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 | rape victim | held hostage | u.s. mexico border | 

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Taglines:

Vampires. No Interviews.

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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

Language:

English Spanish

Release Date:

19 January 1996 (USA)

Also Known As:

Del crepúsculo al amanecer

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

Howard Berger: The trucker vampire that bites Sex Machine (Tom Savini) is the Make-up Supervisor.

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Goofs

During the fight in the Titty Twister, when the vampire's head rolls over towards Kate she actually misses the head when she tries to step on it. But in the next shot, it's sitting neatly under her foot.

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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

Referenced in The Forsaken (2001)

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Soundtracks

The Star-Spangled Banner
(uncredited)
Lyrics by Francis Scott Key
Music by John Stafford Smith

User Reviews

Fans of The Evil Dead Need Apply

From Dusk Till Dawn (1996)

Review: How bout this? George Clooney in a different role? Yep. For once he tries something different.

From Dusk Till Dawn is something else. This is about two criminal brothers(Clooney and Tarantino)wind up taking a family hostage to make it across the Mexican border to a meeting point, a bar called the "Titty Twister". That's where the Gecko brothers are to meet another group of crooks.....at dawn. This bar is open from dusk till dawn....and is filled with vampires.

This movie starts off as something else at first. More like a gritty crime movie, then becomes a total spatter-fest. This isn't at all bad, just takes a total turn. The vampires here are a bunch of ugly as hell monsters. Think of the Evil Dead movies only the undead zombies and skeletons are vampires instead and that's the score with the very small supply of vampire slayers to take them on.

Like I say, if you are a fan of the Evil Dead movies, then this is the treat for you. It does not have the amount of silly humor like them, but has the gore nailed just right. The makeup effects are dead-on as well. This just happens to be more gritty than the Evil Dead.

The Last Word: I like it. Good for your October needs. Did I forget Salma Hayek and Cheech Marin? They are here as well. Good bloody fun.