SEARCHERS 2.0 World Cinema: American Showcase

SEARCHERS 2.0 is Alex Cox’s (REPO MAN, SID & NANCY) eclectic, laugh-out-loud send-up of the original SEARCHERS, steeped in all the elements we have come to expect and want from an Alex Cox film.

Mel and Fred are two actors who spent their careers in American westerns. When they discover that legendary screenwriter Fritz Frobisher is appearing at a special screening in Utah’s Monument Valley, they decide to take a road trip from LA to that legendary setting of John Ford’s westerns. Their purpose is to seek revenge on the screenwriter for mistreating them as children on the film set of BUFFALO B ILL VS. DOC HOLLIDAY. Ultimately, the fate of everyone depends on their knowledge of the maestro, Sergio Leone.

Shot on a zero budget with a minimalist, laid back style, the film’s fluid editing and direction keep the tempo lively as the characters’ hi-jinks collide onscreen. Written by Cox, the film is filled with memorable one-liners and standout performances. Underlying it all is insightful political satire and an homage to the unforgettable Westerns of Leone and Ford.