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First up is El Mariachi. This was intended to be made for the spanish video market alone and Rodriguez bankrolled the $7000 production budget by submitting himself for medical tests. The story follows a Mariachi guitar player who arrives in a town looking for work. He finds himself having ... Read review
El Mariachi - All he wants to be is to be a Mariachi like his father his grandfather ... more
before him. But the town he thinks will bring him luck brings only a curse - of deadly mistaken identity. Forced to trade his guitar for a gun the Mariachi is playi...
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EL MARIACHIAll he wants is to be a mariachi, like his father, his grandfather and his ... more
great grandfather before him. But the town he thinks will bring him luck brings only a curse - of deadly mistaken identity. Forced to trade his guitar for a gun, the mariachi is playing for his life in this critically-acclaimed film debut from director Robert Rodriguez.DESPERADOAntonio Banderas, Joaquim de Almeida, Salma Hayek, Steve Buscemi, Cheech Marin and Quentin Tarantino star in this stylish shoot-'em-up described as a south-of-the-border Pulp Fiction. Director Robert Rodriguez follows up his legendary debut film, El Mariachi, with this sexy sequel about a mysterious guitar player (Banderas) searching for vengeance against the men who murdered his girlfriend.ONCE UPON A TIME IN MEXICOLeaping back into action, gun-slinging, guitar-toting hero 'El Mariachi' is back in town in ONCE UPON A TIME IN MEXICO, as director Robert Rodriguez delivers the epic final chapter of his pulp Western trilogy. Starring Antonio Banderas, Salma Hayek, Johnny Depp, Mickey Rourke, Eva Mendes, Enrique Iglesias and Willem Dafoe ONCE UPON A TIME IN MEXICO is a full-frontal assault.
El Mariachi - All he wants to be is to be a Mariachi like his father his grandfather ... more
before him. But the town he thinks will bring him luck brings only a curse - of deadly mistaken identity. Forced to trade his guitar for a gun the Mariachi is playing for his life in this critically-acclaimed film debut from director Robert Rodriguez. Desperado - Antonio Banderas Joaquim de Almeida Salma Hayek Steve Buscemi Cheech Marin and Quentin Tarantino star in this stylish shoot -'em - up described as a south-of-the-border Pulp Fiction. Director Robert Rodriguez follows up his legendary debut film El Mariachi with this sexy sequel about a mysterious guitar player (Banderas) searching for vengeance against the men who murdered his girlfriend. Once Upon A Time In Mexico - The saga continues as the Mariachi (Banderas) makes his way across a rugged landscape on the trail of Barrillo (Willem Dafoe) who is planning a coup against the Mexican president. Enlisted by corrupt CIA agent Sands (Johnny Depp) the Mariachi demands retribution and the adventure begins!
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Before Robert Rodriguez'El Mariachi, Mexicans in North American action films were ... more
typically maids, drug dealers or prison inmates. Even if the Cisco Kid was a friend of yours, you handled a dust cloth or a Mac-10 if you lasted in Hollywood longer than a New York minuto.But whenEl Mariachicrossed the border in 1992, things changed. Granted, it still involved a drug lord in a shoot-em-up but this time the good guy was a Mexican.Austin-based Rodriguez madeEl Mariachifor a fistful of pesos and a little help from his friends. He wrote, directed, coproduced, edited and operated the camera. Plus, he assembled a cast that had never acted before to work por nada.Desperadocontinues the outrageous action adventure. Working with a much bigger budget, Rodriguez returns the nameless mariachi to non-stop action. Again thrust into a world he never made, the hero takes his guitar-case arsenal deep into the criminal labyrinth of Bucho (Joaquim de Almeida), el gran chingon of the Mexican drug lords. With an amigo (Steve Buscemi) and a beautiful bookstore owner (Salma Hayek), el mariachi confronts an outrageous cast along the way, including a bartender (Cheech Marin), a drug-deal, pick-up guy (Quentin Tarantino) and the original mariachi (coproducer Carlos Gallardo) as a new-found compa'.Antonio Banderas has the lead this time, and if he's not quite up to the challenge, it's probably because he's Spanish, not Mexican, a distinction not lost by anyone raised on what the popular media now calls "ethnic food."That said,Desperadois not to be missed. Using intelligence, romance and humour--as well as plenty of explosive, surreal violence--Rodriguez again showcases the timeless struggle between the forces of darkness and light. And, in the process, he's recasting the mould for the contemporary action hero--kids now argue about who gets to play the Mexican. --Stephan Magcosta, Amazon.com
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There's plenty of guns and a few explosions as bodies fly through the air and crash into ... more
tables and fruit stands.Once Upon a Time in Mexico, like all Robert Rodriguez movies, is all about the kinetic kick of high-velocity action. Johnny Depp, blasé and whimsical, plays a CIA agent who's drawn guitar-playing gun-slinger Antonio Banderas (long black hair flopping over his face like the ears of a Labrador puppy) into a ridiculously convoluted plot to overthrow the Mexican government. Along for the ride are a craggy-faced rogue's gallery including Willem Dafoe, Mickey Rourke, Danny Trejo, Ruben Blades, and (to balance things out) the smooth, tantalising complexions of Eva Mendes and Salma Hayek. For sheer trashy fun,Once Upon a Time in Mexicois a step down from its predecessor, butDesperadoset the bar pretty high. For coherent storytelling, look elsewhere, but for action razzle-dazzle, this is your movie. Rodriguez's complete trilogy--El Mariachi,DesperadoandOnce Upon a Time in Mexico--can also be found in one DVD box set--Bret Fetzer
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There's plenty of guns and a few explosions as bodies fly through the air and crash into ... more
tables and fruit stands.Once Upon a Time in Mexico, like all Robert Rodriguez movies, is all about the kinetic kick of high-velocity action. Johnny Depp, blasé and whimsical, plays a CIA agent who's drawn guitar-playing gun-slinger Antonio Banderas (long black hair flopping over his face like the ears of a Labrador puppy) into a ridiculously convoluted plot to overthrow the Mexican government. Along for the ride are a craggy-faced rogue's gallery including Willem Dafoe, Mickey Rourke, Danny Trejo, Ruben Blades, and (to balance things out) the smooth, tantalising complexions of Eva Mendes and Salma Hayek. For sheer trashy fun,Once Upon a Time in Mexicois a step down from its predecessor, butDesperadoset the bar pretty high. For coherent storytelling, look elsewhere, but for action razzle-dazzle, this is your movie. Rodriguez's complete trilogy--El Mariachi,DesperadoandOnce Upon a Time in Mexico--can also be found in one DVD box set--Bret Fetzer
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Production Year: 1964 - Action/Adventure - Director: Cyril Endfield - Original Language: English - Classification: Parental Guidance - Starring:Stanley Baker, Jack Hawkins, Ulla Jacobsson, James Booth, Michael Caine, Nigel Green
Production Year: 2002 - Action/Adventure - Director: Vincenzo Natali - Original Language: English - Classification: 15 years and over - Starring:Lucy Liu, David Hewlett, Anne Marie Scheffler, Joseph Scoren, Matthew Sharp, Jeremy Northam
Advantages: great extras, great films Disadvantages: none
...
First up is El Mariachi. This was intended to be made for the spanish video market alone and Rodriguez bankrolled the $7000 production budget by submitting himself for medical tests. The story follows a Mariachi guitar player who arrives in a town looking for work. He finds himself having to trade his guitar for a gun as he becomes caught up in a case of mistaken indentity against a local crime lord. For the tiny budget we get stunts, gunfights, ... ...
When El Mariachi got recognized in Hollywood, rodriguez was a hot talent and proceeded to sign a deal with Columbia pictures. His next project would be Desparado which essentially is El Mariachi but with a bigger budget.
The plot of the movie follows the same kind of themes but this time the mariachi is back in the shape of Antonio Banderas. Also as a result of events in the first fim he is back for vengeance against ... more
Robert Rodriguez is a fully operational film unit in himself. Most directors just sit and direct, some also write. Rodriguez writes, directs, edits, occasionally provides musical score and on his last film Spy Kids he even branched into special effects. This dvd is a showcase of his first two feature films that got him noticed and on the way to $100 million plus box office grosses.
First up is El Mariachi. This was intended to be made for the spanish video market alone and Rodriguez bankrolled the $7000 production budget by submitting himself for medical tests. The story follows a Mariachi guitar player who arrives in a town looking for work. He finds himself having to trade his guitar for a gun as he becomes caught up in a case of mistaken indentity against a local crime lord. For the tiny budget we get stunts, gunfights, humour and a lot of style. Who would have known that this little film would cause so much ehat in Hollywood but it's the little film that could.
The film is presented on dvd in 1.77:1 anamorphic widescreen. As I've said this film is extremely low budget and shot on 16mm film. The film was originally completed on video and the theatrical prints were never up to an amazing standard. So what you have is a very grainy, muddy image. But that's what you'd expect, one man shot and photographed it with primitive lights. It does the job and just adds to the grittyness.
It's also a simple stereo mix for your sound enjoyment. Again this is due to the low budget. Most of the sound was recorded on basic audio cassettes and not much foley work was involved but it serves it's purpose well.
This side of the dvd isn't loaded with extras but what you get is very decent. There's no behind the scenes footage because this was basically a two man crew consisting of cameraman and actor!
'Ten minute film school' is a little feature that shows you how the film was out together for very little money. Rodriguez shows you how he cut the movie simply but with great results and how he pulld off stunts very simply. It's very interesting stuff, of course the kind of stunts achieved are much easier to do in Mexico where things are more laid back law wise!
'Bedhead' is a short film from rodriguez that features some of his sibings. It's an amusing little short with some good ideas. It also shows some of the influence that would later be seen in Spy Kids. The story tells of a sister scaring her brother with some kind of 'Carrie' like powers.
The jewel in the crown however is an audio commentary. Rodriguez gives you every little piece of information on how he made the film with editing, camera lenses, shots, locations and how much things cost. It's amazing stuff and essential listening if you are into making films for a living.
Finally you have the US theatrical trailer.
When El Mariachi got recognized in Hollywood, rodriguez was a hot talent and proceeded to sign a deal with Columbia pictures. His next project would be Desparado which essentially is El Mariachi but with a bigger budget.
The plot of the movie follows the same kind of themes but this time the mariachi is back in the shape of Antonio Banderas. Also as a result of events in the first fim he is back for vengeance against the man who murdered his girlfriend. Along the way we have bigger explosions, exciting gunfights and some great comic performances from the likes of Quentin Tarantino, Cheech Marin and Steve Buscemi.
A bigger budget means a better quality of production. The budget on this movie was $6 million and every penny of it is up on the screen. The film is presented in 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen and the image quality is very solid. The colour levels are very bold and rich and ther's little sign of lemish or soft spots.
This film also has a Dolby Digital 5.1 soundmix and it's very involving. The bass is very deep when the classic explosion hits and the gunfights are flying around your head with the greatest of ease. The dialogue is also very clear throughout.
Like it's reverse side this doesn't have a great deal of extras but what you get is solid stuff.
There is another ten minute film school segment where Rodriguez shows you the rough video footage he shot of the bar room shootout sequence. With the commentary he tells you how he edited the sequence together and the footage pretty much matches what you see in the final cut. Once again it's very intriguing stuff from a film-making perspective.
A selection of music videos from the film follow that are a mix of mexican guitar rock and flemenco feel.
And then Rodriguez proceeds to give you another audio commentary that is full of information about the making of the film and everything that went into making a $6 million dollar budget look like three times that. There's not really much to say that I haven't already said on the El Mariachi opinions earlier.
Finally there is the trailer.
So what else is there to say apart from getting two films for the price of one you're also getting a valuable lesson on film-making and also some kick ass action.
Advantages: Great extras, full of fun and interesting for budding directors Disadvantages: Low budgets make the action a bit basic, El Mariachi is in Spanish!
...side of the disc. El Mariachi was what transformed Rodriguez from small-time director using family as cast and home-town as set to a big Hollywood name, now with the likes of From Dusk Till Dawn and The Faculty under his belt. El Mariachi is the precedent for Desperado, having a similar skeleton story and character that Desperado later picked up. The real achievement of Mariachi is it’s budget. Just $7,000 was made to look like so much more, and ... ...special features that come with El Mariachi / Desperado are worth mentioning. Both films come with a very good feature-length commentary by Rodriguez, a trailer and a ten minute making-of film. There are also music videos, biographies and even one of the director’s early films. Overall, this is a great bundle, and both films are well worth seeing. Desperado has to be the better one, though, being newer and having a bigger budget, and I would recommend ...
Sputnik2000 19.07.2000
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of El Mariachi / Desperado (DVD)
Advantages: Great use of the DVD format, entertaining, enlightening, great value Disadvantages: El Mariachi has English subtitles (not English audio)
...how he made them. El Mariachi was his first film, made on a budget of $8000, and follows the exploits of a travelling guitar-player (a Mariachi) who is mistaken for an escaped convict. In isolation, this film is quite good, but once you learn from Robert himself how he made the film on such a tight budget, you really appreciate it loads. The big-budget sequel Desperado starring Antonio Banderas has far more style and great action, showing how far ... ...commentary is very interesting and entertaining.
Also included on the DVD are two "Ten Minute Film Schools" (one for each film) focusing on a specific scene and how it was made, a short film by Rodriguez called "BedHead" (which is very funny) that marked his entry into the world of film, filmographies and two music videos. For more technical details, look it up on a website.
Overall, this DVD is one of the best in my (large) collection. The bonus ...
thedarkjedi 30.07.2000
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of El Mariachi / Desperado (DVD)
Advantages: Fun, if you're looking for an action flick Disadvantages: Not a patch on the entertainment of El Mariachi
...sequel of the old classic El Mariachi but given the unfortunate Hollywood star and budget, which kills the film off from the start. The previous film had humour as well as a bit of action and was a great comedy of mistaken identity, whereas the new sequel is just a blast ‘em up action flick with a few flashbacks and none of the amusement of the first. In all I can’t say I really enjoyed this film that much and Robert Rodriguez should continue to ...
pabdesign 05.09.2000
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of El Mariachi / Desperado (DVD)
Advantages: El Mariachi Disadvantages: Poor imitation in Desperado
...mediocre.
To my mind, El Mariachi can never be beaten. It was one of the lowest budget films to ever reach a wide audience. If my memory serves me correctly it was made on a shoestring budget of about $500.
It has become a cult classic worldwide - a great achievement for a film in Spanish.
El Mariachi is a tale of mistaken identity. A mariachi (musician) comes to town in search of work and unbeknownst to him, there is a gangster who carries a ... ...the identites get confused, and mass carnage ensues.
Desperao is the modern-day equivalent starring Antonio Banderas. While there are great special effects and lots of shooting, it doesn't live up to the feel of El Mariachi.
It goes to show that money doesn't necessarily make a great film ...
kenigma 20.02.2001
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: helpful Review of El Mariachi / Desperado (DVD)
Advantages: Even with at a price of £20 still bargin for 2 films, a must for any action film fan Disadvantages: El Mariachi not being dubbed in English, and some cheap looking props
...off with the 1st; El Mariachi. I don't know if it is just me, but I found it really irritating that this wasn't at least dubbed over with English, I know there are subtitles but it just isn't quite the same to me. Aside from that it is quite enjoyable, the dream sequences are bizzarre and the guns look a little un-realistic. Only minor defects with the quality of the film, but unavoidable considering the low budget that Robert Rodriguez (director) ... ...I watched this one before El Mariachi and I thought that Desperado was excellent, but then it did have the backing of a studio! (kinda helps!). It's quite funny in places, especially the shoot out scene-very cool ideas with guitar cases. And it builds on the story line that was set up in El Mariachi. Like I mentioned earlier, with major cash behind this one we see explosions (good ones) bigger and meaner looking guns. And more realistic blood squibs ...
bazmansealey 04.05.2001
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: helpful Review of El Mariachi / Desperado (DVD)
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Reviews which might be of interest for "El Mariachi / Desperado (DVD)"
Advantages: Three Great Films One Great Boxset Disadvantages: Pictures on actual DVD discs are same as if bought separatly
ElMariachi
While this is a budget film, one of director Robert Rodriguez's first, this is still a great movie. The whole film is in spanish with English subtitles and many more languages. This film is great for people interested in becoming a director with the director's commentary and 10 minute film school all as special features.
Desperado - Collector's Edition
This DVD is great for as the title may indicate collectors. This DVD is also packed with lots of special features such as Director commentary and "10 more minutes - Anatomy of a shootout".
Once Upon A Time In Mexico
While this film isn't as good as the above two it is also a great DVD for special features with Dierctor's commentar again and 8 deleted scenes and 4 Featurettes.
All in all a very good boxset and brilliant value for money for 3 DVDs as i bought ...
Filmographies, US Theatrical Trailer, Directors Commentary, Music Video, Scene Selection, Ten Minute Film School
Aspect Ratio
1.77 Wide Screen, 1.85 Wide Screen
Sound
Dolby Digital Stereo, Dolby Digital 5.1
Dubbing Sound
Dolby Digital Stereo Latin American Spanish German Dolby Digital 5.1 English German
DVD Description
A DVD twinbill from Robert Rodriguez. EL MARIACHI, the director's Sundance Award-winning indie debut, highlights the un-asked-for adventures of a solitary would-be Mariachi (Carlos Gallardo) whose appearance in a small town sparks a lethal case of mistaken identity. In the big-budget sequel, DESPERADO, the unnamed Mariachi (Antonio Banderas this time) seeks an action-filled showdown with a notorious Mexican druglord and his platoon of henchmen.
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