Re:Visiting – ‘From Dusk Till Dawn’ (1996)

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In 1996, there was no film-maker cooler than Quentin Tarantino. His directorial debut Reservoir Dogs (1992) was an indie-hit which firmly put his name out there as one of the emerging genre voices to keep an eye on in Hollywood. His next movie Pulp Fiction (1994) would absolutely cement this reputation, a movie which won the prestigious Palme d’Or at the 1994 Cannes Film Festival … before going on to become a pop-culture phenomenon.

Tarantino had also built a fine reputation as an ice-cool screenwriter, penning the scripts for Tony Scott’s True Romance (1993) and Oliver Stone’s Natural Born Killers (1994). And following the success of Pulp Fiction, Tarantino’s next move would be to star in a movie based on another of his screenplays; From Dusk To Dawn. While he would handpick his friend and El Mariachi (1992) / Desperado (1995) director Robert Rodriguez to take charge behind the camera. From Dusk Till Dawn would release on the 19th January 1996.

The resulting bombastic blend of Horror / Action / Crime and Dark Comedy provided the era with one of its most notable releases. And much like Alfred Hitchcock’s Psycho some thirty-six years earlier, From Dusk Till Dawn would be a movie which starts in one kind of genre, before pulling an almighty switch to play out as something entirely altogether different!

The film begins by jumping straight into the action, introducing the Gecko brothers; Seth (George Clooney) and Richard (Tarantino). Two criminals on the run to Mexico with a bag full of cash following Seth breaking out of prison, and the siblings subsequently robbing a bank. At the time, Clooney was best known as a TV actor; starring as Dr. Doug Ross in ER, as well as appearing on shows such as Roseanne, Murder She Wrote and The Golden Girls.

Although Clooney had starred in the absurd Horror-Comedy Return Of The Killer Tomatoes! (1988), as well as a handful of other little known movies … From Dusk Till Dawn can be considered his breakout role on the silver screen. The bank-robbing brothers have the entire Texas law-enforcement looking for them, as their crime spree turns into a killing spree courtesy of Richard Gecko’s unhinged psychopathic tendencies. And the pair end up abducting former-pastor Jacob Fuller (Harvey Keitel – Bad Lieutenant) and his children Kate (Juliette Lewis – Cape Fear) and Scott (Ernest Liu), in order to take advantage of the family’s motor home which they use to sneak over the Mexican border.

From here they head to The Titty Twister, an all night trucker / biker bar and strip joint, where they plan to hold up for the night prior to a rendezvous with their criminal associate in the morning. And it’s from here, that things start to get real interesting! As the criminals and their kidnapped family hunker down in amongst the madness of The Titty Twister, they (spoiler alert!) find themselves in a fight for survival. As it turns out the bar is a front for a nest of blood-thirsty Vampires; who like nothing more than to chow down on the clientele the venue attracts each night.

The unforgettable turn follows the hypnotic dancing of ‘The Mistress of the Macabre’ – Santanico Pandemonium (Salma Hayek – The Faculty) – who’s metamorphosis into a bloodsucking creature when violence and bloodshed breaks out in front of her, sees all hell break loose in the tavern. From here, the movie plays out as a survival-siege Horror, paying homage to the exploitation cinema of the 70s and 80s, as well as directors such as John Carpenter (Assault On Precinct 13), Sam Raimi (The Evil Dead), George A. Romero (The Night Of The Living Dead), and Lamberto Bava (Demons).

The supporting cast here is superb, with the likes of Cheech Marin (Up In Smoke), Danny Trejo (Machete) and Horror practical FX and make-up master Tom Savini (Dawn Of The Dead / Friday The 13th) all playing their part in making From Dusk Till Dawn an absolute classic romp. And a film which quite rightly stands out as one of the best loved Vampire-flicks of the era. Its second half provides non-stop action and entertainment, with a mix of crazy practical FX and CGI graphics, tied together in a visual splendour with a succession of inventive kill sequences and over-the-top – often slapstick – Horror imagery.

From Dusk Till Dawn was typically another hit for Tarantino, Rodriguez and Miramax, grossing over $50 million in box-office receipts. And largely enjoyed praise from both critics and moviegoers alike at the time. It’s cult-like status thirty years on makes it a now classic film, which would go on to spawn a franchise with a direct to video sequel – From Dusk Till Dawn 2: Texas Blood Money (1999), as well as a prequel – From Dusk Till Dawn 3: The Hangman’s Daughter (2000) – which would both see Danny Trejo reprise his role as the sinister barkeeper. While From Dusk Till Dawn the television series was produced by Robert Rodriquez, and ran from 2014 – 2016. KZ

Words by Mark T. Bates

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