DIRECTED BY: P.J. Pesce
STORY BY: Alvaro Rodriguez & Robert Rodriguez
SCREENPLAY BY: Alvaro Rodriguez
MUSIC BY: Nathan Barr
STARING: Marco Leonardi, Michael Parks, Rebecca Gayheart, Ara Celi, Lennie Loftin, Orlando Jones, Danny Trejo, Jordana Spiro, Kevin Smith, with Temuera Morrison, and Sonia Braga
RUNNING TIME: 94 Minutes
DISTRIBUTED BY: Dimension Films
Taking place about 100 years ago this one tells the story of writer Ambrose Bierce, a bible thumping couple, and a gang of outlaws who rob the them. The outlaws' leader, Johnny Madrid, shot his way out of his own hanging and took the hangman's daughter Esmeralda with him. The hangman put together a possie and is in hot pursuit of them. All three groups end up at a motel/whorehouse called la Tetilla del Diablo (which roughly means 'The Devil's Tit'). As the various enemies go about settling their own personal grudges the proprietors of the establishment lock the doors and turn to vampires and set about killing their clients. Facing certain death at the hands of vampires the sworn enemies band together in hopes of escaping with their lives. In the end Johnny Madrid and writer Ambrose Bierce are the only ones to get out with their lives. Bierce continues on his quest to find Poncho Villa and Madrid joins him.
Once From Dusk Till Dawn became a modest hit Dimension Films began looking at the possibilities for a sequel. Since the film was more of a underground cult-classic than a mainstream hit they decided that a sequel would be more suited for home video than a theatrical release. They asked Quentin Tarantino and Robert Rodriguez to be a part of the follow-up project. They both had different ideas for follow-ups and Dimension decided to do both of them at the same time. Tarantino would guide the sequel and Rodriguez would guide the prequel but both men would receive Executive Producer's credit on both movies along with Lawrence Bender. Both movies were budgeted at $10 million for a total of $20 million for the whole project. They were both filmed back to back in South Africa with non-union crews. By filming as if it were one long project they could share some crew members, sets, and special effects. When they filmed their was no idea which movie would be released first; they were simply called Texas Blood Money and The Hangman's Daughter with no "part 2" or "part 3" attached to their names.
Robert had the basic idea for a prequel and hired his cousin Álvaro Rodríguez to refine the idea and write the screenplay. As director he signed P.J. Pesce, a director who did the little seen but well regarded The Desperate Trail (1994) along with some TV work. The producers were the same people as worked on Texas Blood Money because both films were done at the same time and place. As on part 2 the budget was $10 million and KNB efx group and Netter Digital Etertainment did the makeup and digital effects.
Since sexy Salma Hayek would not be returning as Esmeralda/Santanico and because it is a prequel they cast Ara Celi who looks like a young Salma, but with smaller boobs.
In the fall of 1997 they shot this movie in South Africa. Director Pesce wanted to get the feel of an old fashioned western for the first half of the movie, and did lots of work on the stagecoach robbery/chase. For the second half they built a set that represents how the Titty Twister looked 100 years ago before it was a strip joint. And just like the first they had plenty of topless Mexican beauties to play the whore/vampires. When they screened the movie people were disappointed in the original ending (see Cut Scenes below). They got some of the actors back and reshot a more upbeat ending. The extra time that they spent on the ending guaranteed that the already completed Texas Blood Money would be released first.
The movie was released in the USA on video January 18, 2000 and got a better reception than part 2. Fans liked the atmosphere that Pesce created. One reviewer called it El Mariachi with vampires."
