8 Million Ways to Die

A rather nasty little film - co-scripted by future director Oliver Stone - about an alcoholic former sheriff (Jeff Bridges) trying to bring down a cocaine king, and becoming entangled in the life of his girlfriend (Rosanna Arquette). Director Hal Ashby was fired before the film was completed (he later sued the producers) which could account for the uneven pacing and jarring music that often contradicts the mood of particular scenes. The script, which runs like a minor episode of Miami Vice, is pretty turgid, and laced with expletive-strewn shouting matches that frequently degenerate into unintelligible mumbling. Worth a look, though, if only to see a very early appearance by Andy Garcia, as an ultra-chic cocaine dealer known as Angel.