Review of From Dusk Till Dawn: Collector`s Series (2 Disc Set)

Introduction

After the success of Desperado, Robert Rodriguez and Quentin Tarantino teamed up to make From Dusk `Till Dawn - written by Tarantino with Rodriguez in the director`s chair.

When I first saw this film I got the surprise of my life as what started as a crime/road movie turned into a vampire horror fest about half way through!

To briefly summarise the plot, George Clooney and Quentin Tarantino star as two brothers on the run in Texas after a jailbreak and numerous killings - they`re on their way to Mexico - and nothing is going to stop them. On the way, they hijack a recreational vehicle driven by Harvey Keitel who is taking his family on holiday. The brothers take them hostage and head for the border.

Video

The video is presented in 1.85:1 non-anamorphic widescreen - so you`ve got to reach for the zoom button on your remote control :(

Despite the format, the picture quality is pretty good - there`s some grain during the title sequence but otherwise the image is clean.

Visually the movie is very good, although some of the vampires/blood etc look a bit ropey now – it’s a very stylish picture, with tongue firmly planted in cheek all the way through! The last shot of the rear of the `Titty Twister` does not look good however - very obviously a painting.

Audio

The soundtrack comes in Dolby Digital 5.1 and is of good quality throughout the movie. All of the available channels get a good workout, with good use made of the soundstage.

There`s also plenty of atmosphere created by the soundtrack, the bats are a good example - you can hear them flapping around outside the bar – and when the showdown starts, there’s noise coming from every direction.

Throughout all this the dialogue is clear - although the cop in the opening scene has a rather rough Texas voice, which isn`t too easy to follow at times.

Features

This special edition contains two disks - one for the movie and `traditional` extras, the other for `Full Tilt Boogie` - a feature length behind the scenes documentary.

I sat down to enjoy the film after having inserted disk 1 only to find that the film is on disk 2, which was rather annoying...

There`s a good range of extras, which include a good commentary track from Rodriguez and Tarantino. There are also four featurettes with/without commentary, all of which are interesting, 2 music videos, trailers, deleted scenes and cast/crew bios.

Whilst all of the above is very good, the real gem in this package is `Full Tilt Boogie` which is a departure from the usual backslapping nonsense we get - this is a real behind the scenes documentary, which looks at life on the set, the relationship between the stars and crew and is interesting and amusing. This runs for 1 hour and 40 minutes and is well worth watching.

The movie is packaged in an Amaray style case with an internal tray for the second disc. There`s an inlay card detailing the chapter breaks.

Conclusion

The only niggle with this DVD is the non-anamorphic transfer - the rest is great!

Content wise, it is entertainment from start to finish, although much of the dialogue and action will cause offense to some viewers. The opening speech about retards serving food for example is an exercise in political incorrectness, whilst Cheech`s infamous `pussy` speech is guaranteed to offend! When the vampires show up it`s a gore fest with body parts everywhere! However, if like me you enjoy this sort of film, you’ll not be disappointed!

All the stars play their parts well (three parts in Cheech`s case!) and Tarantino`s script is a masterpiece. Special mention needs to be made of Salma Hayek`s dance in the club...which is jaw dropping.

Good visuals and sound are backed up by superb extras, making this a recommended purchase.