From Dusk Till Dawn is, in a way, two movies within one. In the opening act, Seth (George Clooney) and Richie Gecko (Quentin Tarantino) are wanted by the FBI and the Texas police for a bank robbery that left many dead. Their goal is to make their way down to Mexico where a contact, Carlos (Cheech Marin) has provided a safehouse for them. Getting into Mexico isn't easy and to do so they kidnap a RV owning family led by Jacob Fuller (Harvey Keitel), a preacher who has lost his faith following his wife's death, and his two children Kate (Juliette Lewis) and Scott (Ernest Liu). They make their way safely across the border and to celebrate Seth plans on buying drinks for everyone at the Titty Twister, a local Mexican bar Carlos plans on meeting them at the next day. Out of all the bars though, Carlos had to pick the one that was run by vampires.
Writer/director Robert Rodriguez has carved out a solid career in reviving the B-movie schlock genre that was so popular in the 70's. Granted, schlock films tend to fall in the love or hate category, but there's something about Rodriguez's style that makes his work for me. Don't get me wrong, I know some people personally that hate this film. I can understand why, but this is one of those films that sets out to have fun and succeeds in doing so. Like I said at the beginning, this is essentially two films in one. Tarantino's name is stamped all over the first half with his dialogue driven tale of two outlaws in Clooney and Tarantino (who are the last two people I'd ever imagine paired as brothers, but whatever). Rodriguez brings the style and crazy in the second half during the Titty Twister vampire attack. Some may find the change in tone uneven, but it is somewhat able to work. After all, these are people being thrust into a world they thought never existed. The performances by the leads are solid. Keitel is great as the former preacher who regains his faith in a way he never would've imagined (He's a mean mmmm mmmm servant of God!). Clooney fits his character terrifically, a type of role in a type of movie you'll most definitely never see him in again, and Tarantino fits the bill as a creep almost too easily. There are also a number solid supporting turns from Cheech Marin (in three different roles throughout the film), Danny Trejo, Tom Savini, Fred Williamson, and Salma Hayek (who helped me through adolescence in Rodriguez's Desperado and continued to do so here). Both Tarantino and Rodriguez have obviously done better. In some ways, Tarantino's first half works better than the second half, but it's still a crazy and bloody good time. They set out to make something fun and for what it is, it succeeds in doing so.
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