Cox Rocks/Joe Strummer Talks
Do not miss tomorrow night. Alex Cox, live in person, with his newly revamped Straight to Hell Returns. Stick around for the afterparty with a live performance by the So So Glos + a Viva Radio DJ.
Here’s a little taster from back in the day, a snippet of an interview between actor-punk-icon Joe Strummer (one of the stars of Straight to Hell) and Film Comment contributor Graham Fuller (from our August 1987 issue):
Graham Fuller: How did you become part of Alex’s travelling band of actors?
Joe Strummer: Dunno man. Nothing better to do.
GF: What do you think are his special attributes as a director?
JS: What’s special about him is that he’s still young and hasn’t become a big bureaucrat in getting the money together and mounting big productions. You’re lucky if you can get to your fifth film without being ground down to hamburger meat. Alex is still the same guy I can imagine loping along the Venice Beach in L.A. after graduating from film school. He’ll listen to any crazy idea from anybody. And he keeps the Hollywood dross away from him—he knows it’ll contaminate him.
GF: You’ve been in three films in quick succession now. Do you plan to develop your career as an actor?
JS: Not really. This is the beginning of the end. It’s too difficult.