Review of From Dusk Till Dawn 3: The Hangman's Daughter (2000) by David G — 06 Oct 2008

First and foremost, this is a western (well it's down in Mexico to be precise but you know what I mean) and I really don't like westerns too much... horse-riding, six-shooters, bandits, saloons... Bah, I just find it boring. Still, FDTD3 has its moments and is overall fairly entertaining. For one thing it has far more relevance to the original movie and so feels like a proper sequel (no matter how much of a cheap n' cheerful straight-to-DVD job it is), unlike number 2, which seems to be a random plot with the FDTD vamps tacked on. I also quite liked the characters - Ambrose Bierce, Johnny Madrid, the Bible bashers... I loved the part where John (one half of the God-fearing couple) goes on a random spree of drinking, violence and debauchery after arriving at a mysterious inn (which we find out is the future Titty Twister), especially when he basically goes "Fuck these guys" and knifes a dude to the bar through his mouth! Awesome! Temuera Morrison and of course Danny Trejo also make fun appearances.

The story is OK and like I said it at least has relevance to the original movie, providing some interesting backstory. The two sequels have both copied the formula pioneered by the original, that being a straight crime caper for the first half before letting loose the bloodsuckers for a gore-filled second, which is fine, but as I mentioned, the fact that we are back in western times means that the first half here is, well kinda dull.

On the surface the two FDTD sequels may appear to be cheap and nasty straight-to-DVD cash-ins, but I don't recommend missing out on them. Whether you're simply looking for a nice little fix of cops n' robbers fused with schlock gore and nudity or some actual backstory to the cult original then you'll find it.