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)

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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.

VFW (2019) Blu-ray Review

VFW (2019) d. Joe Begos (USA) (92 min)

After attempting to stretch with his modern vampire flick Bliss, Begos crashes back to earth, seemingly content in being the worst kind of Tarantino imitator, i.e. interested only in serving up “tributes” of established tropes and subgenres under his own byline. Having done body snatcher (Almost Human) and psychokinetic (The Mind’s Eye) flicks, he now offers up a siege film (Assault on Precinct 13 is the obvious model and, yes, I know that John Carpenter was himself riffing off Rio Bravo, thank you very much) combined with Stallone’s The Expendables series by hiring over-the-hill cult actors (Stephen Lang, William Sadler, Martin Kove, Daniel Patrick Kelly, George Wendt, Fred Williamson) to play a group of retired soldiers defending their local watering hole from a horde of strung-out (and wildly ineffectual) druggies.