In Collection
#187
Seen It:
No
Owner:
Ben
Action, Adventure
USA / English
Antonio Banderas |
El Mariachi |
Salma Hayek |
|
Director |
Robert Rodriguez |
Before Robert Rodriguez's
El Mariachi, Mexicans in North American action films were typically maids, drug dealers, or prison inmates. Even if the Cisco Kid
was a friend of yours, you handled a dust cloth or a Mac-10 if you lasted in Hollywood longer than a New York
minuto. But when
El Mariachi crossed the border in 1992, things changed. Granted, it still involved a drug lord in a shoot-em-up, bang-bang, but this time the good guy was a
Mexican. Austin-based Rodriguez made
El Mariachi for a fistful of pesos and a little help from his friends. He wrote, directed, coproduced, edited,
and operated the camera. Plus, he assembled a cast that had never acted before to work
por nada. All for a paltry $7,000, a milagro without a beanfield war.
Desperado continues the outrageous action adventure. Working with a much bigger budget, Rodriguez returns the nameless mariachi to nonstop action. Again thrust into a world he never made, the hero takes his guitar-case arsenal deep into the criminal labyrinth of Bucho (Joaquim de Almeida), el gran chingon of the Mexican drug lords. With an amigo (Steve Buscemi) and a beautiful bookstore owner (Salma Hayek), el mariachi confronts an outrageous cast along the way, including a bartender (Cheech Marin), a drug deal pick-up guy (Quentin Tarantino), and the original mariachi (coproducer Carlos Gallardo) as a new-found compa'. Antonio Banderas has the lead this time, and if he's not quite up to the challenge, it's probably because he's Spanish, not Mexican, a distinction not lost by anyone raised on what the popular media now calls "ethnic food." That said, Desperado is not to be missed. Using intelligence, romance, and humor--as well as plenty of explosive, surreal violence--Rodriguez again showcases the timeless struggle between the forces of darkness and light. And, in the process, he's recasting the mold for the contemporary action hero--kids now argue about who gets to play the Mexican. --Stephan Magcosta
Edition |
Special Editions |
Barcode |
043396017184 |
Region |
Region 1 |
Release Date |
8/26/2003 |
Packaging |
Box Set |
Screen Ratio |
1.85:1 |
Subtitles |
English; French; Spanish |
Audio Tracks |
English Dolby Digital 5.1
Spanish Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround |
No. of Disks/Tapes |
2 |
Disc 1: |
Director's Commentary
Featurettes
Filmographies
Theatrical Trailers
|
First Look at Once Upon a Time in Mexico Film Short: Bedhead |
|
Purchase Date |
10/18/2005 |
Purchase Price |
$20.99 |
Store |
Best Buy |
Condition |
New (Still Sealed) |
Current Value |
$20.99 |
Links |
Amazon US
|
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