“Alright ramblers, let’s get rambling.” – Seth Gecko. Austin, Texas mainstay Robert Rodriguez breezed into Los Angeles this weekend for a 30th anniversary screening of 1996’s From Dusk Till Dawn at the Academy Museum. Special F/X guru Robert Kurtzman hired a young Quentin Tarantino to write the screenplay and it became a hot property after Rodriguez splashed with El Mariachi then Desperado while Tarantino’s Reservoir Dogs and Pulp Fiction showcased them as two of the 90’s hottest new talents.
The story of Seth and Richard Gecko, criminal brothers heading to Mexico who get waylaid by vampires south of the border, Dusk confused audiences with its stark transition from a dusty and gritty crime/kidnapping thriller to a monsters and gore filled night of survival. I’ve always loved the flick and watching it on the big screen was even more impressive how stark, funny and violent it is with everyone taking it seriously. Especially Harvey Keitel as former pastor Jacob, who is kidnapped along with his kids to cross the border. Rodriguez introduced the film and called out frequent collaborator Danny Trejo in the audience. After the film, Rodriguez shared a few anecdotes about meeting Tarantino on the film festival circuit, becoming fast friends and teaming up on Dusk.
A creative and technical whiz, Rodriguez opted to perform with his band Chingon vs sit down for a traditional Q&A. Telling stories between songs with clips from Desperado, Dusk, Kill Bill and more playing on the big screen, it was definitely a unique night at the movies. Rodriguez shared how he added more Mexican flair to the script by casting Salma Hayek, Cheech Marin and Danny Trejo along with giving the vampires some Aztec lore. Always strumming a guitar on set, Rodriguez dug into how music can help develop characters and become central to the story. After the set, Rodriguez and Chingon hit the lobby to sign memorabilia and merch. Maybe even more impressive was that he was going to do this all again the next day for a matinee of Spy Kids.