Mike_Bracken's Full Review: From Dusk Till Dawn 3: The Hangman's Daughter
From Dusk Till Dawn 3: The Hangman’s Daughter: Dimension Films Rating: USA: R/ UK: 18/ Ireland: 18/ Germany: 18
Since the dawn of the direct-to-video age, there’s been a certain stigma attached to films that receive their initial release on VHS. Generally, the films released in this fashion are low budget affairs, erotic thrillers, B horror films, and lame action movies starring guys like Joe Estevez. They’re pretty easy to spot, too, sitting there on the new release shelf in some gaudy box designed to make them look much more interesting than they really are, often covered by blurbs from critics you’ve never heard of. And while the disdain that most viewers have for these films is often well deserved, every once in awhile a film comes along that rises above the rest of its brethren—From Dusk Till Dawn 3 is one of those films.
It’s no secret that I liked the first From Dusk Till Dawn (just read my review if you’re interested). That film, directed by Robert Rodriguez (El Mariachi, Desperado, The Faculty) and written by Quentin Tarantino (Reservoir Dogs, Pulp Fiction, Jackie Brown) was a wild exploitation flick from beginning to end—one that reveled in it’s campy B-movie status, wearing it like a badge of honor. From Dusk Till Dawn 3 is the same kind of film—one that never takes itself seriously and has only one real intention…to entertain, which it does with a fair degree of success.
The story (written by Robert Rodriguez’s cousin Alvaro) mirrors the first film a great deal. Several groups of people who’ve had run-ins earlier in the film (including legendary author Ambrose Bierce, a band of outlaws, and a husband and wife looking to spread the gospel) wind up at the La Tetilla del Diablo—the 1870’s version of the infamous vampire bar from the first film. Once there, all hell breaks loose.
The plot’s really that simple, but the simplicity is why it works. Rodriguez writes what is essentially a two-act film (much like the original). We spend the first act of the film watching what appears to be a fairly engaging western. Then, just when we’re comfortable, the film switches gears becoming a balls out horror film full of gore, nudity, and some good special effects work.
The film also benefits from some surprisingly good performances. Michael Parks (From Dusk Till Dawn, Death Wish 5) is fantastic as Bierce, a real-life writer who disappeared from the face of the Earth after setting out to join Pancho Villa’s army. Parks steals every scene he’s in, even if he has no dialogue. Equally impressive is Marco Leonardi (The Stendhal Syndrome) as outlaw Johnny Madrid and Temuera Morrisson (Once We Were Warriors, The Island of Dr. Moreau) as the hangman mentioned in the title. Both actors turn in solid performances in both the elaborate action sequences and in the scenes where they’re required to act.These aren’t Academy Award performances, but they’re much better than you’d expect to find in a direct to video sequel.
The females are equally well represented. Sonia Braga (Kiss of the Spider Woman) plays the bar’s vampire queen/brothel madam. Rebecca Gayheart (Urban Legend) plays the prim and proper preacher’s wife, and Ara Celi (American Beauty) plays Esmerelda, the hangman’s daughter and future Santanico Pandemonium (although she’s no Salma Hayek).
Director PJ Pesce (Profiler [TV]) does a fine job here, turning in a film with some inventive shots, but also showing some restraint (unlike From Dusk Till Dawn 2, where the camerawork became a distraction). Pesce does a nice job of pacing the film, never allowing it to lag too much. He shoots the films action sequences in a very kinetic fashion, and lets the audience see the gore.
KNB provides the special FX, once again showing why they’re one of the premier horror FX companies in Hollywood today. The blood and body parts fly in this film, and we’re treated to gruesome acts including gunshots to the head, a plethora of vampire bites, stakings, stabbings, and more. Gore fans will find much that pleases them in From Dusk Till Dawn 3.
All in all, From Dusk Till Dawn 3 is a solid film. Sure, it does little more than recycle the plot of the first film in the series, but the old west/Ambrose Bierce angle is an intriguing one, and one that works. No one will ever mistake this for an Oscar winner, but it’s a fine film for one of those nights when there’s nothing on TV. As far as direct-to-video fare goes, this one’s a winner.
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