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

5 wins & 9 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:

How far can Too Far go?

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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

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, Wide Release

Gross USA:

$25,753,840

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$33,500,000

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

Did You Know?

Trivia

In the screenplay, Frost (Fred Williamson) was supposed to face off Razor Charlie (Danny Trejo) with the pool cue, and Sex Machine (Tom Savini) was supposed to hurl vampires onto the legs of a table to kill them. In the finished film, their actions are reversed.

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Goofs

After they cross the border, Seth gives Jacob very simple instructions: drive straight forward until he meets a crossing road, then turn left. After they do they're driving towards a setting sun, however going south and turning left would have them face east, not west.

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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

A heavily cut version (87 minutes) released on video in Germany. omits the whole pre-credit scene and most of the graphic violence in the 'Dinner is served'-part.

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Connections

References Taxi Driver (1976)

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Soundtracks

Jimmie's Jam
Written and Performed by Jimmie Vaughan (as Jimmie Vaughn)

User Reviews

An action-packed extravaganza!!

From Dusk Till Dawn is simply a fun movie. Not meant to be taken seriously at all. If you're looking for a movie to sit back and enjoy for brainless entertainment, get this. There is nothing wrong with the acting, the music really good and the special effects are gross (but great).

The first half of the story revolves around the Gecko brothers, Seth (George Clooney) and Richie (Quentin Tarantino). They need to get past the Mexican border to a bar named the "Titty Twister." Along the way they take hostage the Fuller family, Jacob (Harvey Keital), Kate (Juliette Lewis) and Scott (Ernest Liu). In the second part of the movie they make it to the bar, unfortunately it is a bar run by vampires and soon enough the feasting begins.

This movie is great in a lot of ways. First, the script is written brilliant, it is darkly humorous. A lot of the lines had be laughing very hard. The acting is good from all the cast and the special effects are pretty disgusting. We have decapitations, limbs getting torn off, throats getting ripped out and plenty of impalements. For gore hounds, this movie is gold. This movie never really gets boring. This movie is not meant to be anything groundbreaking, just entertaining, which it is.

3½/5.