Alex Cox, the director of Repo Man, is returning to Merseyside to screen his latest film, Dead Souls, at FACT Picturehouse on November 7, followed by a special Q&A. The screening marks a full circle moment for the 71-year-old filmmaker, whose love of cinema began at the cinemas on the Wirral.
A Homecoming to Merseyside Roots
Cox, who now lives in Oregon, is excited to revisit meaningful locations from his youth during his weekend return. He plans to get off at Spital station and see the houses he used to live in, recalling that he lived in three houses on Mill Road, which ran down from New Chester Road to Spital Dam.
Speaking to the ECHO in an exclusive interview, he said: "There were many cinemas on Birkenhead, the Wirral and in Liverpool. The Gaumont, the ABC, the Odeon, the Scala or the Futurist. I was a keen consumer of films when I was a lad. That stayed with me."
From Law Degree to Cult Filmmaker
Cox left Merseyside at 18 to study law at the University of Oxford, but his passion for the arts took over. He spent his time doing plays in professional theatre at the Oxford Playhouse, an opportunity he described as incredible and one that doesn't exist now.
His pivot to the arts dismayed his family, who would have preferred him to become an engineer like his father, a mechanical engineer at Burma Oil. Cox laughed: "Very sad. It was terrible. Those were the days of Harold Wilson. What would have been ideal was if I became an engineer. My dad was a mechanical engineer at Burma Oil. If I become an engineer or a scientist, then that would have been good. But I didn't have that aptitude."
A course at Bristol led to a Fullbright Fellowship at UCLA in the early 80s, before Cox got the chance to make his first film, Repo Man. The 80s sci-fi stars Emilio Estevez as an LA slacker who gets a job working for an eccentric repossession agent after being sacked from his dead-end supermarket job.
The Legacy of Repo Man
Cox had no idea Repo Man would have such a cultural impact. He told the ECHO: "I was totally puzzled by that because I just thought it was a film. I thought I'll make this film and then I'll make some more films. I had no idea it would have that longevity. It really is weird because if I meet someone and say, 'I directed Repo Man'. If they haven't seen Repo Man, then there's something wrong with them."
The film is a snapshot of the vibrant punk culture of the early 80s, and Cox attributes its resonance to the characters, the cinematography by the late Robby Müller, and the music. He said: "The character of Harry Dean Stanton and the other repo men are very interesting characters and very well acted. The film is beautifully photographed by the late Robby Müller, one of the best DPs in the world. It's also the music. The film was made in 1983 and it is a sample of hardcore LA punk music from that time. The music has given the film its longevity."
Punk Spirit and Liverpool's Film Industry
Cox said his punk spirit was forged in Merseyside. He said: "The thing about coming from Merseyside is we're all rebels. We're all bad boys and we've got a big chip on our shoulder about London. That creates creativity. Like Johnny Lydon said, 'Anger is an energy.'"
In the late 90s, Cox returned to Merseyside when his wife, Tod Davies, founded Toxteth TV. He made films such as Three Businessman, which subverted expectations of how Liverpool can appear on screen. He supports Liverpool's growth as a filming hub, provided it creates a meaningful infrastructure for local filmmakers. He said: "It depends because if it is useful to local filmmakers. If it actually means local filmmakers are working, getting jobs and making films, then I'm totally in favour of it. But if it's just like 51st State and it's just the Americans, and London people, show up. And all the Liverpool people get to carry their bags. You want to create an industry locally. You don't just want it to be a location that the Americans come and use and then they go and edit the film in London. You want to have the industry based locally and that was what we were working towards [in the late 90s]. I don't think we necessarily succeeded, but that was definitely what we wanted and hoped would happen."
What's Next for Cox
Although Dead Souls was billed as a swansong to the industry, Cox insists there is more life in him yet. He revealed he is currently drumming up funds to return to the world of his most celebrated work. On Dead Souls being his final movie, he said: "That was a lie. I just said that. It's like The Who's farewell tour. Tomorrow night, I'm starting a kickstarter to start Repo Man 2. With a bit of luck, there will be another film yet."
Dead Souls arrives at FACT Picturehouse tomorrow for a special screening and Q&A with Alex Cox. Further information on tickets and backing Repo Man 2 on Kickstarter is available.
