Scenes We Love: From Dusk Till Dawn

It seems like the perfect time to talk about From Dusk Till Dawn -- and naturally, fire up the DVD player and watch it again. Quentin Tarantino wrote the screenplay and acted in the horror film, and his movie Inglourious Basterds opens next weekend. On the same day, the family film Shorts, the latest by From Dusk Till Dawn director Robert Rodriguez, will also hit theaters. And let's not forget that Rodriguez is currently filming Machete, with a cast that includes some actors from his 1996 film: Danny Trejo and Cheech Marin.

Cheech Marin is the focus of one of the most vivid scenes in From Dusk Till Dawn, which I love in a somewhat guilty sort of way. If you've seen the film, you're probably shaking your head at your computer screen and thinking, "She's not. She is totally not going to tell us she loves That Scene. Aw, no." Women are pondering whether I'm betraying our sex, men may be smirking a bit. My husband still can't believe I picked this scene to discuss. Those of you who haven't seen the film just wish I'd get on with it. If you don't want to see any slang sex words on your computer, you may not want to read past the jump.

Warning: The scene featured after the jump is R-rated and NSFW

Cinematical is a classy and family-friendly site, so I hesitate to reveal the name by which the scene is known -- although it's right there at the top of the YouTube video -- but I'll provide some context. The main characters in From Dusk Till Dawn have just arrived at a Mexican bordello with a great reputation, and the Gecko brothers, played by Tarantino and a young, rugged George Clooney, can't wait to get inside. Marin plays a barker outside the bordello who is proclaiming the great variety of the wares that the establishment offers its customers. It is definitely not family-friendly, it probably deserves an R-rating all on its own, and yet I find it memorable and very funny.

If you haven't seen From Dusk Till Dawn, it's one of my favorite films directed by Rodriguez. I like Tarantino's direction better than his acting, but his acting style doesn't bother me so much in this film. Perhaps it's because he's balanced out by Clooney. Perhaps it's because his character's fate seems so very satisfying. The cast also includes Juliette Lewis, Harvey Keitel, Tom Savini, and Salma Hayek as the incredible Satanico Pandemonium. It's a much leaner, meaner, faster film than the most recent Tarantino/Rodriguez collaboration, Grindhouse (although I like that too).

From Dusk Till Dawn is an odd combination of genres, switching very quickly from a heist/getaway film to a horror film. But somehow it all works, with a fantastic soundtrack and a twisted sense of humor throughout. The following scene certainly illustrates the film's humor -- you'll have to check it out for the rest. You also can read Matt Bradshaw's Retro Cinema review of the film.