Intelligent writing, cool style, kinetic thrills, cartoony horror, great cast and more

Rating: 8/10 (2 March 2017)

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-