From Dusk Till Dawn (1996)
Studio: Echo Bridge/Dimension
/Miramax
Theatrical Release: January 19, 1996
Blu Ray Release: May 3, 2011
R
Review by James Klein
I have a very fond memory of seeing this film when it was first released 15 years ago (that hurt writing that). I remember anxiously awaiting to see the writer/director of Pulp Fiction star in a horror film with actors like Harvey Keitel, Fred Williamson, Cheech Marin, and make up master Tom Savini. I read articles in Fangoria magazine about the making of the film and the build up was just too much for this young man to handle. And that opening night, I was blown away by how much fun From Dusk Till Dawn was. The movie was a comic book action film filled with boobs and gore. From beginning to end, I was glued to the movie and couldn't stop smiling. And the film still makes me smile as it is just so much fun to watch.
From Dusk Till Dawn is about two convict brothers that kidnap a family and go across the border and take refuge at a strip club only to find out that the club is owned by vampires. If you haven't seen the film, do yourself a favor and check it out. The movie has a great cast, lots of action, some funny moments, a good soundtrack and one of the last films to include actual make up effects courtesy of KNB Effects. The movie was followed by two direct to DVD sequels that are pointless and very forgettable.
The new blu ray by Echo Bridge has been getting a lot of flack by many reviewers. Critics have complained about the picture quality on this blu ray. Rest assured, it isn't that bad. In fact, I thought the movie looked quite good. The picture is clear and the colors are bright. There is some grain that is heavier during some of the darker scenes but it isn't distracting. The picture though has been cut down to a 1:78 aspect ratio instead of its original 1:85. While I didn't notice too much of a difference, I don't know why this happened and there is no excuse for this mistake. The audio is fine and dialogue is clear. While some of the gun shots sound great, the opening explosion could have been louder. But overall, I wasn't disappointed in the quality of the film.
Now, I own the original laserdisc of From Dusk Till Dawn that included a ton of extras on the disc. There were bloopers, a making of, trailers and a ton of deleted scenes which most were cut because of the MPAA. There are some amazing vampire/monster effects that fans have never seen such as the extended bar fight between the patrons and the vampires. There were a lot more kills that would have been too extreme for 1996 which now seem tame in the world of Saw and Hostel. There was also a great audio commentary track by director Robert Rodriguez that added a lot of history to the making of the film. This blu ray by Echo Bridge gives us none of that. Why? Why not give us all of these great special features? The film has a big following and many fans would love to have this included on the blu ray.
If you don't care about special features and only care about the actual film, then I guess the blu ray is worth a buy as From Dusk Till Dawn looks and sounds just fine. But aside from a chapter menu, that's all you'll get. This is a shame since From Dusk Till Dawn is a great rollercoaster ride and continues to be fun after...gulp...15 years. Sigh...
/MiramaxTheatrical Release: January 19, 1996
Blu Ray Release: May 3, 2011
R
Review by James Klein
I have a very fond memory of seeing this film when it was first released 15 years ago (that hurt writing that). I remember anxiously awaiting to see the writer/director of Pulp Fiction star in a horror film with actors like Harvey Keitel, Fred Williamson, Cheech Marin, and make up master Tom Savini. I read articles in Fangoria magazine about the making of the film and the build up was just too much for this young man to handle. And that opening night, I was blown away by how much fun From Dusk Till Dawn was. The movie was a comic book action film filled with boobs and gore. From beginning to end, I was glued to the movie and couldn't stop smiling. And the film still makes me smile as it is just so much fun to watch.
From Dusk Till Dawn is about two convict brothers that kidnap a family and go across the border and take refuge at a strip club only to find out that the club is owned by vampires. If you haven't seen the film, do yourself a favor and check it out. The movie has a great cast, lots of action, some funny moments, a good soundtrack and one of the last films to include actual make up effects courtesy of KNB Effects. The movie was followed by two direct to DVD sequels that are pointless and very forgettable.
The new blu ray by Echo Bridge has been getting a lot of flack by many reviewers. Critics have complained about the picture quality on this blu ray. Rest assured, it isn't that bad. In fact, I thought the movie looked quite good. The picture is clear and the colors are bright. There is some grain that is heavier during some of the darker scenes but it isn't distracting. The picture though has been cut down to a 1:78 aspect ratio instead of its original 1:85. While I didn't notice too much of a difference, I don't know why this happened and there is no excuse for this mistake. The audio is fine and dialogue is clear. While some of the gun shots sound great, the opening explosion could have been louder. But overall, I wasn't disappointed in the quality of the film.
Now, I own the original laserdisc of From Dusk Till Dawn that included a ton of extras on the disc. There were bloopers, a making of, trailers and a ton of deleted scenes which most were cut because of the MPAA. There are some amazing vampire/monster effects that fans have never seen such as the extended bar fight between the patrons and the vampires. There were a lot more kills that would have been too extreme for 1996 which now seem tame in the world of Saw and Hostel. There was also a great audio commentary track by director Robert Rodriguez that added a lot of history to the making of the film. This blu ray by Echo Bridge gives us none of that. Why? Why not give us all of these great special features? The film has a big following and many fans would love to have this included on the blu ray.
If you don't care about special features and only care about the actual film, then I guess the blu ray is worth a buy as From Dusk Till Dawn looks and sounds just fine. But aside from a chapter menu, that's all you'll get. This is a shame since From Dusk Till Dawn is a great rollercoaster ride and continues to be fun after...gulp...15 years. Sigh...
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