Glen here…
What follows is a review of the straight-to-video FROM DUSK ‘TILL DAWN: THE HANGMAN’S DAUGHTER. As if you couldn’t gather from the title, the project is indeed related to FROM DUSK ‘TILL DAWN, Robert Rodriguez’s schizophrenic tale of bad-ass vampires -vs- oddball common-folk in one hell of a sleazy bar. Actually, THE HANGMAN'S DAUGHTER is something of a Prequel.
While not actually directing the project, Rodriguez is indeed involved with the creative process this time around. It should be noted that the version reviewed by REVERB 1000 is *not* the final product of the film. It was temp-tracked (a temporary score...usually made up of selections from other scores...used to determine what *kind* of music a composer should lay down on the final product), and the conclusion of THE HANGMAN’S DAUGHTER has been somewhat re-tooled. Also, the version viewed by Reverb prompted The Powers That Be to throw more money towards the project, making the final edit of the considerably slicker and more refined.
But even *without* the above-mentioned improvements, Reverb seemed to have a great time with FROM DUSK ‘TILL DAWN: THE HANGMAN’S DAUGHTER. Here’s what he had to say:
Well, to get in the Halloween spirit, I decided to sit back and watch From Dusk Till Dawn: Hangman's Daughter. I really cannot divulge my source of the movie, I just figured I should let you know in advance.
Anyways, on to the movie. When I sat down and watched it, I didn't really know what to expect since I really haven't heard too much buzz about it yet. (Before this movie, I also watched John Carpenter's Vampires which I really wasn't too impressed with...the ending kinda stunk and was so abrupt...didn't you think that ((spoiler omitted by Glen))? "Beefy" Baldwin was pretty cool, but I digress...)
As the movie began to roll there was a caption that said it was the director's cut from sometime around July of this year...don't quote me on that though. Let me just tell you this: I really REALLY loved this movie. It's not the best horror flick ever, but probably the best I've seen this year so far...I know you may not think that's saying much after seeing such stinkers such as Urban Legends, Strangelands, and the campy but fun Bride of Chucky. Nevertheless, Hangman's Daughter rocked.
The movie was unfinished in the state that I saw it...some of the special effects shots were labeled "TEMP FX SHOTS", so they ranged from silly bat puppets to some unfinished but still pretty cool CGI shots. All of the blood, gore, and Vampire make-up was in fine form though. (I especially like a scene where a guy is shot in the back of the head with a shotgun...you see the front of his face just explode right off. COOL).
I'm not sure if the music was temporary, but I thoroughly enjoyed the southwestern-y guitar...all was cool except for when the vamps finally go all out...for some reason that asshole Marilyn Manson's song "Beautiful People" was used, it just DID NOT fit. Stick with the instrumentals! Now about the movie itself:
As I said, I really hadn't heard much about this film...the only thing I knew was that it was supposed to tell the story of how Satanica (played by Salma Hayek in the first F.D.T.D.) came to be. This time around, the part is played by the quite lovely and once Miss Texas, Ara Celi. (Some may know her as the Inca Mummy Girl Ampata from an episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. I don't care what anyone says...that show KICKS ASS and doesn't even bother to take any names. Yet again, I digress...)
Ara plays the role perfectly, my only complaint is how small of a role she actually has, considering that she IS the title character. The plot is very reminiscent of the first film's, but that in no way is a bad thing.
SPOILER ALERT!!!! (DO NOT read below if you do not want to know anything about this movie...if you do, then go right ahead)
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Alot of westerny gun fights happen in the beginning and a big ol' chase ensues...you see Satanica (not her name yet, but I forget what she originally starts as) is the daughter of a town's hangman...hence the title of the movie.
She goes to see her father hang an infamous "outlaw" who she is sorta attracted to. She disobeys her father when he tells her to leave...wackiness ensues as someone helps the outlaw escape his hanging. Satanica hops on the outlaw's horse and rides away with him. Lots of cool gunplay in that scene by the way.
Well, the Hangman is not pleased, so he vows to hunt down the outlaw and get his daughter back. At the same time an old guy who's a writer hops in a carriage with a couple of rich bible-totin' religious missionary types...a husband and a wife. (The wife is that Noxema chick from Urban Legends...she is SO much better in this film...TONS better. Still shows no skin though. bummer) The old guy says he's got something valuable for Poncho Villa, so he sets off on his way.
Eventually the outlaw w/Satanica in tow heads out with his cronies to find that guy's carriage and steal whatever valuable he has. More gunplay takes place...the old guy ends up with nothing valuable at all, I think their horses get stolen though.
The outlaws take off into the desert. The old guy and the religious couple take off on foot into the desert. Satanica's father takes off into the desert. Everyone ends up eventually at a dumpy temple-lookin' bar in the middle of the desert...yup, it's the place that eventually becomes the Titty Twister.
Well, tons of cool vampire stuff takes place, everyone wants to kill each other, and the truth about Satanica's heritage is discovered...SO MUCH HAPPENS!!!
I love this film...and Danny Trejo is the Bartender!!! I LOVE IT!!! To say the very least, this film's got a lot happening and a cool story. I'd have to say it's even more gory than J.C.'s Vampires...why was that movie hyped up so much, and nothing has really been said about this terrific film? - reverb_1000
