Four Rooms (1995)

Directed and written by: Allison Anders, Alexandre Rockwell, Robert Rodriguez & Quentin Tarantino

Four interlocking tales that take place in a fading hotel on New Year's Eve.

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This is the first movie I watched this year, even though it's been two weeks since this year began. School's been keeping me occupied.

I've loved Four Rooms ever since I saw it. It's an excellent episode film, where each episode is weirder than the other. Even though there are four different directors for each part, they go along perfectly even though styles differ from each other. Also all have certain really weird kind of cheesy elements that go well with the weird stories, like really bad special effects and transitions between scenes or weirdly dramatic musical sound effects...

If there's something I don't exactly like about this is that there's some overlap between the second and third segment. If it was done flawlessly, I'd be completely ready to accept it, but I have hard time trying to place the second segment The Wrong Man inside the third segment The Misbehavers.

Still, Four Rooms is a hilarious comedy. It's over the top, but that doesn't matter, it goes well with the short stories.

☆☆☆☆☆☆☆

7 / 10

"Psychos do not explode when sunlight hits them, I don't give a fuck how crazy they are!"

Year: 1996

Directed by: Robert Rodriguez

Written by: Robert Kurtzman (story) & Quentin Tarantino (screenplay)

The infamous Gecko brothers have a foolproof plan to escape to Mexico after robbing a bank by travelling with a preacher who has lost his faith and his two children. Nothing could go wrong - until the vampires attack.

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I was interested in From Dusk Till Dawn for many reasons. One of them was how I've seen the TV show based on the movie. Of course the show is vastly different than the film, The final thing that make me decide to watch this is that it includes my two favourite directors - even though Tarantino wrote the script and played the character Richie Gecko, who was my favourite in the TV show, by the way,

First thing you need to know before watching From Dusk Till Dawn is that it is a B movie. It is made that way. It's one of those movies that need to be crappy in a certain way. All the vampires look really shitty. It just makes them gross, which is all part of the fun.

While the TV show tells the audience a lot more about the whole thing and several people stay alive, the film also shares some of the strengths of the show. One of them how thrilling few scenes are, and you are not sure who to root for. To be honest, in the TV show there were more parties to root for than in the film, but still, same feeling.

The cast of this film is really weird in a way. Clooney and Tarantino playing brothers? How would that ever be believable? Well, it seems alright, because the two work really well together. 

From Dusk Till Dawn is really messed up, but it is also so much fun, as Rodriguez' movies usually are. Excellent film, definitely has earned its cult status. 

☆☆☆☆☆☆☆

7 / 10

"They say he doesn't die, sir. Been shot, stabbed. Doesn't ever die." "Bull-fucking-shit. This Pedro has just got a thick neck is all."

Year: 2013

Directed by: Robert Rodriguez

Written by: Kyle Ward (screenplay), Robert Rodriguez & Marcel Rodriguez (story)

"The U.S. government recruits Machete to battle his way through Mexico in order to take down an arms dealer who looks to launch a weapon into space."

- Summary written by IMDb Editors

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Usually sequels are worse than the originals, right? But obviously no rules apply to Machete or Machete Kills. The weaknesses and strengths of the two movies are pretty much the same: They are both hilarious and amazingly violent. Both have easy plots and all that. 

The cast of characters is even more amazing this time. Of course there are some same characters in this film as well, but some of the new ones are even weirder. Sofia Vergara with the boob guns that could be straight from Austin Powers -movie? Cuba Gooding Jr., Lady Gaga and Antonio Banderas playing the same character? Charlie Sheen - I mean Carlos Estevez - as the president of United States? All the characters are ridiculous and even greater than previously. Thank you, writers!

Machete Kills made me pay more attention to the dialogue. Of course, again it was filled with one-liners, but it was very colourful. But then again I think most of that came through the subtitles. ("Minua ei kullitella!") 

Like I said previously, the plot of this movie is very simple, but it took some wild B-movie extremes. It was amazing, and I won't complain about that. All those B-movie effects make these movies what they are.

Machete Kills is just as hilarious and violent as the first one. I don't think it needs any recommending. If you liked the first one, you'll like this one too, I promise. And if you didn't like the first one, go watch your serious movies or whatever it is that you watch, don't even try to like Machete Kills. 

☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆

9 / 10

"We don't have to do this!" "If not us, then who?"

Year: 2010

Directed by: Ethan Maniquis & Robert Rodriguez

Written by: Robert Rodriguez & Álvaro Rodriguez

"After being set-up and betrayed by the man who hired him to assassinate a Texas Senator, an ex-Federale launches a brutal rampage of revenge against his former boss."

- Summary written by anonymous

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I've been meaning to watch Machete... And Planet Terror... And the rest of the Mariachi trilogy. And finally I watched Machete and Machete Kills. I adore Rodriguez and his films - even if I haven't seen them all. I adore the aesthetic and the idea, and finally watching Machete just increased that idea.

Even though "comedy" isn't mentioned in the genres, Machete is definitely hilarious. It's partially ridiculously bad, but it's also incredible just because of that. If Machete had been made completely seriously, it would suck, but it's not. 

The characters are weird in a really charming way. Some of them are clichés that meet some really weird action video game - especially in how the characters dress. The actors and actresses are all well chosen for the roles. Well, that's mildly put when it comes to Danny Trejo. No one else could play Machete.

The plot of this movie is very typical for a revenge type of action movie. It's obvious and predictable, but it isn't the plot that gives Machete its charm. It's the annoying one-liners which are so bad they are funny. It's the atmosphere and aesthetic, typical to Rodriguez and Tarantino. It's the variety of characters. It's a lot of things, but the plot isn't one of them. But we don't watch Machete for the plot, now do we? We watch it for it's value as a cult movie. 

Machete is absolute gold in its humour, atmosphere and violence. Along other works of Rodriguez, it's an instant cult classic. If a few severed heads and some guts don't turn you off, watch this movie!

☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆

9 / 10

"That morning was just like any other. No love. No luck. No ride. Nothing changes."

Year: 1992

Directed & Written by: Robert Rodriguez

A town has two visitors, both dressed in black, both carrying guitar cases. One is a travelling mariachi, another is killing drug lord's men for revenge. Of course the innocent one is mistaken for the killer.

I realised I haven't watched anything during October yet. I was going through Netflix and couldn't find anything to watch. Eventually I just thought I'd keep watching From Dusk Till Dawn, which made me think of Robert Rodriguez's movies. Again, Netflix couldn't really offer me anything interesting, but thankfully my dad has the whole trilogy: El Mariachi, Desperado and Once Upon a Time in Mexico. So, don't be surprised if I'll write about the last two also.

One very notable thing about El Mariachi is the excellent cinematography. The visual side of the movie gives strong Tarantino vibes, but there was something else too. The shots may not be exactly beautiful, but they are close to perfect. There's something enchanting about how they shot the film. And together with the narrating in the beginning, the movie reminded me of some kind of 60's or 70's art films, which is quite far from how the film really is. Also Rodriguez has used some very interesting effects in the movie, but very skilfully. They weren't used too little or too much, just the right amount.

The music in El Mariachi is weird. It's weird and it shouldn't suit to any film - but it does. The soundtrack is a spot-on. It's different and weird, which is a good thing. All action movies tend to have one kind of soundtrack, so it's great seeing (well, hearing) something other for a change.

The editing is also great. The movie is not very long, but it doesn't feel too short. El Mariachi also uses both speed and slowness as interesting and effective stylistic devices, without disturbing the pace of the movie.

The story of El Mariachi is as simple as a plot can be. However, usually action films make the mistake of wasting extra subplots to the movie to make the story seem deeper. El Mariachi has one story, and it sure as hell is short, but it still is thrilling and as interesting as it can be. It's good enough.

It's admirable how a movie like this can be heavy and bloody, and yet still have that weird, light humour that is caused by the weirdest things. They aren't always even that funny, but like certain effects used in the filming make you smile, even if you're afraid for the main character's life. 

El Mariachi is simple and almost modest, yet it is skilfully made and one of the best action movies I've seen. I had high hopes for Robert Rodriguez, and I'd like to think he met my expectations. Well, we'll see about that when I see at least one other movie.

☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆

9 / 10