Byline: The Register-Guard

`Repo Man' director will appear at Bijou tonight

Film actor, writer and director Alex Cox ("Repo Man") will be in town tonight only for a showing of his new movie "Searchers 2.0" at Bijou Art Cinemas, 492 E. 13th Ave.

The new film will be

In the movie, two veteran actors of American Westerns hit the road for Monument Valley to meet - and revenge themselves on - a legendary octogenarian movie director who once mistreated them on the set.

Cox also did "Sid and Nancy," a biopic of Sex Pistols bassist Sid Vicious and his lover Nancy Spungen.

Other Cox films include the Luis Bu[+ or -]uel-inspired spaghetti Western spoof "Straight to Hell" and "Walker," an attack on U.S. policies in Central America.

Cox is also releasing a new book, "X Films: True Confessions of a Radical Filmmaker." The 304-page book is a guide to aspiring filmmakers as well as an autobiography of Cox' life as an artist. He will sign copies of the book before tonight's screening.

A dropout from Oxford University law school (where Cox attended with Tony Blair, who did finish), he acted in this year's "The Oxford Murders."

Eugene horror director releases new trailer

Fans of bloody Hank Weintraub, Eugene's ultra-low-budget slasher-film auteur, can check out the trailer for his latest - and first full-length - movie, "Melvin." It's online at 531productions.com, Weintraub's Web site.

Weintraub's previous efforts have included a 2007 short "MindSlime," which was produced for $700. This year's short "Depraved" came in at $300, most of which was spent on a wheelchair.

"Melvin" should be ready to hit the indie firm circuit around New Year's Eve. Like a lot of his work, this one looks a bit like an ultra-ironic revenge horror slasher flick.

- The Register-Guard