From Dusk Till Dawn

Day 284 - 10/11/09 -Movie #283

BEFORE: I wasn't able to catch up yesterday, since I went to a Cask Ale Festival in the afternoon - these are beers even rarer than microbrews, sometimes brewed by the individual cask, so it was a chance to sample some unique flavored beers. Once I finish vampires and move on to Frankenstein movies, which are shorter, I should be able to double up...

THE PLOT: Two criminals and their hostages unknowingly seek temporary refuge in an establishment populated by vampires, with chaotic results.

AFTER: What's interesting to me is how long a movie can go sometimes without using the V-word. This one makes it through a whole hour before the presence of vampires is revealed. The Gecko Brothers (George Clooney and Quentin Tarantino) are a couple of bank robbers escaping to Mexico, who hijack the RV of a preacher (Harvey Keitel) and his son and daughter (Juliette Lewis). Things take a turn after they cross the border and visit the Titty Twister, a club meant to lure in truckers and bikers for the vampires to feed on. Along with a couple of other patrons who survive the initial attack, they manage to MacGyver (or "A-Team") some weapons, based on what we all know about vampires - holy water, stake through the heart (though apparently in this film, a gut shot is almost as efficient). Vampirism is treated here like a virus - once bitten, a character only has a few minutes before they gain vampiric appearance and powers...there's no 3-day waiting period as seen in some movies.

Salma Hayek's got a 5-minute appearance as an exotic dancer, and Cheech Marin plays no less than three different roles (I guess all Mexicans look and sound alike?). I wasn't sure about casting Harvey Keitel as a wayward preacher, but he really perks up in the 2nd half of the film. And if you like seeing Quentin Tarantino shot, stabbed or otherwise injured, man, this is the film for you.

Somewhat cartoonish, but mostly enjoyable, as vampire flicks go. Imagine "Salem's Lot" mixed with "Pulp Fiction". Extra point for using an obscure ZZ Top song, "She's Just Killing Me", over the closing credits.

RATING: 7 out of 10 squirtguns

SPOOK-O-METER: 5 out of 10 - lots of gnarly vampires.