Quentin Tarantino writes a horror movie

Rating: 8/10 (11 June 2005)

If you read my one-line summary and have seen any of Quentin Tarantino's other movies, then you probably know what to expect from this one. It's violent, depraved, twisted, darkly comic, and it has great dialog. This description applies to just about anything Tarantino is involved in, and "From Dusk Till Dawn" is no different in that respect. Where "From Dusk Till Dawn" differs from other movies written and/or directed by Quentin Tarantino is that it is the only movie that he has done where the second half of the movie is devoted to a bloodbath involving a horde of vampires, a Mexican strip club, and a guy with a gun hidden in his codpiece. If that last sentence didn't inspire you to go out and rent this movie right now, then I feel truly sorry for you.
This movie is what every cheesy horror movie often fails to be: it's a lot of fun. The sudden change that the movie undergoes from being a typical Tarantino-style film about two criminal brothers who take a family hostage while they make their way to Mexico to being an all-out, over-the-top gore-fest featuring vampire strippers is very strange and really doesn't make much sense, but if you're anything like me you really won't care as you sit back and enjoy the pure insanity that could only come from the mind of Quentin Tarantino as he writes a horror movie. Of course, part of the reason why this movie works as well as it does is that everything is handled with a tongue-in-cheek sense of humor that keeps the movie from taking itself too seriously. While the violence is incredibly graphic (this is easily the goriest vampire movie I've seen in years), it is slightly lessened by ridiculous sights such as the vampire band leader playing a guitar made from a human corpse, Cheech Marin tastefully telling customers of the vampire strip club about the variety of pu**y available, and the aforementioned codpiece gun.
From watching this movie, it's pretty clear that no one involved was looking to make a cinematic masterpiece, but it was clear that everyone was having a blast. It's as violent, over-the-top, and pulpy as movies get, but I guarantee you probably won't see a movie like this for a long time. Just sit back and watch the insanity and have fun.