South of Heaven, West of Hell

1/2/2024

**_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