The intermingling of genres brings us a continued look into the horror film genre this month, adding a decidedly action and crime elements bent to boot. Robert Rodriguez, originally from San Antonio, Texas produced and directed From Dusk till Dawn (1996), a work co-written by Quentin Tarantino, originally from Knoxville, Tennessee and Robert Kurtzman, originally from Crestline, Ohio. The film is set in Mexico and Texas, United States.
The movie From Dusk till Dawn begins with clear elements of crime and violent action as the opening feature with the introduction of Benny’s World of Liquor. We meet brothers Seth Gecko and Richard ‘Richie’ Gecko, portrayed by George Clooney and Quentin Tarantino, respectively, robbing the liquor store based in Texas.
Pete Bottoms clerks at the store while Earl McGraw, a Texas Ranger, happens upon the scene during the commissioning of the crime. Things quickly occur in an unexpected way for one of the Gecko brothers, with the decision to act without subtlety in bringing resolution to the situation. Without spoiling details, the need to leave takes on an urgency that leads Richie and Seth to seek a path south. In the pursuit of that outcome, the object of hiding out at a hotel turns crudely violent while one of the brothers gets food. John Hawkes portrayed Pete Bottom as Michael Parks portrayed Earl McGraw.
On vacation, the Fuller family arrives at the inn where the Gecko brothers are staying in a recreational vehicle. The father, Jacob Fuller as portrayed by Harvey Keitel, is a widowed pastor traveling with his daughter Kate and son Scott. Juliette Lewis portrayed Kate as Ernest Liu portrayed Scott. The Gecko brothers threateningly coerce the Fuller family to drive them across the border into Mexico in order to meet their contact that is due to escort them to sanctuary, El Rey, at dawn the next morning.
The contact for getting the Gecko brothers to sanctuary is portrayed by Richard “Cheech” Marin. The crew is directed by the contact to a Mexican strip bar named Titty Twister. Landing there with the Fuller family to experience a shocking experience that presumably will last until morning offers plenty of comedic territory, which begins with the introduction of performer Santanico Pandemonium. Salma Hayek portrayed Pandemonium, whose flamboyant routine brings on a bar fight. The true nature of the employees of this strip club / bar propels the transition of the movie into the horror movie that brings the story home.
The movie From Dusk till Dawn takes you on a wild ride of a story that seeks to keep the audience guessing about the direction headed next. The themes of heinous crime, gratuitous violence, assaults on familial and personal innocence, and an unexpected turn to horror beg the audience to set aside traditional expectations and ask how twisted a story can work. That the payoff feels deliberately comedic at the same time lends itself to what cult following the film has won since the movie’s release. With a nod to the campy aspect delivered here, I grant From Dusk till Dawn as directed by Robert Rodriguez 4.0-stars on a scale of 1-to-5.
Matt – Saturday, October 22, 2022
Matt Lynn Digital 