FROM DUSK TILL DAWN (1996) at 30: The Vampire Cult Classic Still Has Teeth!

FROM DUSK TILL DAWN (1996) d. Robert Rodriguez (USA)
FROM DUSK TILL DAWN 2: TEXAS BLOOD MONEY (1999) d. Scott Spiegel (USA)
FROM DUSK TILL DAWN 3: THE HANGMAN'S DAUGHTER (2000) d. P.J. Pesce (USA)
FROM DUSK TILL DAWN: THE SERIES (2014-2016) d. Robert Rodriguez (USA)

**CLICK HERE TO WATCH FULL YOUTUBE EPISODE**

Thirty years ago, From Dusk Till Dawn (1996) kicked open the saloon doors, ordered a round of tequila, and then revealed that everyone in the bar was about to be eaten by vampires. Of course, From Dusk Till Dawn is much more than its famous twist. It's a perfect snapshot of '90s independent filmmaking, bringing together Rodriguez's kinetic, resourceful direction, Tarantino's Fonzie cool dialogue, KNB's outrageous practical effects, and an ensemble cast led by George Clooney, Harvey Keitel, Juliette Lewis, Salma Hayek, and cameos from Michael Parks, John Hawkes, Tom Savini, Cheech Marin, Danny Trejo, and the Hammer himself, Fred Williamson.

3 FROM HELL (2019) Movie Review

Scare-A-Thon Totals to Date:

Total Movies Watched: 14
Total First Time Views: 5
Amount raised for AMAZON WATCH: $1,069.04

3 from Hell (2019) d. Rob Zombie (USA) (111 min) (1st viewing)

It’s hard to believe it’s already been 14 years since Rob Zombie established himself as a genre icon with only his second feature film (especially since it was ostensibly a sequel to his debut, House of 1000 Corpses). Generating rave reviews from some of the nation’s top critics and eliciting genuine conversation about the complexity of nihilism in the age of Hostel and Saw, The Devil’s Rejects exploded onto the scene and established the rock star-turned-filmmaker into a genuine hero for the black t-shirt-wearing masses.

SUSHI GIRL (2012) review

Sushi Girl (2012) (1st viewing) d. Saxton, Kern (USA)

Six years after a diamond heist goes sour, crime boss Tony Todd marks the prison release of Noah Hathaway (the lone arrest made) with a special old team reunion to answer a few questions about what went wrong, a gathering whose centerpiece involves seafood delicacies served off lovely Cortney Palm’s prone naked body. Director Saxton has assembled a notably unconventional and skilled cast that includes not only Todd (who exec-produced) and Neverending Story alumnus Hathaway, but James Duval, Andy Mackenzie, Michael Biehn, Jeff Fahey, Danny Trejo, Sonny Chiba, and casting coup non pareil, Mark Hamill as a fey psycho whose stringy locks bring to mind ’70s era Paul Williams on a really bad day. Watching this venerable team of underrated talents square off should be entertainment enough for most, but the ultimate equation is less than the sum of its parts. Clearly Saxton and co-writer Destin Pfaff have a deep love for Reservoir Dogs, but stunt casting + ornate production design + nasty torture sequences does not a Tarantino breakout make…especially if the memorably chewy Tarantino dialogue fails to show up (Todd’s ominous “oven timer” monologue notwithstanding). The result is a well-produced film with lofty ambitions, full of sound and fury...that ultimately feels like much ado about nothing.