Details:
Movie Title: From Dusk Till Dawn (1996)
Released Date: January 19, 1996
Tagline: “One night is all that stands between them and freedom. But it’s going to be one hell of a night.”
Runtime: 108 minutes
Director: Robert Rodriguez
Screenplay Written By: Quentin Tarantino
Based On: Original story concept by Robert Kurtzman
Is it a remake?: No. Original film that later launched a franchise including sequels and a television adaptation.
Budget: Approximately $19 million
Box Office: Approximately $59.3 million worldwide
Main Cast:
- George Clooney — Seth Gecko
- Quentin Tarantino — Richie Gecko
- Harvey Keitel — Jacob Fuller
- Juliette Lewis — Kate Fuller
- Salma Hayek — Santanico Pandemonium
- Cheech Marin — Border Guard / Chet Pussy / Carlos
- Danny Trejo — Razor Charlie
- Tom Savini — Sex Machine
Awards:
- Saturn Award — Best Horror Film (Won)
- Saturn Award — Best Actor for George Clooney (Won)
- MTV Movie Award — Best Breakthrough Performance for George Clooney (Won)
- Fangoria Chainsaw Award — Best Actor for George Clooney (Won)
- Multiple Saturn Award nominations including Best Director, Best Writing, and Best Makeup
Short Plot Summary:
Two outlaw brothers fleeing law enforcement kidnap a former pastor and his family to help them cross the Mexican border. They arrive at a remote strip club called the Titty Twister, intending to wait there until dawn. During the night, the group discovers the club is populated by vampires. The survivors must work together to stay alive until sunrise.
Key Quotes:
- “Psychos do not explode when sunlight hits them, I don’t give a fuck how crazy they are!” — Seth Gecko
- “Welcome to slavery.” — Santanico Pandemonium
- “If you can find cheaper pussy anywhere else… fuck it!” — Chet Pussy
- “All right, ramblers. Let’s get ramblin’.” — Seth Gecko
Trivia
Director:
- Robert Rodriguez directed the film shortly after the success of Desperado and collaborated heavily with Quentin Tarantino during the mid-1990s.
- Rodriguez also served as editor on the film under his frequent hands-on filmmaking style.
Cast / Casting:
- The film marked one of George Clooney’s first major movie star roles after gaining fame from the TV show ER.
- Quentin Tarantino accepted a reduced salary in exchange for playing Richie Gecko and helping get the project financed.
- Salma Hayek reportedly landed her role after Tarantino personally convinced her to participate despite concerns about performing the snake dance scene.
- Cheech Marin plays three separate characters in the film.
Soundtrack / Score:
- The score was composed by Graeme Revell.
- The soundtrack heavily features Texas blues and rock music including tracks by ZZ Top and The Blasters.
- Tito & Tarantula performed live in the Titty Twister scenes and contributed songs to the soundtrack.
Location:
- Although set largely in Texas and Mexico, much of the film was shot in California.
- The Titty Twister set became one of the movie’s most recognizable locations and was built specifically for production.
Behind-The-Scenes:
- Quentin Tarantino originally wrote the screenplay as one of his earliest paid writing jobs.
- Special effects company KNB EFX Group helped initiate the project to showcase practical makeup and creature effects work.
- The production used a largely non-union crew, which was uncommon for a studio-backed film at the time.
- The making of the movie was later documented in the behind-the-scenes documentary Full Tilt Boogie.
Nostalgia:
- The movie became a major late-night cable and VHS favorite during the late 1990s and early 2000s.
- Its sudden genre shift from crime thriller to vampire horror became one of the film’s defining pop culture talking points.
Easter Eggs:
- The “Big Kahuna Burger” bags reference the fictional fast-food chain from Pulp Fiction.
- Seth Gecko’s line “All right, ramblers. Let’s get ramblin’.” references Reservoir Dogs.
- Earl McGraw later appeared in multiple Tarantino and Rodriguez-connected films.
- Scott Fuller’s “Precinct 13” shirt references Assault on Precinct 13.
Misc:
- The film was briefly banned in Ireland in 1996 due to concerns over graphic violence following real-world tragedies.
- The movie spawned two direct-to-video sequels, a video game, comics, and a television adaptation.
- Danny Trejo became the only actor to appear in all original trilogy films and the TV series.
Sources Cited:
- IMDb: IMDb – From Dusk Till Dawn (1996)
- Wikipedia: Wikipedia – From Dusk till Dawn
- Box Office Mojo: Box Office Mojo – From Dusk Till Dawn
- Rotten Tomatoes: Rotten Tomatoes – From Dusk Till Dawn
- Additional Sources:
