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| Buena Vista (Australia). Region 4, PAL. 1.85:1 (16:9 enhanced). English DD 5.1. English (FHI) Subtitles. 103 minutes |
| The Movie |
| Cover Art |
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| Credits |
Director: Robert Rodriguez
Starring: George Clooney,
Quentin Tarantino, Harvey Keitel, Juliette Lewis,
Cheech Marin, Tom Savini, Ernest Liu, Fred Williamson
and Salma Hayek
Screenplay: Quentin
Tarantino
Country: USA |
Quentin Tarantino and Robert Rodriguez are
established and remarkable filmmakers, having
made some of the most memorable movies in the
last ten years. Tarantino's Pulp
Fiction and Reservoir Dogs along with Rodriguez's Desperado and the Spy Kids flicks (hey,
I liked them!) have achieved success that many
movies could only dream of. So when the two joined
forces in 1995 to make an action themed horror
movie the fans were sure to be pleased. And they
were. From Dusk Till Dawn, almost
a decade after its initial release is highly regarded
as one of the better and more entertaining vampire
flicks around.
From Dusk Till Dawn begins with
two escaped criminals on their way to Mexico,
brothers Seth (George Clooney) and Richie (Quentin
Tarantino) Gecko. After an explosive beginning,
the brothers kidnap Jacob Fuller (Harvey Keitel)
and his two kids Kate and Scott (Juliette Lewis
and Ernest Liu), and make their way to The Titty
Twister, a secluded biker bar in Mexico. However,
things aren't as they seem in the Titty
Twister, as the Gecko brothers must team up with
their hostages in order to battle a hoard of hungry
vampires.
This is one awesome action packed horror movie!
Combining Quentin Tarantino's dialogue heavy
script (based on Robert Kurtzman's story)
and Robert Rodriguez's in your face directing
style, From Dusk Till Dawn is
an excellent blend of two genres creating one
of the better vampire movies seen to date. Both
filmmakers are visceral storytellers, and having
them work together only combines their talents
and crafts a truly entertaining classic. Tarantino's
fast paced and witty script engages the audience,
from the first half and more action-oriented part
of the film, to the creepy and more horror related
second half. Although not typically a horror writer,
Tarantino surely knows how to work a crowd, and
can deliver the goods that horror fans need. Rodriguez
too directs with a fast-pace-edge-of-your-seat
style, with barely a moment of the film being
boring. The blend of horror and action works well,
and Rodriguez manages to pull it off without over
compensating.
As many in the horror community know, KNB EFX
are one of the best make-up effects groups in
the business and have helped to create some of
the most impressive splatter effects seen in horror
movies since the 80s. Including cameo appearances,
the gang manage to create an effects heavy gore
movie and they pull it off strikingly well. The
blood and effects are deliciously delightful for
any gore hound, and are only complimented by the
film's violent nature.
The movie really has it all, a great story,
stylistic directing, good acting, tits and gore.
The fun packed thrill ride is always entertaining
with great re-watchability value. As a vampire
film, it is original and boasts some great effects
and freaky vampires. Sure, it's not the
conventional vampire movie, but it stays true
to previous films and doesn't ruin the story
by changing what the traditional vampire is. The
mixture of action and horror only compliment the
excellence that is From Dusk Till Dawn. |
| Video |
| Buena Vista's release of From Dusk
Till Dawn is quite fantastic, however loses
some cool points with the film transfer. The movie
looks good, don't get me wrong. It has that
great film texture feel to it, that many movies
from the 90s have, and I do love that look. Besides
boasting some rich clean colours and some crisp
images, the print suffers from blemishes and artefact
damage, along with film grain. It's not an
overly brilliant transfer, but considering it was
made ten years ago, it captures that feel, and honestly,
doesn't take any enjoyment from the movie. From Dusk Till Dawn doesn't
need a new digital flawless transfer, and what we've
got looks great. In some ways the less then perfect
print helps to compliment the style of the film.
However, just note that the print isn't perfect,
but definitely isn't one to write an angry
letter about. |
| Audio |
| From Dusk Till Dawn is accompanied
by a stunning Dolby Digital 5.1 track. Dialogue
is consistent and is never drowned out, and the
score is dispersed evenly over the speakers. The
best sound comes later on in the film, when the
group reach the Titty Twister. Attention to detail
is amazing! If you turn down all but your rear speakers,
you can actually hear bikers having conversations,
often very funny. The sound of bats flutters around
you. The movie is supported by this great sound
mix, and only adds to the enjoyment of the film. |
| Extra Features |
| A commentary track with Director Robert Rodriguez
and Quentin Tarantino begin this feature packed
DVD. An entertaining and informative commentary,
the two play off each other well and are just
as enjoyable to listen to as the movie itself.
Although it is quite obvious this is an old track,
recorded for the original laserdisc release.
A collection of deleted scenes and deleted gore
follows, and is a nice look at what was cut out,
including some added gore, which would be good
if re-instated back into the film. However an
non-removable commentary track drowns out all
scene dialogue, and therefore makes this something
for the eyes only.
The disc also holds some outtakes, which can
be rather amusing. My favourite would be the wince
inducing moment where George Clooney drops a chair
on Quentin Tarantino's unsuspecting face.
Featurettes detailing the making of key scenes,
'The Opening,' 'The Hostage,'
'The Titty Twister,' 'Rat Man
and Battle 3,' and an 'On The Set'
show some great behind the scenes footage and
information on how they did what they did
Another featurette, 'Hollywood Goes to
Hell,' contains interviews with cast and
crew. Two music videos, ZZ Top's "She's
Just Killing Me" and Tito and Tarantino's
"After Dark" are also found on the
disc.
Ending the special features is a theatrical
trailer along with basic cast and crew bios. |
| The Verdict |
From Dusk Till Dawn is a must
see for any Tarantino, Rodriguez, vampire or horror
fan. Heck, watch the movie if you don't like
any of them, because chances are, you'll like
this one! An entertaining story, crafted and delivered
well, the movie manages to keep the audience entertained
and splashes buckets of blood and squeezes in some
much needed nudity in-between. A damn good vampire
movie, and a great movie to be added into the cult
horror favourites. With the good video and audio
aspects, and excellent features including the very
fun commentary track and the informative and entertaining
'making of' featurettes, this DVD is
a must have for all From Dusk Till Dawn fans.
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