When From Dusk Till Dawn was first released it did modestly at the box office, but then it really cleaned up on home video and became a cult classic that is still loved today. Let’s see what the cast has been up to the past 20 years.
Quentin Tarantino as Richard Gecko
Pulling double duty as writer and actor, Tarantino was actually quite good in his role as the psychotic/delusional Richie Gecko.
While he does cameos in some movies (Little Nicky, Alias, The Muppets Wizard of Oz, Duck Dodgers, Planet Terror, Sukiyaki Western Django, Diary of the Dead, andShe’s Funny That Way) Tarantino is mainly writing/directing these days with Jackie Brown, Kill Bill 1&2, an episode of Jimmy Kimmel Live!, Sin City, 2 episodes of C.S.I.,Death Proof, Inglourious Basterds, Django Unchained (which got him an Oscar win), writer on the From Dusk Till Dawn series, and the just released The Hateful Eight.
One of the few times that the Clooney has played a bad guy, and he was pretty damn good at it. Clooney with a temper is something we have yet to see again and it’s too bad, he was right good bastard.
Since FDTD the Clooney has stepped behind the camera as well as been in front of it, and won two Oscars (Argo and Syriana) . As a director he’s done: Confessions of a Dangerous Mind, Unscripted, Good Night and Good Luck, Leatherheads, The Ides of March, Monuments Men, and Suburbicon. As an actor he’s done many films since but these are his most noteworthy: O’ Brother Where art Thou?, The Perfect Storm, Ocean’s 11/12/13, E.R., Syriana, The Descendants, Gravity, and the upcoming Hail Caesar!.
Having acted since the late ’80s Lewis was already a seasoned actress and this was her second go round with Tarantino, having starred in Natural Born Killers in 1994 which he wrote. Lewis’s Kate was an unlikely heroine in the film but she was able to hold her own with all the testosterone being tossed around. In our opinion Lewis and Clooney should have been brought back in a sequel that would have brought Kate and Seth together again to defeat more vamps.
Since FDTD Lewis has been in many films with these being her most notable: The Other Sister, Old School, The Switch, The Firm, Kelly & Cal, Wayward Pines, and Secrets & Lies.
Harvey Keitel as Jacob Fuller
No stranger to acting, Keitel is also a Tarantino favorite, starring in: Reservoir Dogs, Pulp Fiction, and FDTD. Keitel’s Jacob was a flawed man who had a simmering darkness just under the surface.
Since FDTD Keitel has been everywhere, these are his most notable films: Cop Land, U-571, National Treasure, Be Cool, Life on Mars, Moonrise Kingdom, The Grand Budapest Hotel, and Youth.
Salma Hayek as Santanico Pandemonium
Wow. That’s really all we can say about Salma in FDTD. She not only mesmerized the characters on screen but the audience watching the movie as well. Having a fairly brief yet vital part in the movie was not enough Salma for us, but she was amazing for those moments. Having been mostly a TV actress until Robert Rodriguez cast her in Desperado, Salma made a name for herself with not only her beauty but her acting chops and comedic timing.
Since FDTD she has been consistently acting but these are her most notable films: Fools Rush In, Dogma, Frida, Once Upon a Time in Mexico, Ugly Betty, Grown Ups, Savages, and Everly. Remind yourself of THAT iconic dance.
Pulling triple duty as the Border Guard, the Titty Twister barker Chet Pussy, and Carlos the drug kingpin the Geckos are supposed to meet at the bar, Marin was great in all 3 roles.
A well known and established actor, since FDTD Marin has been in many movies with these being his most notable: Nash Bridges, Christmas with the Kranks, Judging Amy, Lost, Cars 1&2, Machete, Rob, and Jane the Virgin.
Danny Trejo as Razor Charlie
One of the most well known character actors of our generation, Trejo is typically cast as the tough badass, FDTD was no different, with the exception of blood sucking bartender as a title now too. A favorite of Tarantino and Robert Rodriguez, Trejo has been acting since 1983 and hasn’t let up playing the tough guy in many movies as well as delving into comedy parts here and there (see the Brady Bunch Snickers commercial for an example).
Since FDTD Trejo’s most notable movies are: From Dusk Till Dawn 2&3, Con-Air, Reindeer Games, Spy Kids 1-4, The Salton Sea, Once Upon a Time in Mexico, The Devil’s Rejects, Planet Terror, Fanboys, Breaking Bad, King of the Hill, Predators, Machete 1&2, Bad Ass 1-3, the From Dusk Till Dawn tv series, and 31 (yes 31!) movies coming out in the next 2 years! Talk about hard working!
Tom Savini as Sex Machine
The guy with the crotch gun that stole the show. Savini is mostly known as a SFX guy in Hollywood but does some acting when he finds a movie he likes. Working since the ’70s Savini has been apart of some popular horror films (Friday the 13th, Creepshow, Day of the Dead, Monkey Shines, and Tales from the Dark Side).
Since FDTD Savini has been in: Dawn of the Dead, Land of the Dead, Forest of the Damned, Planet Terror, Zack and Miri Make a Porno, Machete 1&2, and Django Unchained.
Fred Williamson as Frost
Williamson and his blaxploitation films of the ’70s were a major influence on Tarantino and his movies, so casting him in FDTD was a dream come true. Kicking vampire ass while puffing on a cigar, Williamson got to show a new generation of fans why he was a badass back in the day.
Since FDTD Williamson’s notable films have been: Original Gangstas, Fast Track, Carmen: A Hip Hopera, Starsky & Hutch, Atomic Eden, and Hello Paradise.
There were also a number of bit parts by notable actors and one soon to be name such as:
Michael Parks as Earl McGraw
Despite the character’s death in the beginning of FDTD, Parks played Earl McGraw in 4 other films: Kill Bill 1&2, Death Proof, and Planet Terror. Parks is also another favorite of Tarantino. Edgar Mcgraw (the character’s son) was played by Parks real life son, James Parks. Edgar was seen in From Dusk Till Dawn 2, Kill Bill Vol. 1, Death Proof, and has a brief appearance in a deleted scene from Machete.Planet Terror also saw the introduction of McGraw’s daughter Dakota (Marley Shelton). McGraw must be a real tough guy to survive as long as he did in the Tarantinoverse! The elder Parks also played Esteban (Bill’s father figure who told Kiddo where to find him) in Kill Bill Vol. 2.
Since FDTD Parks has been busy with Tarantino/Rodriguez movies as well as a ton of others, these are his most notable: The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford, Smokin’ Aces 2, Argo, Red State, and Tusk.
Kelly Preston as Kelly Hogue
Preston actually played the reporter twice, once in FDTD and again in a Tarantino produced film, Curdled. Both times she was reporting on the Gecko brothers.
Since FDTD Preston has been in these notable films: Jerry Maguire, For Love of the Game, Sky High, and Old Dogs.
John Hawkes as Pete Bottoms
The doomed liquor store clerk was played with great aplomb by character actor Hawkes. Acting since the ’80s Hawkes has the face you recognize but ask “What’s his name?”
Notable films Hawkes has been apart of are: Rush Hour, I Still Know What You Did Last Summer, The Perfect Storm, Identity, Miami Vice, Deadwood, American Gangster, Contagion, Lincoln, and Everest.
John Saxon as Stanley Chase
Another face you will recognize, Saxon had been in the business since the ’50s. Prior to his FDTD cameo, Saxon would be most recognized from: Enter the Dragon, Gunsmoke, Fantasy Island, A Nightmare on Elm Street 1&3, Dynasty, Falcon Crest, andMelrose Place. After FDTD Saxon was seen in: C.S.I., Old Dogs, and The Extra.
Greg Nicotero as Sex Machine’s Buddy
Yep, The Walking Dead and Fear the Walking Dead producer/director Nicotero had a small part in FDTD. He has been all over Hollywood writing, directing, producing, acting, and makeup/SFX!
Jack of all trades, Nicotero’s notable after FDTD credits read like this: SFX – Little Nicky, Cats & Dogs, Bubba Ho-Tep, Hulk, Spy Kids 3D, Casino Royale, Transformers, The Grey, Annabelle. Makeup – Wishmaster, The Faculty, House on Haunted Hill, The Green Mile, Thir13en Ghosts, Kill Bill Vol. 1&2, Sin City, Hostel, Deadwood, and Splice. Director – The Walking Dead. Producer – Fear The Walking Dead, and The Walking Dead. Actor – The Hills Have Eyes, Diary of The Dead, Inglourious Basterds, Piranha 3D, and of course The Walking Dead. Whew!
Robert Rodriguez
In a blink-and-you’ll-miss-him uncredited role as a member of the Titty Twister Band. Even the director got in on the action here. He writes/produces/directs and occasionally appears in uncredited parts in some movies and TV shows. Nash Bridges, Lisa Picard is Famous, Bullfighter, Deadline, Sin City 1&2, Adventures of Sharkboy and Lavagirl, High Hopes, Planet Terror, The Cleveland Show, and Amelia’s 25th.
…and last… Ernest Liu as Scott Fuller
Yep, the forgotten actor. Liu had 3 other roles, small ones at that, before disappearing all together. He was horrible in the role and stiff as an actor with no range at all, his death in the movie could not come soon enough. He was so bad as an actor that Robert Rodriguez alone has more screen time than Liu’s whole career. Sad.
EASTER EGGS:
- Tarantino and Clooney had a “cameo” of sorts in the Tarantino produced film Curdled. In a scene where a housekeeper is cleaning up a room the TV is on when a news bulletin comes on with reporter Kelly Hogue (played by Kelly Preston) announcing that the Gecko Brothers have escaped and are on the loose. Mugshots of Tarantino and Clooney as the Geckos is then shown.
- Big Kahuna Burger makes an appearance as it does in Pulp Fiction, Four Rooms, Reservoir Dogs, and Romy & Michele’s High School Reunion.
- Red Apple Cigarettes appears on the Gecko’s car dash. Red Apple is the Tarantinoverse cigarette brand as seen in: Django Unchained, Pulp Fiction, Four Rooms, Kill Bill, Death Proof, Planet Terror, and Romy & Michele. Hateful Eight and Django Unchained have Red Apple Rolling Tobacco.
- Chango Beer. Another Tarantinoverse staple, Chango can be found in:El Mariachi, Desperado, Once Upon a Time in Mexico, From Dusk Till Dawn, Sin City 1&2, Death Proof, and Planet Terror.
- Seth saying, “Okay Ramblers, let’s get ramblin’.” is a line uttered in Tarantino’s Reservoir Dogs by Joe Cabot.
- Sex Machine’s codpiece pistol can be seen in Robert Rodriguez’sDesperado film in Antonio Banderas’ guitar case.
- The Gecko brothers’ getaway location, El Rey, is also the name of a character from Rodriguez’s Planet Terror movie as well as the name of Rodriguez’s television network.
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