Flashy and profane

Rating: 6/10 (16 September 2006)

Stylish, violent thriller concerning bank-robbing brothers (George Clooney and Quentin Tarantino!) who kidnap a preacher and his two kids in order to cross the U.S. border into Mexico; they eventually wind up at a biker bar full of vampires. The satirical edges in Tarantino's barbed screenplay continually make light of all the bloody carnage, and one wonders if we're supposed to laugh at the non-stop barrage of shootings, stabbings, gorings, and bodies on fire. Undeniably energetic, unsubtle, high-voltage stuff; it has a terrific cast including Harvey Keitel and Juliette Lewis, but it won't be to everyone's liking. Followed by a straight-to-tape sequel, which involved none of the talents here. **1/2 from ****