From Dusk Till Dawn (1996)

User Rating:

7.1/10   

Director:

Robert Rodriguez

Writers:

Robert Kurtzman (story)
Quentin Tarantino (screenplay)

Release Date:

19 January 1996 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Horror | Thriller

Tagline:

A terrifying evil has been unleashed. And five strangers are our only hope to stop it.

Plot:

Two criminals and their hostages unknowingly seek temporary refuge in an establishment populated by vampires, with chaotic results.

Plot Keywords:

Brother | Mexico | Fugitive | On The Run | Vampire

Awards:

4 wins & 8 nominations

Cast

Harvey Keitel	...	Jacob Fuller
George Clooney	...	Seth Gecko
Quentin Tarantino	...	Richard Gecko
Juliette Lewis	...	Kate Fuller
Ernest Liu	...	Scott Fuller
Salma Hayek	...	Santanico Pandemonium
Cheech Marin	...	Border Guard / Chet Pussy / Carlos
Danny Trejo	...	Razor Charlie
Tom Savini	...	Sex Machine
Fred Williamson	...	Frost
Michael Parks	...	Texas Ranger Earl McGraw
Brenda Hillhouse	...	Hostage Gloria Hill
John Saxon	...	FBI Agent Stanley Chase
Marc Lawrence	...	Old Timer Motel Owner
Kelly Preston	...	Newscaster Kelly Houge

MPAA:

Rated R for strong violence and gore, language and nudity.

Runtime:

108 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | Spanish

Colour:

Colour (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

SDDS (8 channels) | Dolby Digital

Certification:

New Zealand:R18 | Ireland:(Banned) | South Korea:18 | Philippines:R-18 | Australia:MA (Cable TV rating) | Argentina:18 | Australia:R | Belgium:KNT | Canada:16+ (Quebec) | Canada:R | Chile:18 | Denmark:15 | Finland:K-18 | France:-12 (re-rating) | France:-16 (original rating) | Germany:16 (cut) | Germany:18 | Hong Kong:III | Iceland:16 | Ireland:18 (re-rating) (2004) | Italy:VM14 (re-rating) (1998) | Italy:VM18 (original rating) | Netherlands:16 | Norway:18 | Peru:18 | Poland:18 | Portugal:M/16 | Singapore:M18 | Spain:18 | Sweden:15 | UK:18 | USA:R (certificate #34314) | Germany:BPjM Restricted

Filming Locations:

Austin, Texas, USA

Company:

Dimension Films

Trivia:

The famous line, "No thanks, I've already had a wife," was improvised by George Clooney. Director Robert Rodriguez never intended it to be in the final cut, but after the studio included the line in a trailer, he felt obliged to include it in the film.

Goofs:

Crew or equipment visible: When Seth Gecko gets knocked across the bar by Satanico Pandemonium, you could briefly see the mat that he lands on before cutting away to a close-up of him landing on the ground.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Pete Bottoms: Hey, Earl
Earl McGraw: Yes, sir.
Pete Bottoms: What do ya know?
Earl McGraw: Well, it's a hot goddam day

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Blood II: The Chosen (1998) (VG)

Soundtrack:

Willie The Pimp (And His Cadillac Coffin)

Crime/Horror

I loved this film for many reasons. For one, the switch from a crime thriller to a horror thriller was seamless. I for one had not heard much about this film before I watched it, and I assumed the TV Times were mistaken in called this a gory horror thriller. To me, it was a simple crime thriller, the norm which is expected from Tarantino's pen. However, the switch was such a shock and so fast, that I didn't now what happened I was amazed at this revelation, since there was no word of any horror topics beforehand in the script. It was completely out of the blue, and resulted in a pleasant surprise.

And the thing that's interesting is that BOTH halves to this film, both the crime section and horror section are enjoyable. The first half has less action, but tension does mount between Keitel and Clooney, while Tarantino is in the back, paying special attention to Keitel's daughter. A great premise with an equally great script in the first half. The second section is also great because of the horrific violence and as I heard mentioned before, the unique ways on how to kill vampires.

The script is witty and full of dark humour, "I have 6 little friends and they all run faster than you.", and the intro is certainly one of the best I have seen in months. The characters are well established, with Clooney as the 'gentleman' (well, not really) crook, Tarantino as his psychotic brother (who, strangely, I found difficult not to warm to) and Keitel is the preacher who has lost his faith, the hostage who will help out later when the satanic hordes unleash themselves.

A special mention must go to Salma Hayek for that special dance. ;) While this film was never made out of blockbuster material, it is still very understated, taking a unique and perhaps surreal viewing on the horror genre, all the while using horror stereotypes. As far as graphic violence is concerned, it is on par with the likes of Evil Dead (well, perhaps not THAT bad).

For once, this is a film which doesn't give the viewer all the answers beforehand. You are in the same boat as the characters and you don't know what's in store for them. If you hadn't seen this before, without any knowledge of the movie, you'd be in for a huge surprise as I was.

An 8/10 for it's script (thanks to Tarantino) and the actors who, while not trying too hard, make this an enjoyable horror flick with a difference.