Hämärästä aamunkoittoon

One day, I turned the TV on and saw that From Dusk Till Dawn was supposed to start in five minutes. I’ve been resisting for far too long and so I’ve figured that I’ve got to give in. It’s a 1990s classic and it’d be a shame to have to tell people that I’ve never watched it. I braced myself, found myself a bottle of rum and by that time, the opening scene was on. It wasn’t even all that chatty considering it was directed by Tarantino. But to make up for that, Tarantino took one of the leads – a master pervert. I didn’t mind, on the contrary. Along with Clooney, they created a very decent gangster movie that made sense and, most importantly, was really amusing. And it became ever more amusing when Harvey Keitel’s preacher joins the scene. The relocation to Mexico follows and up until then, everything makes some sort of sense. But in Mexico, there’s something I’ve never seen in a movie before. The whole magic realism shifts into an absolute craziness that knows no bounds. Tarantino must have been high on liquid nitrogen when he wrote this, because I have no other explanation of what comes next. I don’t want to spoil anything. Don’t read much about the movie, just watch it and see if you’re as mind-blown as I am. Overall, the result is that both halves of the movies were fun to watch. Perfect four stars for something that didn’t even make sense. That’s Tarantino for you and always will be. (11.04.2018)

The first half is an incredibly good, hilarious and stylish gangster/road movie. Unfortunately, the quality drops considerably in the second half (and I thought that more horror part would like better). The best for me was Tarantino as Richie, and the worst was the frantic action in the bar, which was weirdly directed and quite boring in spite of all the blood. The last shot is funny :) (20.05.2008)

The first half hour follows the Quentin movie template to the letter. Perfect dialogs and flawless black humor. "If it’s not too much trouble, could I possibly borrow your ice bucket? I promise I’ll bring it right back." The second part is more reminiscent of Rodriguez’s Desperado - fast moving, action and a massacre in the bar. The turning point between these incongruous halves comes in the form of the “devilish dance performed by the gorgeous and wonderful Salma Hayek (Quentin just has a knack at arranging these things ;-). Maybe it is this incongruousness of the two halves that stopped me from giving this movie a full five stars. Although I found this difference less disruptive when watching for a second time. Maybe third time round I will work up to five stars. Cheech Marin is certainly worth a mention for playing three roles in this one movie: the border guard, the MC of the Titty Twister and Carlos. (09.07.2006)

From Dusk Till Dawn is a very controversial film where it is possible to understand a wide range of ratings from movie fans. On one hand, there is the traditional tarantinovský style combining elements of extreme violence, eroticism, and classic horror with a strongly comedic exaggeration and necessary catchphrases, additionally supported by the participation of well-known and top actors. On the other hand, the screenplay is openly not among the best that ever happened in this genre. Moreover, the pace of the story is quite uneven. Overall impression: 60%. In some moments, Rodriguez explicitly wastes traditional horror props and begins to bore. (05.04.2008)

The first half-hour is brilliant! The stifling karma surrounding Tarantino’s psychopathic killer could be cut with a knife and the dusty desert setting adds to the film’s bleak atmosphere. You can feel bad things coming. But from the moment the vampires take the stage, Robert Rodriguez fails where Peter Jackson (Braindead) is the intrepid king. From Dusk Till Dawn is a prime example of the fact that it takes a special talent to tastefully combine bloody brutality with humor. (11.04.2002)