From Dusk Till Dawn: Season One (UK DVD)
Gareth Jones
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Starring D.J. Cotrona, Zane Holtz, Eiza González, Jesse Garcia, Wilmer Valderrama, Robert Patrick
Directed by Robert Rodriguez, Dwight H. Little, Fede Alvarez, Nick Copus, Joe Menendez, Eduardo Sánchez
Distributed by Entertainment One
From the beginning, it seemed like a concept that could quite easily be a total disaster: taking the core story and narrative path of Robert Rodriguez and Quentin Tarantino’s 1996 genre mash-up From Dusk Till Dawn and spreading it out across a full ten-episode television season. Thankfully, a disaster it is not – sufficiently devoted to the source material to remain closely familiar, but packed with enough new and expanded content to make it its own distinct animal.
From Dusk Till Dawn chronicles the exploits of infamous criminal duo Seth (Cotrona) and Richard (Holtz) Gecko, who are forced on the run after a botched bank heist culminates in an explosion-filled shootout with the local police force. Leaving a trail of bodies in their wake as they make their way across the Mexican Border to meet up with their shady ’employer’, Carlos (Valderrama), the boys take Christian preacher Jacob Fuller (Patrick) and his two kids – Kate (Madison Davenport) and Scott (Brandon Soo Hoo) – hostage in an attempt to use their family-style RV as a Trojan horse through checkpoints.
With the worst seemingly behind them, the Geckos and Fullers arrive at the amusingly-titled ‘Titty Twister’ – a biker bar in the middle of the desert that remains open from dusk ’til dawn – and sit down for a few well-earned drinks while awaiting further instruction from Carlos. Unfortunately, the bulk of their troubles have only just begun as it is soon revealed that the bar is in fact just the topmost section of an ancient Aztec temple that serves as the home and feeding ground of a race of vampire-like snake people.
Yes, I said “snake people.”
While the main flow of this particular story’s first time on our screens remains solidly in place here, Rodriguez and Co. have changed a number of things while digging deeper into others – some to greatly pleasing effect and some to needlessly overwrought levels. The aforementioned change from straight-up vampires to snake people (despite Rodriguez’s hints that he originally thought of it that way, the movie’s creatures were distinctly more bat-like) is initially a bitter pill to swallow and in the early stages threatens to undermine proceedings with an overly goofy presentation – but it soon becomes more comfortable in its new skin as the series develops its deeper, fresh mythology.
The character roster is afforded the temporal luxury of the television format for deeper insights into their personalities, and just about every main player gets their time in the sun (not literally, though, depending on their origins). Rather than his tiny bit-part in the original film, the Gecko Bros’ contact, Carlos, is set front and centre as the villain here, their coming together at the ‘Titty Twister’ being just one part of his nefarious plan for domination over not just Seth and Richard, but his own ancient people. As Carlos, Wilmer Valderrama chews up the scenery in a performance that lies just on the wrong side of hammy – obviously having fun with the material, but falling victim to the sporadically wonky script at some of the least appropriate moments.
Much more time is also given to developing the character of sizzling snake-dancer Santanico Pandemonium (González), taking the perspective of her from a seemingly malignant, succubus-like influence on Richard in the early stages through to a rather more sympathetic creature. In fact, one of the largest achievements of this new presentation is the much more intimate relationship between Richard and Santanico – one that stretches back through visions and ethereal visitations to a time much, much farther back than our entry point and serves to better round out the character originally brought to screens by Quentin Tarantino. Rather than simply being a neurotic/psychotic nutcase with a penchant for wanton violence and the murder of defenceless women, Richard here is a tortured and conflicted soul, his impulses toyed with and manipulated by outside forces that regularly leave him confused, mentally drained, and no doubt covered in blood. Zane Holtz is thoroughly excellent in the role – cold as steel, calculated when in control, but regularly overcome by otherworldly influences beyond his comprehension. And yet, ultimately, he’s an individual on little more than a quest for fulfillment and love.
Opposite him, D.J. Cotrona is in full-on Clooney Mode as he does his best to emulate the mannerisms and speech patterns of his predecessor’s original barnstorming performance. Not that that’s a bad thing at all – Seth Gecko remains as badass a character on screen as he did almost 20 years ago and is in very safe hands indeed with Cotrona.
Jesse Garcia also shines as enraged Texas Ranger Gonzalez, determined to put the criminal brothers either behind bars or in the ground for the convenience store murder of his superior, Earl McGraw (Don Johnson). Drawn into Carlos’ sights due to his dogged determination to bring the Geckos down, Gonzalez winds up having to put retribution on the back burner and fight alongside his rivals for the sake of his family. Garcia brings this angel of vengeance to life with a palpable energy and sense of broiling, righteous hatred that makes him very difficult to ignore.
It isn’t all rosy when it comes to From Dusk Till Dawn‘s first season, however. It often finds itself contending with a very janky script and disappointing CGI, its own dedication to straight-faced B-grade schlock keeping it wobbling precariously on the verge of falling into too self-confident, overblown nonsense – something into which it does regularly slip, as the airy-fairy mysticism gets ever more trite. Repetition becomes a factor (yes, we get the point of the snake clan’s symbol, already), and the production constraints of the new format leave the iconic ‘Titty Twister’ massacre and ensuring battles looking far more stagey than the cinematic counterpart. The expansion of the crotch-gun wearing Sex Machine character into a lecherous college professor – played by Jake Busey – who knows nearly everything there is to know about the toothy residents of the bar is also an aggravating move that simply doesn’t pay off at all beyond adding reams of needless exposition.
When it comes to the complete package, all involved do manage to keep the goofiness of the material in check sufficiently; combined with the same kind of reckless rock ‘n’ roll attitude found in its forebear, it remains almost as endearing and full of entertainment value as it did the first time around – better in parts, infinitely dumber in others. Yes, all-told I’d rather watch the original movie again over this new interpretation, but it does bring enough of worth to the table to justify its existence – and that bodes well for continuing the adventures of the remaining bunch of characters in the second season beyond the already familiar material.
Entertainment One’s UK DVD release of From Dusk Till Dawn: Season One sports a commentary for the pilot episode that brings in cast members D.J. Cotrona, Brandon Soo Hoo, Eiza González, Jesse Garcia and Zane Holtz alongside director Robert Rodriguez and writer/showrunner Carlos Goto. Other commentaries (Episodes 2, 6, 7 and 10) draft in various other directors, writers and actors including Wilmer Valderrama and Robert Patrick – all of which are well worth a listen, especially those with Rodriguez on the panel.
Besides the commentaries, the choice of special features on the release may look impressive on paper, but it’s a very different story in practice. Of a total circa 70 minutes of extras, nearly half of the offerings are little more than various quick TV spots and promotional materials for the El Ray Network and the show’s various sponsors. Most egregiously, the “SXSW Featurette” is little more than a commercial despite the name! Besides a lengthy and fun Q&A session with Rodriguez and the cast, the extras here feel like little more than a constant sell, and a world away from the kind of open-door production extras that fans would expect to see. Quite disappointing in the grand scheme, but saved from being genuinely poor by the commentaries and Q&A.
Special Features
- Audio commentary on selected episodes
- Full length trailer
- ‘Best Kills’ video
- On Set: Episode 1 Day 1
- On Set: The Making of From Dusk Till Dawn
- Behind the Scenes: “On Set: Brought to You by General Motors”
- Behind the Scenes: “On Set: Brought to You by Dos Equis”
- Character Bio featurettes
- General Motors commercial featuring Seth Gecko
- Dos Equis commercial featuring Carlos Madrigal
- Big Kahuna Burger commercial
- ‘What’s in the Briefcase?’ spot
- SXSW featurette
- Q&A from premiere at Alamo Drafthouse with Robert Rodriguez and Cast
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