From Dusk Till Dawn Review
by Lewis Butler (kreme AT netcom DOT com)January 24th, 1996
FROM DUSK TILL DAWN
A film review by Lewis Butler
Copyright 1996 Lewis Butler
Yet another movie written by Quentin Tarantino, and with the trademark violence that has characterized his screenplays to date (PULP FICTION, TRUE ROMANCE) This movie has a twist though, and it is a shame that the add campaign spoiled what should have been a wonderfully bizarre suprise twist. Still, the movie holds up well in the proud tradition of B-grade horror, much like TREMORS before it. This film is not aiming high, but it hits its intended target dead-center. (+1.5 on the -4 to +4)
The movie starts with George Clooney and Quentin Tarantino on the run from the Texas Rangers and the FBI. They're running for Mexico with a million dollars in cash and a hostage.
Tarantino turns in a wonderful performance as a twisted psychotic, and Geroge Clooney walks a tight line between a reprobate and a kind of likeable guy. Much of this has to do with the utter depravity of Tarrantino's character, but I was impressed with Clooney as well. There were no signs of his Dr. Ross character from ER, a nice suprise.
Juliette Lewis turns in her usual performace, though it feels a bit flat to me in this picture. I'm not sure if I'm getting tired of the elder-teen she's been playing, or if it's just this film. She doesn't get to do a lot.
Harvey Kietel walks away with the picture, cast against type as a minister and completely unrecognizable under a grizzled beard. I knew he was in the movie, I saw his name in the credits, and I spend most the movie waiting for him to appear, depsite the fact he'd been in front of me for an hour.
There are minor problems with the film, and the feeling that some explinations about some of the minor characters were cut. There is also a very strange bit of dialog by one of the minor characters about his experience in 'Nam. I have no idea why this was there, and I expected the scene to deall with him and his partner and their knowledge of the vampires.
The biggest weakness in the film is that there is no villian, and no real conflict. Lots of fighting, though. The film could have been well-served by the addition of a major villian character.
Also, on a personal note [and I realize this will be meaningless to 99% of the readers out there], I found this movie reminded me quite a bit of the Mexican vampire movies I saw as a child. There was no masked wrestler, but something about the treatment brought back echos of those films. And it's not just that the setting was Mexico. I think the pseudo-gothic look to the set and the arched hallway and massive doors added to this impression.
Overall, though, it's a fun romp in the woods with some wonderfully memorable characters and a lot of fun, cartoon violence. Oh, and there was a nice tip-of-the-hat to NATURAL BORN KILLERS (at least that's how I saw it).
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