo Man". Where this idea came from, I have no idea. A few of the themes are somewhat similar, but the scripts, acting, plot, intelligence, and humor are light-years apart.Finally, could someone explain to me how this film was R-rated? The special effects (gunshots, violence, etc.) are not only amateurish, they are not at all graphic or explicit. There are a few sexual situations, but I don't remember a bit of actual nudity. There's not even any significant profanity.Overall, this film is a big disappointment and, frankly, a waste of time.On the other hand, after watching and listening to Courtney Love, I have a bit more sympathy for Kurt Cobain.

This film has two of the greatest music icons in the history of the world in it. I am talking about Joe Strummer (of the Clash and Mescaleros) and Shane MacGowan (of the Pogues and Popes). So in that regard, you have to give it a 10. However, if you are not a Clash or Pogues fan, you will most likely think this film sucks! Why? Because the film sucks. But wait a minute, you just said that you have to give it a 10? Right (voice in head), I did say that and I did give it a 10. Because Joe Strummer and Shane MacGowan are my two favorite musicians of all-time. So, they earn this thing a 10. Now, you raise a good question (voice in head), what if Strummer and MacGowan were not in this film? Well, I would probably give it a 1. Oh yeah, the story. Some people rob a bank and then go to hide out in this strange and isolated city in the Spanish countryside. There are violent and weird people that live there. So staying alive and holding on to the money will be difficult. Did I mention that this film has Joe Strummer and Shane MacGowan in it? Yeah, I gave it a 10, but, it really wasn't a good....you know what I am getting at?