From Dusk Till Dawn (2016)

Okay, I am really excited to review this movie, because it might just be my favorite movie of all time. It's rare to see a movie that so perfectly balances compelling and downright B movie hilarity. Quentin Tarantino is a great writer, and Robert Rodriguez is the perfect director for a movie like this. George Clooney is great at being the rational center of the movie, and I think Tarantino wrote a perfect role for himself. I know he got a razzie nom, but I think that was just for people to hate on him, because this movie is SUPPOSED to be a little ridiculous. I love watching this movie with people who have no idea what it's about, and listening to them guess all the way to the point where Salma Hayek goes full vamp. Greatest response was from one of my friends who said "Well...that would make for some interesting dinner conversation." right after it happened. It just goes crazy, and I love every second of it.

Don't take this too seriously. It's fun, light-hearted and good for what it is. The acting is great, the dialogue is punchy, the gore is creative and I was amused the whole time watching the film. It's not subtle, but it's hugely entertaining. It's so crazy that the random genre-hop halfway through was almost to be expected of something like this. It was a perfectly fun film on its own without the vampires, and the second half feels like a totally different film. But the second half retains the silliness, which is the most important thing.It's funny because neither half of the film is unique in any way, but put together they feel like something tacky in a good way.This is exactly how a "so bad it's good" film should be.

I didn't think I would ever say this, but with "From Dusk Till Dawn", Quentin Tarantino, usually a skilled screenwriter and a masterful creator of dialogue, failed in his writing. The film is not really bad, but the genius of Tarantino is lacking. There's no real wit, no excitement, the dialogues are flat and uninspired and you don't really care about the characters. Apart from the first few minutes at the liquor store in the very beginning of the movie, the only real enjoyment was some impressive creature design and a stellar performance by Juliette Lewis, terrific as always. This picture was not so #7thArt.

Released in late 1996 and directed by Robert Rodriguez from Quentin Tarantino's script, "From Dusk Till Dawn" is a crime thriller/horror film starring George Clooney and Tarantino as two violent thugs in Texas who take hostage a disillusioned ex-minister (Harvey Keitel) and his son & daughter (Ernest Liu & Juliette Lewis). Hiding in their RV, they escape into Mexico where they stop at a desert strip joint in order to rendezvous with their contact in the morning (Cheech Marin). Unexpectedly, the bar preys upon its patrons.Mixing "Pulp Fiction" (1994) with "The Lost Boys" (1987) and "The Evil Dead" (1981), "From Dusk Till Dawn" pulsates with hip energy and flair. Clooney shines in his first feature film as the antagonist-turned-protagonist. Salma Hayek's dance routine is jaw-dropping and iconic. The movie blends weighty spirituality with extreme irreverence, violence, gore and comic booky evil for a highly entertaining flick. It's not scary at all; but it's fun and thrilling, with thoughtful dialog.ADDITIONAL CAST: Tom Savini, Fred Williamson, Danny Trejo, Michael Parks, John Saxon and Kelly Preston.The film runs 108 minutes and was shot in Barstow, Lancaster and Los Angeles, California; Chihuahua, Mexico; Redmond and Seattle, Washington.GRADE: A-