From Dusk Till Dawn (1996)

Two criminals and their hostages unknowingly seek temporary refuge in a truck stop populated by vampires, with chaotic results.

Director:

Robert Rodriguez

Writers:

Robert Kurtzman (story), Quentin Tarantino (screenplay)

Stars:

Harvey Keitel, George Clooney, Juliette Lewis

7 wins & 13 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
George Clooney	...	Seth Gecko
Quentin Tarantino	...	Richard Gecko
Harvey Keitel	...	Jacob Fuller
Juliette Lewis	...	Kate Fuller
Ernest Liu	...	Scott Fuller
Salma Hayek	...	Santanico Pandemonium
Cheech Marin	...	Border Guard / Chet Pussy / Carlos
Danny Trejo	...	Razor Charlie
Tom Savini	...	Sex Machine
Fred Williamson	...	Frost
Michael Parks	...	Texas Ranger Earl McGraw
Brenda Hillhouse	...	Hostage Gloria Hill
John Saxon	...	FBI Agent Stanley Chase
Marc Lawrence	...	Old Timer Motel Owner
Kelly Preston	...	Newscaster Kelly Houge

Storyline

After a bank heist in Abilene with several casualties, the bank robber Seth Gecko and his psychopath and rapist brother Richard Gecko continue their crime spree in a convenience store in the middle of the desert while heading to Mexico with a hostage. They decide to stop for a while in a low-budget motel. Meanwhile the former minister Jacob Fuller is traveling on vacation with his son Scott and his daughter Kate in a RV. Jacob lost his faith after the death of his beloved wife in a car accident and quit his position of pastor of his community and stops for the night in the same motel Seth and Richard are lodged. When Seth sees the recreational vehicle, he abducts Jacob and his family to help his brother and him to cross the Mexico border, promising to release them on the next morning. They head to the truck drivers and bikers bar Titty Twister where Seth will meet with his partner Carlos in the dawn. When they are watching the dancer Santanico Pandemonium, Seth and Richard fight with ...

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Plot Keywords:

sex offender | vampire | stripper | rape victim | pervert | 

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Taglines:

The Showdown is on

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Genres:

Action | Crime | Horror

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for strong violence and gore, language and nudity

Did You Know?

Trivia

When shown on commercial television, the name of the bar is digitally changed to "Kitty Twister", with the neon breasts blocked out.

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Goofs

When Seth Gecko gets knocked across the bar by Satanico Pandemonium, you could briefly see the mat that he lands on before cutting away to a close-up of him landing on the ground.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Pete Bottoms: Hey, Earl
Earl McGraw: Yes, sir.
Pete Bottoms: What do ya know?
Earl McGraw: Well, it's a hot goddam day

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Crazy Credits

Ernest Liu's opening credit is run off the screen by Seth and Richard's car.

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Alternate Versions

The Special edition laserdisc contains scenes that were cut out of the film due to graphic violence: the vampire feast (dinner is served) is extended and one part has a girl popping a pimple on a guy. There's another scene in which Sex Machine kills off two more vampires and takes a picture of one of them.

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Connections

Referenced in Cinematic Excrement: Twilight (2009)

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Soundtracks

Opening Boxes
Written by Tito Larriva
Performed by Tito & Tarantula

User Reviews

Entertaining and wickedly funny

From Dusk Till Dawn was a very entertaining film. It never once bored me, so props for that. I did like it, but did not love it.

The film has moments of real brilliance in it's screenplay. I perhaps think that maybe Tarantino should have directed it. I am not saying Rodriguez did a bad job, just that maybe the film would have come together as something more with Tarantino behind the camera. Of course, the turn of events in the 2nd half would have been surprising had Dish Network not spoiled it in the summary info. But it didn't matter, I was hooked throughout. From the Tarantino scripts, this IS his weakest, but it doesn't matter. It's a blast to old gory cheesy horrors! In fact, the comedy really made me dig it even more!

I would say that the other pairing between Tarantino and Rodriguez in Grindhouse (Planet Terror and Death Proof) is better but this is still a very entertaining and gory film!

Details

Official Sites:

Official Facebook Official site

Country:

USA Mexico

Language:

English Spanish

Release Date:

19 January 1996 (USA)

Also Known As:

From Dusk Till Dawn

Filming Locations:

Calico Dry Lake, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$19,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$10,240,805, 21 January 1996

Gross USA:

$25,836,616

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$25,836,616

Company Credits

Production Co:

Dimension Films, A Band Apart, Los Hooligans Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

108 min

Sound Mix:

SDDS (8 channels) Dolby Digital

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1