#63 - From Dusk Till Dawn (1996)

One thing I have mentioned more than once in this blog is how much I like Quentin Tarantino's personal style. With the exception of Kill Bill vol. 2 I loved every one of his films, hell, Pupl Fiction is one of my favorite movies of all time. But even when his films are intentionally violent in excess, there is always some cleverness or wit behind them. Now, Robert Rodriguez's films, that's is an entirely different story. They are pointlessly stupid and intentionally violent, cliche'd and cheesy. And I love that.

From Dusk Till Dawn starts out with two brothers (George Clooney and Quentin Tarantino) wanted by the FBI. They kidnap a priest and his family (Harvey Keitel) to take their RV to Mexico and escape the police. A contact of them told them to meet up at dawn in a desolate stripper club. So far it sounds like a normal heist film, right? Oh yeah, turns out everyone in the strip club are vampires.

 

Wait, what?

Ok. That was one of the most weird transitions I have ever witnessed. Up until the film's tone was a little over the top, but it didn't have any fucking vampires. But is that really a bad thing? As long as they don't sparkle, vampires make any good action/crime film better. Particularly if they are brought to the screen with so intentionally terrible special effects. This isn't even B-movie quality, but you won't care.

So if it has such an incredibly stupid premise and the execution is so intentionally terrible in everything, why do I like it so much? Well, that sheer stupidity is what makes the film shine. Rodriguez is one of the best directors ever when it comes to making very good exploitation B-movies: it takes itself seriously enough to not become a full-on parody, but it still is goofy enough to remind you it's made like that intentionally.

I can't really recommend From Dusk Till Dawn in general, since it's such a stupid mess of a movie; but if you did like films like Machete or Grindhouse, then by all means watch this film, because you will like it just as much. If the absurdity of the premise instantly turns you down, do not watch it.

 

Dat codpiece.