**_Intelligent writing, cool style, kinetic thrills, cartoony horror, good cast and Salma Hayek_**

Two violent thugs in Texas (George Clooney and Quentin Tarantino) take hostage a disillusioned ex-minister (Harvey Keitel) and his son & daughter (Ernest Liu & Juliette Lewis). They escape into Mexico where they stop at a desert strip joint in order to rendezvous with their contact in the morning (Cheech Marin). Horror ensues.

"From Dusk Till Dawn" (1996) is a crime thriller/horror directed by Robert Rodriguez from Tarantino's script. Mixing "Pulp Fiction" (1994) with the basic plot of "Vamp" (1986) and bits of "The Lost Boys" (1987) and "The Evil Dead" (1981), it pulsates with hip energy and flair.

Clooney shines in his first feature film as the antagonist-turned-protagonist. Salma Hayek's dance routine is jaw-dropping and iconic. The movie blends weighty spirituality with extreme irreverence, violence, gore and comic booky evil for a entertaining flick, if you can stomach the nasty elements. It's not scary at all; but it's fun and thrilling in an increasingly farcical context, with thoughtful dialog and black humor.

The film runs 1 hour, 48 minutes, and was shot in Barstow, Lancaster, Calico Dry Lake and Los Angeles, California; as well as Chihuahua, Mexico. The cast also includes: Tom Savini, Fred Williamson, Danny Trejo, Michael Parks, John Saxon and Kelly Preston.

GRADE: B