Review of From Dusk Till Dawn 2: Texas Blood Money (1999) by Allan C — 11 Mar 2017

Surprisingly decent direct-to-video sequel doesn't have much connection to the first film outside of a very small part for Danny Trejo and the film's genre mash-up of crime and horror films. The story involves a bunch of lowlifes intending to rob a bank, but when one of them gets bitten by a vampire, the film becomes a heist-gone-wrong story but with vampires.

Although the star level is dialed down, there is still an enjoyably eclectic mix of stars past and present, including Robert Patrick, Bo Hopkins, Raymond Cruz, Danny Trejo, and cameos by Tiffani-Amber Thiessen and Bruce Campbell.

Directed by Scott Spiegel, the film seems to be aping Robert Rodrguez's inventive style, coming off as labored and merely doing unusual camera placements and angels, but to no real effect. The script is by Duane Whitaker (who played Maynard in "Pulp Fiction") based a story by Boaz Yakin (who wrote and directed the excellent and underrated "Fresh") lacks the wit and originality of Quentin Tarantino's script for the original film, but this film does have it's moments, particularly one exchange in a motel room over the story quality of a pay-per-view film the gang is watching before their robbery.

Overall, this film isn't anywhere in the league of the original "From Dusk Till Dawn," but it is a cut above most direct-to-video sequels.