From Dusk Till Dawn 3 - The Hangman's Daughter (DVD)

The From Dusk Till Dawn Trilogy is something I proudly own in my 190+ DVD collection.

- From Dusk Till Dawn 1, has to be one of my favourite films of all time (top 10), I absolutely love it and must have seen the film over 10 times!!

- From Dusk Till Dawn 2: Texas Blood Money, is something I rented out with great enthusiasm, after seeing the first – sadly I must say, I was extremely, extremely disappointed. The second ...
...the trilogy upon its release, From Dusk Till Dawn 3: The Hangman’s Daughter. I can gladly say that this was a dramatic improvement from the second; it did have better characters in and it did have a higher budget.

Nevertheless I do not think any From Dusk Till Dawn film, past or present, could beat the first. I believe this because the original was so different, the storyline and the ideas had never been seen before, and you could ... more

The From Dusk Till Dawn Trilogy is something I proudly own in my 190+ DVD collection.

- From Dusk Till Dawn 1, has to be one of my favourite films of all time (top 10), I absolutely love it and must have seen the film over 10 times!!

- From Dusk Till Dawn 2: Texas Blood Money, is something I rented out with great enthusiasm, after seeing the first – sadly I must say, I was extremely, extremely disappointed. The second instalment to the trilogy reeks of a pathetically low budget, as you can see, most of the film was made very cheap.

- After seeing the second, I have no idea why, but I rented out the third of the trilogy upon its release, From Dusk Till Dawn 3: The Hangman’s Daughter. I can gladly say that this was a dramatic improvement from the second; it did have better characters in and it did have a higher budget.

Nevertheless I do not think any From Dusk Till Dawn film, past or present, could beat the first. I believe this because the original was so different, the storyline and the ideas had never been seen before, and you could not of improved the pace and timing of the movie, it was a perfect new breed of vampire films. Now any sequel just seems drawn out.

However, From Dusk Till Dawn 3 was not a total failure and after giving a brief background to the first two films of the trilogy I will do my best to write my tenth review on it!
(Like I have mentioned before, I may spoil some vital plot points or surprises so if you have not seen any of the films I review, so if you don’t want to know what happens then do not continue reading my review.)

From Dusk Till Dawn 1
The best and most original of the series, this sees the great ‘Robert Rodriguez’ (El Mariachi, Desperado, Once upon a time in Mexico, Spy Kids…etc), direct the movie with great passion. Whilst my all time favourite ‘Quentin Tarantino’ (Reservoir Dogs, Pulp Fiction, Jackie Brown and recent hit Kill Bill) wrote and produced the feature. Two great film – makers working together was a guaranteed hit from the start even though a-little…. different!!

This brutal blood fest also comes with George Clooney, (Out of Sight, Ocean’s 11, Welcome to Collinwood), Quentin Tarantino (actually starring as a lead role), the great Harvey Keitel (Reservoir Dogs, Copland, Thelma and Louise), Danny Trejo (Desperado, Spy Kids, Heat, Con Air) and Juliette Lewis (Natural Born Killers, Starsky and Hutch, Enough). One Hell of Cast!!

The film itself is equally as good, having the beginning scene at a petrol station where run-away convicts Seth (Clooney) and Richard (Tarantino) get into a cool but brutal first gun fight, walking away as the station explodes. The two brothers are on the run from the general surrounding police forces and the FBI for being known as killers and bank robbers. From the beginning of the film they have already made a plan to get across the border into Mexico to meet and pay their connection for the stay in ‘EL Ray’ (Mexico). To get across the border, the pair hijacks a family camper van – along with the family!! (Father – Keitel, Daughter – Lewis and Son – Ernest Lui).
The brothers use the family to very narrowly get across the border and into Mexico, now they have to wait until dawn to meet their connection Carlos (Cheech Marin – Desperado, Once upon a time in Mexico). Promising in the morning they will let the family go, unharmed.

To pass the night they stop at Mexican biker/trucker bar ‘The Titty Twister’. Once in, the camera exposes the many topless pole-dancing strippers all around the room. In this rambunctious, loud drunken bar, the family and the two brothers start to drink the night away – along with the majority of bikers and truckers stopping over night. The Bar is open From Dusk Till Dawn.

After Seth gets into a fight with a nearby trucker…Suddenly ……… the doors to the bar lock and every stripper in the bar turns into bloodthirsty vampires. Heads and Legs, limbs and Torso’s are flying across the room, vampires tearing raw, chunks of flesh off bikers and truckers – every man has to defend himself. They were waiting for dawn, now, they have to survive till dawn’.

If you hadn’t heard about this film before you watched it, you would have been totally shocked by the absolute carnage of the last three quarters of an hour. I think the movie is special due to the totally different two sides of the film. One half being a crime drama, and then suddenly turning into a brutal vampire horror. You do not often find a film with such uniqueness as this!!
A brilliant film – a must see and must own!! I am forced to give this film 10 out of 10.!!.!!
Certificate: 18 Director: Robert Rodriguez Writer/ Producer: Quentin Tarantino
Year Made: 1996 Length: 108 Minutes – 1 hour and 48 Minutes. Location: U.S.A.

From Dusk Till Dawn 2: Texas Blood Money
The second Instalment to the trilogy was a failure, it did not do well at the box office and it did not do well at the video library – a definite one to miss. Although, I don’t why but Quentin Tarantino, produced From Dusk Till Dawn 2, spending a lot of time with the movie.

However, Robert Rodriguez did not direct it. This time it was Scott Speigel in the director’s chair with script by Scott Speigel and Boaz Yakin – None of which have done any remember-able films, although Boaz Yakin has wrote a script for Dirty Dancing 2.

The cast of the film was also nothing to remember, with leading roles from roughly known Danny Trejo (From Dusk Till Dawn 1, Heat, Con Air), Raymond Cruz and Robert Patrick (The Faculty).
The general story line is about a group of retired convicts who plan on a great bank robbery for ‘One Last Time’. Like the last film this is set in Mexico, where on the way to their robbery, one of the team turns into a vampire, who only makes his move once the robbery has begun. Slowly the group turn one by one, leaving only one of the convicts untouched (I will not say who, as it would spoil the only plot point in the movie)!

At a desperate chance of escape the remaining con runs out of the bank, followed by his demented satanic team, where there is a whole police force waiting. Trying to copy the unexpected carnage of the original, again there is about three quarters of an hour battle between cops and vampire turned convicts. This is not even enjoyable to watch. The film was made on an extremely low budget, where the characters, plot points and music was all poor. A complete opposite to it’s first.

When it can, the movie stretches its use of the camera, by over doing scenes and false- tense moments.
I give this film 2 out 10 for the violence, although cheap and badly staged.
Certificate: 18 Director: Scott Speigel Writer: Scott Speigel and Boaz Yakin
Year made: 1999 Length: 88 Minutes – 1 hour and 28 Minutes Location: U.S.A.

From Dusk Till Dawn 3: The Hangman’s Daughter
Luckily, the third instalment of the trilogy can be given some credit, which is why I am writing a review on it. Although, as not as good as the 1996 original, it is a whole lot better than the second.

Here Robert Rodriguez returned to the trilogy by giving a storyline for it, to his brother Álvaro Rodríguez who then adapted it into a screenplay titled, ‘From Dusk Till Dawn 3: The Hangman’s Daughter’.

The budget was obviously a lot higher than the second and the performance by the characters was better, although not well known. This time in the director’s chair was: P.J. Pesce, who isn’t remembered for doing anything great, nevertheless he did a good job here. Mentioned above the script was written by Robert Rodriguez and Álvaro Rodríguez . Quentin Tarantino also produced this third instalment previous to the past two.

Marco Leonardi (Once upon a time in Mexico) is one of the leading roles, as well as Michael Parks (From Dusk Till Dawn 1, Kill Bill 1 &2), Temuera Morrison (Star Wars: Episode II & III, Speed 2, Six days and Seven nights, Vertical Limit), Rebecca Gayheart (Scream 2, Nothing to Loose), Ara Celi (American Beauty, Bruce Almighty) and Danny Trejo (From Dusk Till Dawn 1&2, Heat, Con Air).
Although not A – Class, the cast is not that bad.

I am a big fan of westerns and I love the opening Introduction to From Dusk Till Dawn 3. The past two films have been modern day horror, but this one is set 100 years before the original, making the trilogy link up and making the film interesting and giving it a bit of authenticity.

Common thief Johnny Madrid (Leonardi) is getting ready to be hung in the opening sequence, who, coincidently having a grudge against the hangman! As he drops, the rope is shot and the scene turns into a ten-minute gory western gun battle, as he makes his escape on a horse. (A good scene.)

After killing the man who set him up, he gets back with his gang (being the lead) and makes off with the hangman’s daughter – Esmeralda (Ara Celi) that insisted she goes with him in the escape sequence at the beginning of the movie. However, the Hangman (Temuera Morrison) knows she has a secret to hide, so he along with a group of his men, sets off to kill his daughter and the crew she rides with!!
To add to the mix, a young boy (Jordana Spiro) who shot the rope to save thief, Johnny Madrid (Leonardi), wants also be a known killer/thief, so also follows Johnny Madrid.

Everyone seems to be chasing everyone, until Madrid and his gang find a place to stop overnight in a Mexican type saloon. (This happens to be the ‘Titty Twister’ 100 years prior the original.)
I believe that From Dusk Till Dawn 3 is in a way, a type of evaluation to the series. This film is trying to tell us how the ‘Titty Twister’ and its inhabitants came about.

I did not mention in my above review that in ‘From Dusk Till Dawn 1’ George Clooney – manages to kill the leading princess of the vampire crew, during the manic end battle. From Dusk Till Dawn 3 – also shows us the background roots and creation of how that same princess became the princess.
It is later is revealed that the Hangman’s daughter Madrid picked up is the vampire princess, although she doesn’t know. Only her father knows as he slept with the queen vampire unintentionally, who later gave birth to her. He has tried to keep the secret from her, her whole life – which is why now she is drawn to her birthplace – he has to kill her!!

It ends up with every character inside the ancient ‘Titty Twister’, where similar to the original there is a battle of carnage. This is still not as exciting as the first, but every-part of it – including the last battle is better that the first sequel.

The film is a brilliant evaluation to the trilogy, with the characters performing reasonably well and the budget allowing some decent special effects and enjoyable violence.
A good film.

Background to the movie
Like I have mentioned the director of this feature was P.J. Pesce, who did a very good job at directing one of his first films. I feel that it is also good that Quentin Tarantino stuck with producing the whole
trilogy, even after the flop of Texas Blood Money. So the Quentin Tarantino produced this feature.
The Screenplay was written by Rodriguez brothers: Robert and Álvaro Rodríguez.

The film was certificated as 18, like the two previous movies. The film was made in the year 2000, just one year after the second instalment. The length of the film is: 94 Minutes – 1 hour and 34 Minutes.

It was filmed all in America and spoken in English.

The budget was reasonably high and, From Dusk Till Dawn 3 – did actually reach the cinema, although for only under two weeks. The movie made most of its money at the video store.

I did say about the trilogy I own, which is available from most good DVD retailers, but if you mainly want From Dusk Till Dawn 3 – it is sold separately.
I purchased my trilogy from HMV, but I will not give details on it, as it does not appear to be sold online Ciao!! (I gather that you are not allowed to review products not sold at Ciao.)

The single From Dusk Till Dawn 3 DVD is also sold at regional HMV stores (as well as many other DVD retailers.) This includes: -
1 disc,
Wide-screen option,
Dolby digital surround sound,
Subtitles and Language Selection. (Neither 2 or 3 have many special Features.

This film did not win any awards.

Evaluation
A very good comeback from the terrible first sequel – but still not up to the standards of the original comic horror. I did thoroughly enjoy this feature, combining two of my favourite genres together – Action/Horror and Western.

I felt it was good to have Robert Rodriguez and Tarantino slightly involved again, similar to the first (Although this time Rodriguez wrote it this time.)

The film had some action and horror and times kept you on the edge of your seat. I have said it is not as good as the 1996 original but it is definitely worth watching and maybe even owing.

The budget, it was obviously done with a bit more expenditure than the second, due to the fact that the violence is better portrayed and doesn’t look so cheap and tacky.

All in all the film is very enjoyable, I would watch again and to recommend it to horror fans. I give this film 7 out of 10!!

Tanks for reading!

Christian….
 

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