From Dusk Till Dawn (1996)

A year after Quentin Tarantino and Robert Rodriguez each helmed a segment of portmanteau comedy Four Rooms, the pair delivered this deliciously schlocky homage to B-movie horror.

The first half of the narrative is fairly straightforward, as gangster brothers-on-the-lam Seth and Richie Gecko (played, in something of a genetic stretch, by George Clooney and Tarantino himself) take preacher Jacob Fuller (Harvey Keitel) and his kids hostage.

This being a Tarantino screenplay, things take a turn for the surreal after the group seek refuge at desert bar Titty Twister which, it turns out, is a favourite with the local vampires.

It’s certainly not high art, but From Dusk Till Dawn is memorable precisely because it’s so outrageous – everything, from the costumes and the cinematography to Rodriguez’s adrenaline-fuelled direction, a riotous assault on the senses.

It’s also an important early entry in Tarantino’s canon, showcasing a talent for arresting dialogue and colourful characters alongside the uncompromising determination that has become his trademark.

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

Director
Robert Rodriguez

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