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
Video
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