Alright folks, perhaps you hated the first one, if you did, why are you reading this. This is for all us DUSK TILL DAWNERS and this sounds pretty good. Personally I hope we all get to see this sucker (yes that was a bad pun) on the big screen instead of straight to the lil one, but well, I guess that's up to Uncle Bob over at Dimension. So... whaddaya say Bob? We want Blood... We Want Guts! We Want Monsters!!!
I Just got back from seeing the first test screening of From Dusk
Till Dawn: Hangman's Daughter, and I must say as far as sequels and
prequels go it wasn't half bad. The film opens with Michael Parks
playing the legendary historical journalist Ambrose Bierce. Bierce has
these prophetic hallucinations of what the future holds, including a
sinister night at the Trecherous establishment known as the Titty
Twister. Bierce witnesses an outlaw named Johnny Madrid (Marco Leonardi)
escape his own execution, and kidnap a young woman named Esmarelda. It
turns out that Esmarelda is in fact the executioner's daughter. As
Bierce and a young couple safely flee from the bullets and blood shed
they end up running into Johnny and his band of mercinaries later on.
Through a character called Reece, Johnny is told that Bierce happens to
be carrying some valuebles. When this proves untrue he leaves Bierce and
the couple stranded in the desert. As the group struggles through the
sandy terain under the scortching sun they end up at, Guess where? Any
way the rest is pretty cut and dried, all of the characters end up at
the Titty Twister to be the guests of honor at a vamp blood buffet,
however some interesting tit bits are revealed about the origin of these
vampires, and Salma Hayek's character from the origional. (Now played by
Ara Celi Lopez) The characters in this film aren't the slightest bit
empathetic, and are all in one way or another morally bankrupt, which
ironically makes them as bad as the vampires. Danny Trejo also returns
as Razor Charlie but his character is barely used.
The Titty Twister itself looks a lot more sinister and malevolent
than it did in the first one. In this film it resembles a giant Aztec
tomb. K.N.B.'s FX were once again top notch, and P.J. Pesce's direction
was slick and very reminicent of Robert Rodriguez's own Desperado. Now
for the performances:
Michael Parks: Hands down gave the best performance in the whole film.
He plays Bierce with the sardonic charm of a John Carpenter Anti hero,
and is able to retain that composure through the entire film.
Marco Leonardi: This guy is definently reminiscent of a Sergio Leoni
villian, and when you think about it, having a Leoni esq. villian in a
Vampire film is a very cool concept and was done well. However his
character was too unlikeable. At least George Clooney was empathetic.
Rebecca Gayheart: She playes a young vergional newly wed whom gets
cought up with Bierce. Her performance is competant, but the guy playing
her husband sucks so hard he makes a black hole.
Sonia Braga: She playes the vampire princess, and an incredible job she
does. She seductivly slips into the role convincing the audience that
her character means business.
Ara Celi Lopez: Though shes no Salma Hayek (Who could compare?) she
steps into the role vibrently, playing the innocent girl who could turn
on the protagonists at any given time.
Orlando Jones: He easily gives the worst performance in the film, and
his character had no busisness appearing on celluloid at all. He playes
Traylor, the brush salesman who shares an unnescessary tango scene with
Rebecca Gayhart.
One more thing before I go, this screening was intended to see if it
could hold its own in the theatrical market. If it tests well, thats
where its going to go, if it dosen't, it will be sentenced to
direct-tovideo oblivion. I hope that doesn't happen because the only way
to expierience this film is on the big screen.
