Screenwriter-director Alex Cox began Straight to Hell while completing post-production on his second theatrically-released feature film, the British picture Sid & Nancy (1986). As noted in the Feb 1987 edition of LA Style, Sid & Nancy featured a title song called “Love Kills” by rock ‘n’ roll musician Joe Strummer of the band The Clash, and his record label hired Alex Cox to direct a music video for the tune in Almería, Spain. The location reminded Cox of his passion for Italian Spaghetti Westerns, many of which were shot in Spain, and he revisited a treatment he wrote called The Legend of Paddy Garcia in the hope that he could make his next feature in Almería. The narrative was based on songs by the English-Irish band The Pogues, and got its title from the tune “A Pistol For Paddy Garcia” on the 1985 album, Rum, Sodomy & the Lash.
       Contemporary sources, including the 15 Nov 2010 LAT and the 19 Nov 2010 LA Weekly, as well as Cox’s 2008 autobiography X Films: True Confessions of a Radical Filmmaker and a 2012 biography of The Pogues called Here Comes Everybody, reported a slightly different origin for the film. On 7 Aug 1985, Cox sponsored a rock concert fundraiser for the Sandinista National Liberation Front (FSLN) in Nicaragua that was resisting U.S.-backed Contras in a violent civil war. The Pogues, Elvis Costello, and Joe Strummer performed at the Fridge nightclub in Brixton, England, drawing a crowd of approximately 4,000 supporters, and earning a sizable contribution for the Sandinistas. Encouraged by their success, Strummer proposed a music tour of Nicaragua, in which the bands would show solidarity with the FSLN and raise money for their cause. He was a longtime supporter of the revolutionaries, naming The Clash’s fourth studio album Sandinista! (1980). In addition, Cox was planning to shoot his next feature, Walker (1987, see entry), in Nicaragua, and producer Lorenzo O’Brien was already making contacts in the country to secure locations.
       While O’Brien worked on setting tour dates, Cox and Sid & Nancy producer Eric Fellner tried to finance the production with home video presales, believing the popularity of the musicians would guarantee investors. However, record companies were not convinced of the project’s economic viability, and were reportedly reluctant to lend their names to a product that supported Nicaragua’s revolutionary government. When Fellner reckoned it would be easier to raise money for a feature film, Cox proposed the idea to Strummer, who was eager to go back to Almería after the “Love Kills” video. Elvis Costello and The Pogues were already available, since they had blocked off the month of Aug 1986 for the Nicaragua tour.
       The film was partially cast, but lacked a completed script, so Cox contacted writer-actor Dick Rude, who had worked on his breakthrough hit Repo Man (1984, see entry). Hoping to exploit the talent and celebrity of Joe Strummer, the writers transformed The Legend of Paddy Garcia into Straight to Hell in three days, naming it after a song on the 1982 Clash album, Combat Rock. In his autobiography, Cox reported that Straight to Hell was modeled after the 1967 Italian Western Django Kill… If You Live, Shoot!
       According to LA Style, the film was written to incorporate as many actors as possible from Cox’s previous releases, including players from Sid & Nancy, as well as Harry Dean Stanton and Emilio Estevez from Repo Man. Stanton was replaced by Dennis Hopper in the role of “I. G. Farben,” and Estevez dropped out of the project due to another commitment. Estevez and Tom Cruise, who were cast in cameo roles as “Jarheads,” were replaced with John Cusak and Tim Robbins. When Cusak and Robbins arrived on location, Cox ordered them to receive military-style “buzz cuts,” removing most of their hair, and the actors objected. A stand-off ensued, in which the men offered to wear helmets or wigs, but Cox would not back down, and the actors were replaced by key grip Sean Madigan and third assistant director Paul Wood. Although a 22 Aug 1986 DV production chart listed Steven Berkoff and Iggy Pop in the cast, they do not appear in the final film. According to Cox’s X Films, Iggy Pop was set to play “Mr. Dade,” but declined the role at the last minute.
       The “McMahon” clan, which is portrayed by members of The Pogues, was named after the band’s moniker, “Pogue Mahon,” a Gaelic profanity. The phrase was later used by the band in 1996, as the title for the Pogues’ seventh record album. The character name “I. G. Farben” was a reference to the German chemical company that provided the pesticide Zyklon B for concentration camp gas chambers during WWII. According to Cox, the name also appeared on a fraudulent identification card belonging to Harry Dean Stanton’s character, “Bud,” in a scene cut from Repo Man.
       Principal photography began on 4 Aug 1986 in Almería with a $1 million budget. The cast and crew took up residence at the Almería Gran Hotel, which was used as a location for the opening sequence interiors and exteriors. The bank robbery was filmed in Benahadux, and town scenes were shot on an existing movie set called Llano del Duque, which was built for a 1970s Charles Bronson picture. Production ended one week behind schedule, on 31 Aug 1986.
       Straight to Hell was released to generally negative reviews, including the Sep 1987 Box barb: “One of the worst films of this or any year.” Box-office receipts amounted to only $16,000 in its first week of release in New York City and Los Angeles, CA, according to the Sep 1987 Box review. However, Straight to Hell became a cult classic, particularly among punk music enthusiasts. In Nov 2010, it was reissued in several theaters with the addition of over four minutes of previously deleted footage, re-titled Straight to Hell Returns. The screenings marked the release of the film on DVD, with digital enhancements, corrected color, and added stop-action animation.
       Composer Dan Wool is credited as Dan “Wul.”
       End credits include “Special thanks to: Guilio Questi; Chris Blackwell; Jesse Beaton; Charlie Davies; Louise Gow; Pat Joseph; Martin Bullard; Beresford, Lowe & Company; Wild & Willing; The Travel Business of London; Neil Grigson; Banco Central; Paul Dias; Mr. Polo of Francisco Cabeza Freight Agents, Malaga; Eric Barrett; Sapex Scripts; Mark Miller Mundy; Dan’s roommates; Rob; Jake Rivera; Cecilia Montiel; Nicky Hart; Stephanie Mann; Gran Hotel; La Reja; Hotel San Jose; All the bars in Southern Spain (too numerous to mention).” End credits also state: “Karl’s disco-weiners now on sale in the foyer,” and, “Shot on location in Almeria, Spain, by Initial Pictures Limited, 22 Golden Square, London, England.” The credits end with the title card: “Coming soon… Back to Hell.”