South of Heaven, West of Hell

Sharon Stone once likened dating Yoakam to 'eating a dirt sandwich.' Viewing his directorial debut, it's apparent that she was being too kind--after all, just watching his film is like eating a sh*t sandwich.

It's best not to ask too many questions - better just to switch your brain to stand-by and enjoy the show.

**_Interesting first half goes off the rails bad in the second_** A marshal in southern Arizona (Dwight Yoakam) tracks down a clan of murderous bank robbers with whom he grew up (Luke Askew, Vince Vaughn, Paul Reubens, etc.). Along the way he meets a woman that distracts his attention (Bridget Fonda). Peter Fonda, Bo Hopkins and Matt Clark are also on hand. “South of Heaven, West of Hell” (2000) is an eccentric adult Western with a great cast made by country music star Dwight Yoakam. He had some success at acting (e.g. “Sling Blade”) and so tried his hand at scriptwriting and directing here. He also plays the noble protagonist, of course, and does well in the role. There’s some beauty, like the cinematography and romance, but there’s also an uncompromising nasty edge that emphasizes the ugly side of the Old West, as was done in “The Great Northfield Minnesota Raid” and Peckinpah’s “Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid.” If you like those Westerns and similar artsy ones, like "McCabe & Mrs. Miller" and "The Missouri Breaks," give it a try, but it’s arguably the least of ’em (with Brando’s “The Missouri Breaks” being the best IMHO, although “McCabe & Mrs. Miller” certainly has its points of interest). I should add that the violence in the flick is creative and stark, not to mention sometimes amusing. Speaking of amusing, Dwight did the music, which is sometimes ill-fitting, especial…

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