FROM DUSK TILL DAWN Reviewed by Jerry Saravia May 25th, 2001
After Tarantino's post-"Pulp Fiction" success in 1994, his future remained questionable. Here was a man who reinvented and rewrote the rules of gangster flicks forever - in retrospect, not so new were his rules or inventions as much as the energy he brought to them - and the question remained if he ever could top his crowning "Pulp" jewel. Tarantino didn't try to prove anything as he largely acted in some rotten films like "Destiny Turns on the Radio" and his own horrendous short film in a collection of bad ones called "Four Rooms." It wasn't until 1997 that Tarantino showed why he was a success in the first place. It was not the gore or violence as much as his sharp, clever writing and the introduction of the gangster as an ironic antihero. "From Dusk Till Dawn" was an early script by Quentin from long before "Reservoir Dogs," and it is actually two movies rolled into one. It is a silly, jagged and overlong pulp carnival that at times is entertaining and funny. From behind the cameras is Robert Rodriguez of "Desperado" fame, and you can clearly see where Tarantino's movie ends and Rodriguez's begins.
The opening scene is reminiscent of "Natural Born Killers" with George Clooney and Quentin Tarantino playing two brothers, Seth and Richard Gecko, who rob a convenience store and murder the owner and the police officer all in the space of less than ten minutes of screen time. The two antiheroes are two bumbling thieves wearing black suits with no particular direction in life other than robbing convenience stores. Seth is the calm, resourceful crook whereas Richard is a stupid, raging psychopath.
After the murderous robbery, the pair take a hostage from an earlier bank robbery to a run-down motel. Richard disposes of the hostage, and the twosome end up kidnapping a grizzled preacher, Jacob Fuller (Harvey Keitel), and his two kids, the teenage Kate (Juliette Lewis) and her adopted Chinese brother, Scott (Ernest Liu). Seth needs them as bait to cross the border to Mexico where he's supposed to rendezvous with his employer. At this point, the movie takes on an odd route and becomes a cartoonish "Evil Dead" flick when the incongruous group go to a bar named the Titty Twister run by vicious, grotesque, constantly morphing vampires! This is where the over-the-top histrionics of Rodriguez begins.
As enjoyable as "From Dusk Till Dawn" frequently is, it is disappointing. The first half of the film is terrific stuff, mixing in laughs, tension and surprises with ease, and all superbly written by Quentin Tarantino. Once the movie settles in for the horror aspect, it becomes slightly repetitive and mindless. The movie spends an eternity showing our heroes and anti-heroes shoving stakes into vampires' hearts, as well as chopping off their heads and limbs with an arsenal that includes chairs, beer glasses, crossbows and crosses. There is so much vampiric carnage that Rodriguez doesn't allow much room for Tarantino's trademark wordplay and that is a shame.
There are, however, some hilarious performances and understated acting to compensate. There's the 70's blaxploitation star Fred Williamson as a Vietnam Vet; Tom Savini (former make-up artist of "Dawn of the Dead" fame) as a leather-jacketed punk named Sex Machine; and Cheech Marin in three roles - the best is as the Titty Twister host who invites all the truckers and bikers to join in the fun of watching the sexy strippers do their snake striptease dances!
George Clooney made a successful transition here from television's "E.R." to the big screen, as evidenced by some of his later work post-"Batman and Robin." Here he projects a calm, relaxed personality as Seth, and makes a convincing, charismatic action star. Surprisingly, Tarantino does his best work here as the psychopathic, horny Richard who has the hots for Kate, the preacher's daughter. Harvey Keitel brings a level of humanity and quiet authority as the preacher who has lost his faith since his wife died in a car crash. Juliette Lewis is at her most restrained here and brings a sensual, sweetly innocent side that makes us care for her amidst all the flying vampire body parts.
In short, "From Dusk Till Dawn" is a rollercoaster ride of thrills and laughs that throws in everything from bits of "Pulp Fiction" and the Indiana Jones series to all those grade Z zombie/vampire thrillers. The special-effects are enthralling yet exhausting, and Rodriguez has still not learned what balanced rhythm is. With some spectacularly edited sequences and better-than-average performances, this is junky, fast-paced filmmaking at its best. Now if only Tarantino would direct his own screenplays more often.
For more reviews, check out JERRY AT THE MOVIES at http://moviething.com/members/movies/faust/JATMindex.shtml
E-mail me with any questions, comments or general complaints at Faust668@aol.com or at faustus_08520@yahoo.com
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