From Dusk Till Dawn (1996)

Country of Origin: USA
Year of Production: 1995
Running Times: 108 mins
Length: 3076 metres
Format: Technicolor     35mm
Ratio: 1.85:1
Sound: Dolby     SDDS

CREDITS

PRODUCTION
Production Companies: A Band Apart / Dimension Films / Los Hooligans Productions / Miramax Films
Executive Producers: Lawrence Bender, Quentin Tarantino, Robert Rodriguez
Producers: Gianni Nunnari, Meir Teper
Co-Producers: Elizabeth Avellan, John Esposito, Paul Hellerman, Robert Kurtzman
Production Manager: Paul Hellerman
Unit Production Manager: Luz María Rojas
Production Coordinator: Dawn Todd

SCRIPT
Script: Quentin Tarantino
Story: Robert Kurtzman

DIRECTION
Director: Robert Rodriguez
1st Assistant Director: Douglas Aarniokoski
2nd Assistant Director: Brian Bettwy
2nd 2nd Assistant Director: Dieter 'Dietman' Busch

PHOTOGRAPHY
Director of Photography: Guillermo Navarro
Camera Operators: Guillermo Navarro, Robert Rodriguez
Steadicam Operator: Robert Rodriguez
Additional Steadicam Operator: David Chameides
1st Assistant Camera: Ziad Doueiri
2nd Assistant Camera: Camille Freer, Timothy Kane
Assistant Camera: Timothy James Kane
Camera Loader: David E. Berryman
Gaffer: Eric S. Foster
Electrician: Heather M. Hillmeyer
Best Boys Electric: Andrew T. Watts, Nathan Hathaway
Key Grip: Rick Stribling
Grips: Jason 'Jake' Cross, Jose Ricardo 'Stickshift' Martinez
Dolly Grip: Bob Ivanjack
Colour Timer: David Orr
Stills: Joyce Rudolph
Lab: Technicolor

EDITING AND POST-PRODUCTION
Editor: Robert Rodriguez
1st Assistant Editor: Daniel Fort
Assistant Editor: Ethan Maniquis
Post-Production Supervisor: Tamara Smith
Negative Cutter: Mo Henry

MUSIC
Music: Graeme Revell
Orchestrator: Tim Simonec
Songs: Dave Alvin (Dark Night); Tina Larriva, Steven Huffstater (After Dark; Angry Cockroaches); David Vaught (Texas Funeral); Buddy Guy (Mary Had A Little Lamb); Bill Carrier, Ruth Elliott Ellsworth (Willie The Pimp (And His Cadillac Coffin)); Jimmie Vaughn (Dengue Woman Blues; Jimmie's Jam); ZZ Top (Mexican Blackbird; She's Just KIlling Me); George Tomasco (Torquay); Tina Larriva (Opening Boxes); Raul Hain, Evan York (Foolish Heart)
Songs Performed By: The Blasters (Dark Night); Tito and Tarantula (After Dark; Angry Cockroaches; Opening Boxes); Joe Wayne (Texas Funeral); Stevie Ray Vaughn and Double Trouble (Mary Had A Little Lamb; Willie The Pimp ((And His Cadillac Coffin)); Jimmie Vaughn (Dengue Woman Blues; Jimmie's Jam); ZZ Top (Mexican Blackbird; She's Just KIlling Me); The Leftovers (Torquay); The Mavericks (Foolish Heart)
Music Supervisors: Mary Ramos, Michelle Kuznetsky
Music Sound Design: Brian Williams
Score Mixer: Dan Wallin
Scoring Mixer: Wolfgang Amadeus
Music Editor: Joshua Winget
Music Consultants: Chuck Kelley, Mary Ramos

SOUND
Sound Designer: Brian Williams
Production Sound Mixer: Mark Ulano
Boom Operators: Gloria Cooper, Patrushkha Mierzwa
Re-Recording Mixers: Robert Rodriguez, Sergio Reyes
Supervising Sound Editor: Dean Beville
Sound Editor: Greg Hedgepath
Assistant Sound Editor: Bob Wishnefsky
Dubbing Recordist: Tim Gomillion
Dialogue Editor: Frank Smathers
Sound Effects Designer: Charles Maynes
Sound Effects Editors: Charles E. Smith, Rob Nokes, William Jacobs
Foley Mixer: Robert Deschaine
Foley Artists: Solange Boisseau, Scott Curtis
Foley Walkers: Laura Macias, Sean Rowe
Cable Person: Christopher Sposa
Dolby Stereo Sound Consultant: Thom 'Coach' Ehle

COSTUMES AND MAKE-UP
Key Make Up: Ermahn Ospina
Assistant Make Up: Don Malot, Heidi Grotsky
Key Hair: Ermahn Ospina
Hair For George Clooney: Waldo Sanchez
Assistant Hair: Don Malot
Costume Designer: Graciela Mazón
Costume Supervisor: Jacqueline Aronson

SPECIAL MAKE UP EFFECTS
Make Up Effects Supervisors: Greg Nicotero, Howard Berger, Robert Kurtzman
Make Up Effects Designer: John Bisson
Make Up Effects Coordinator: Kamar Bitar
Make Up Effects: Norman Cabrera, Mark Alfrey
Make Up Effects Shop Foreman: Shannon Shea

SPECIAL EFFECTS
Mechanical / Pyro Effects: Bellissimo / Belardinelli Effects Inc
Mechanical Effects Coordinator: T. 'Brooklyn' Bellissimo
Mechanical Effects: Larry Odien
Animatronic Technician: Hal Miles
Animatronic Electronics: Alan McFarland
Special Effects Sculptor: Evan Campbell

VISUAL EFFECTS
Digital Imagery / Compositing: The Post Group
CGI Bat Visual Effects: VIFX
3D Custom Bat Datasets: Viewpoint Datalabs International
Visual Effects Executive Producer: Mark Franco
Visual Effects Producer: Josh R. Jaggars
Visual Effects Supervisors: John C. Wash, Daniel Fort, Diana Dru Botsford
Visual Effects Coordinator: Rochelle Gross
Visual Effects Director: Diana Dru Botsford
Visual Effects: Morris May
Visual Effects Animator: Gina Warr
Pre-Visualization Artist: Gina Warr
Matte Painting: Illusion Arts Inc
Matte Artists: Mike Wassel, Karen deJong
1st Assistant Director: David Rimer
Director of Photography: James Belkin
Gaffer: Brian Louks
Electrician: Jose Ricardo 'Stickshift' Martinez
Key Grips: John 'JW' Warner, Kevin Wadowski
Script Supervisor: Rochelle Gross
Titles and Opticals: Cinema Research Corporation

DESIGN AND SET CONSTRUCTION
Production Designer: Cecilia Montiel
Art Director: Mayne Schuyler Berke
Assistant Art Director: Adam Lustig
Set Designer: Colin De Rouin
Set Decorator: Felipe Fernández del Paso
Set Dresser: Paul Dowler
Buyer: Jennie Harris
Property Masters: Caylah Eddleblute, Steve Joyner
Prop Maker: Bruce Harris
Construction Coordinator: Brian Markey
Paint Foreman: Chris Barnes
Sculptor: Alex Bogartz
Art Department Coordinator: Abigail Sheiner
Lead Man: Chris Carriveau

MISCELLANEOUS
Script Supervisor: Lou Ann Quast
1st Assistant Accountant: Venus Ventura
Office Production Assistant: Geoff Hale
Assistant to George Clooney: Amy Minda Cohen
Dialect Coach: Jon Sperry
Dog Trainers: Alvin Mears, Chandra Marrs, Nicholas Toth
Snake Trainer: Jules Sylvester
Transportation Coordinator: Derek 'Speed' Raser
Drivers: George E. Sack Jr, Paul Burlin
Special Weapons Designer: Steve Joyner
Snake Dance Choreographer: Salma Hayek (uncredited)

LOCATIONS
Locations: Austin, Texas, USA; Barstow, California, USA; Lancaster, California, USA; Los Angeles, California, USA; Redmond, Washington, USA; Seattle, Washington, USA
Location Manager: Robert E. Craft
Assistant Location Manager: Douglas Dresser

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Special Thanks: Scott Spiegel

STUNTS
Stunt Coordinator: Steve Davison
Stunt Double For George Clooney: Troy Robinson
Stunts: Anita Hartshorn, Bennie E. Moore Jr, Billy H. Hooker, Billy 'William' Lucas, Erik L. Rondell, Hugh Aodh O'Brien, Jeffrey Imada, Jennifer J. Caputo, Randall J. Hall, Robert F. Brown, Steve Davison, Thomas Huff, Tim Davison, Timothy P. Trella, Troy T. Brown, Buddy Joe Hooker, Chad Randall, Dana Hee, Danny Rogers, Eddie L. Watkins, Frank Torres, Freddie Hice, Gary McLarty, Gregory Nicotero, Henry Kingi, Lance Gilbert, Manny Perry, Matt Johnston, Matt Johnstone, Michele Burkett, Nadine Grycan, Richie Gaona, Robin Lynn Bonaccorsi, Rosine 'Ace' Hatem, Scott Wilder, Spice Williams, Steve Holladay, Tom Harper, Troy Gilbert, Troy Robinson, William H. Burton

CASTING
Casting Assistant: Mary Jane Lavacca
Extras Casting: Rainbow Casting, Jeff Olan

CAST
Harvey Keitel (Jacob Fuller)
George Clooney (Seth Gecko)
Quentin Tarantino (Richard Gecko)
Juliette Lewis (Kate Fuller)
Ernest Liu (Scott Fuller)
Salma Hayek (Santanico Pandemonium)
Cheech Marin (border guard / Chet Pussy / Carlos)
Danny Trejo (Razor Charlie)
Tom Savini (Sex Machine)
Fred Williamson (Frost)
Michael Parks (Texas Ranger Earl McGraw)
Brenda Hillhouse (Hostage Gloria)
John Saxon (FBI Agent Stanley Chase)
Marc Lawrence (old timer motel owner)
Kelly Preston (Kelly Houge)
John Hawkes (Pete Bottoms)
Tito Larriva (Titty Twister guitarist and vocalist)
Peter Atanasoff (Titty Twister saxophonist)
Johnny 'Vatos' Hernandez (Titty Twister drummer)
Aimee Graham (blonde hostage)
Heidi McNeal (red-headed hostage)
Ernest M. Garcia (Big Emilio)
Gregory Nicotero (Sex Machine's buddy)
Cristos (Danny)
Mike Moroff (Manny)
Michelle Berube, Neena Bidasha, Veena Bidasha, Ungela Brockman, Madison Clark,
María Díaz, Rosalia Hayakawa, Janine Jordae, Jacque Lawson, Houston Leigh, Janie Liszewski, Tia Texada, Annette Harper (uncredited) (bar dancers)
Jon Fidele, Michael McKay, Jake McKinnon, Josh Patton, Walter Phelan, Wayne Toth, Henrik von Ryzin (monsters)
Lawrence Bender (man in diner - uncredited)

PLOT SUMMARY

Brothers Seth and Richie Gecko are on the lam, Richie having sprung his beloved bother from jail. Heading for the Mexico border, the boys wreak mayhem in a roadside convenience store and have the combined forces of Texan law and order on their tails. When the sexually deviant and deeply repellant Richie rapes and murders their hostage, Seth arranges to abduct faithless minister Jacob and his children, Kate and adopted son Scott and have them drive their RV across the border to The Titty Twister, a seedy trucker and biker hangout where the Gecko's are planning to meet their contact at dawn. Once inside the Twister, however, and hypnotised by the seductive allure of demonic dancer Santanico Pandemonium the reluctant travellers realise too late that the bar caters to a very special clientele - vampires.

CAPSULE REVIEW

The result is a brutal, schizophrenic but undeniably fun monster romp the likes of which just hadn't been seen in too many years. Unlike so many of the late 80s horror comedies that came so close to bringing the genre to its knees, From Dusk Till Dawn never plays the monsters purely for laughs - the humour stems from the wildly inventive (if rather desperate) measures adopted by the increasingly beleagured humans to defend themselves. The vampires are truly spectacular and hideous creatures, effortlessly morphing from scraggy bikers or sensuous lap dancers into deformed creatures not a million miles from the bat like creature seen in Francis Ford Coppola's woeful Bram Stoker's Dracula (1992). Messy, inconsistent but altogether a splendid and often hysterical romp through some of the best and worst of the genre's many excesses.

AVAILABILITY

Brazil
Video Distributors: Vídeo Arte

Canada
Theatrical Distributors: Alliance Atlantis Communications

Germany
Theatrical Distributors: Scotia Deutschland
Video Distributors: BMG Video

Portugal
Theatrical Distributors: Filmes Castello Lopes

Spain
Theatrical Distributors: Laurenfilm S.A.

UK
Laserdisc Distributors: Encore (EE 1178)
DVD Distributors: Dimension Home Video (D888199)

USA
Theatrical Distributors: Dimension Films
Video Distributors: Buena Vista Home Video
Laserdisc Distributors: Dimension (12160 AS); Dimension (9474 AS); Dimension (8016 AS)
DVD Distributors: Dimension Home Video (14373); Dimension Home Video (Special Edition 18631)

CENSORSHIP HISTORY

Australia
Rating: R

Belgium
Rating: KNT

Canada
Rating: R

Chile
Rating: 18

Denmark
Rating: 15

Finland
Rating: K-18

France
Rating: -16

Germany
Rating: 18 (nf)

Hong Kong
Rating: III

Iceland
Rating: 16

Ireland
Rating: banned; 18

Italy
Rating: VM18

Netherlands
Rating: 16

Norway
Rating: 18

Portugal
Rating: M/16

Spain
Rating: 18

Sweden
Rating: 15

UK
Rating: 18

USA
Rating: R (for strong violence and gore, language and nudity)

AWARDS

1996
Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror Films, USA (Saturn Awards)
Best Actor (George Clooney) – best actor
Best Horror Film – best actor

Amsterdam Fantastic Film Festival, Netherlands
Scream Award (Robert Rodriguez) - winner

MTV Movie Awards, USA
Best Breakthrough Performance (George Clooney) - winner

1997
International Horror Guild, USA
Best Movie - nominated

Razzie Awards, USA
Worst Supporting Actor (Quentin Tarantino) - nominated

TIMELINE

1995
June
Day Unknown: USA – filming begins

August
Day Unknown: USA – filming ends

1996
January
19: Canada, USA – theatrical release
17: Spain – theatrical release
18: Australia – theatrical release
26: Brazil – theatrical release

May
9: Hong Kong – theatrical release
31: UK – theatrical release

June
14: Denmark, Mexico – theatrical release
15: Japan – theatrical release
26: France – theatrical release

July
4: Germany – theatrical release
12: Norway – theatrical release
26: Sweden – theatrical release

August
2: Finland – theatrical release

September
5: Slovenia – theatrical release

October
27: Morocco – theatrical release

November
1: South Africa – theatrical release
8: Poland – theatrical release
20: USA - laserdisc release (Dimension (9474 AS); Dimension (8016 AS))

1997
January
3: Italy – theatrical release
31: Portugal – theatrical release

February
6: Hungary – theatrical release

June
13: UK - laserdisc release (Encore (EE 1178))

1998
June
16: USA - DVD release (Dimension Home Video (14373))

August
5: USA - laserdisc release (Dimension (12160 AS))

September
5: South Korea – theatrical release

November
9: UK - DVD release (Dimension Home Video (D888199))

2000
October
3: USA - DVD release (Dimension Home Video (Special Edition 18631))

POSTER TAGS

Vampires. No Interviews.

From Quentin Tarantino. From Robert Rodriguez. From Dusk Till Dawn

The Showdown is on

One night is all that stands between them and freedom. But it's going to be a hell of a night.

How far can Too Far go?

ALTERNATIVE TITLES

Aberto Até de Madrugada - Portugese title
Abierto hasta el amanecer - Spanish title
Alkonyattól pirkadatig - Hungarian title
Dal tramonto all'alba - Italian title
Del crepúsculo al amanecer - Argentinian / Venezuelan title
Hämärästä aamunkoittoon - Finnish title
La nuit la plus longue - French Canadian title
Obert fins a la matinada - Catalan Spanish title
Od mraka do zore - Slovenian title
Od zmierzchu do switu - Polish title
Um Drink No Inferno - Brazilian title
Une nuit en enfer - French title

LINKS

SEQUELS
From Dusk Till Dawn 2: Texas Blood Money (1999)
From Dusk Till Dawn 3: The Hangman's Daughter (2000)

FOOTAGE INCLUDED IN
Full Tilt Boogie (1997)
Hollywood Goes to Hell (2000)

SEE ALSO
Dogma (1999)
Evil Dead II (1987)
From Dusk Till Dawn (2001)
Night of the Living Dead (1968)

REFERENCES

NEWSPAPERS

A Capital 31 January 1997 (Portugal)
review (by Francisco Perestrello)

Diario de Noticias 2 February 1997 (Portugal)
review (by Eurico De Barros)

Diário de Notícias 12 June 1999 p.55 (Portugal)
review

Diario de Noticias, Programas 31 January 1997 (Portugal)
review (by Joao Antunes)

Expresso, Cartaz 1 February 1997 (Portugal)
review (by Manuel Cintra Ferreira)

Svenska Dagbladet 26 July 1996 (Sweden)
review (Vampyrklimp i blodsoppa by Elisabeth Sörenson)

MAGAZINES

Cinefantastique June 1996 pp.42, 60 (USA)
illustrated article

Dark Star no.13 p.14 (UK)
review

Empire June 1996 pp.26-27 (UK)
illustrated review (by Mark Salisbury)

Empire July 1996 p.10 (UK)
note

epd Film vol.13 no.7 (1 July 1996) p.48 (Germany)
review (by Hans Schifferle)

Femme Fatales March 1996 pp.51-55, 60 (USA)
illustrated article

Film Review June 1996 p.20 (UK)
illustrated review (by Anwar Brett)

Film Threat April 1996 pp.18-19 (USA)
illustrated review

FilmMagasinet July 1996 p.59 (Norway)
review (by Kathrine Kristiansen)

Imágenes May 1996 p.116 (Spain)
review (by Ruiz De Villalobos)

Première July 1996 p.33 (France)
review (by Jean-Yves Katelan)

Shivers no.30 pp.40-42 (UK)
illustrated article

Studio July / August 1996 p.20 (France)
review (by Patrick Fabre)

Video Watchdog no.35 pp.15-16 (USA)
review

KEYWORDS

crossbows, decapitation, fugitives, gore, hostages, mexico, preachers, psychopaths, racism, rape, severed heads, shapeshifters, sieges, splatter, strippers, the supernatural, texas rangers, twist endings, vampires

Last Updated: 15 October, 2008