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    From Dusk Till Dawn

    New network looks to Texas blood-sucking vampires for ratings success

    Ryan Lakich
    Mar 10, 2014 | 9:49 am

    Film is a major cog in the machine of SXSW, but television is beginning to gain traction at the popular media festival, and one new show ready to lead the charge in 2014 is from Austin's own backyard.

    A product of the new El Rey Network, From Dusk Till Dawn: The Series is a bold step for a young television channel. A spin-off of the 1996 Robert Rodriguez-directed cult horror film with a script by Quentin Tarantino, the TV series looks to do more than just separate itself from its source material — it’s looking to leave a lasting effect as El Rey’s introduction to the world.

    Filmed at Troublemaker Studios in East Austin, it may be easy to consider the series just another reboot of a cult classic, but Rodriguez and his cast say it's a unique chance to explore a larger world only hinted at in the film’s finale.

    "So when we thought of doing our first series for El Rey, From Dusk Till Dawn has always been a fan favorite," says Rodriguez.

    On the walls of the studio’s meeting room hang various forms of memorabilia from previous Rodriguez and Troublemaker flicks, the most prominent of which is a matte painting that was the film’s final shot (a hidden Aztec temple that was the foundation of the vampire-infested Titty Twister strip club). The painting was the first source of inspiration for Rodriguez and his team of writers when the series entered production.

    "When Quentin first told me about the script that took place in Mexico I thought that we could bring in a lot of some kind of ancient vampire type culture in Aztec or Mayan mythology," says Rodriguez. "I always knew there was something really rich there, as that temple sort of suggested. So when we thought of doing our first series for El Rey, From Dusk Till Dawn has always been a fan favorite."

    "But instead of just making it required viewing for people to watch the first one or anything, I want to retell it," Rodriguez continues. "If the film was the short story, I want to retell the novel."

    In order to have the story carry over to later seasons, the characters require different motivations and different fates from the film. And Rodriguez and his team of writers have included ideas that are either brand new or have been kicked around since the first film, adding to a larger world. The final shot of the film (that pulls back revealing the temple), adds "story value," Rodriguez says, so the audience can easily imagine other stories. "They kind of see it in their head. Well, now we’re making a version of it they can see," he explains.

    "This is straight-up who we are. You’re either going to love it, or if you don’t that’s totally cool. But if you love it, this is your home," says Valderrama.

    To essentially rewrite a beloved horror film is a tall order. The cast also has some big shoes to fill from a film that starred George Clooney, Tarantino, Salma Hayek and plenty more. But any stress that the actors might feel is eclipsed by their excitement at being an integral part of El Rey Network’s first signature scripted series — and also making Rodriguez’s vision come to life.

    Wilmer Valderrama, who plays an original character created for the series, says that Rodriguez "has created a platform for all of us to perform how we know we can and to express ourselves the best we could." Valderrama also understands how El Rey is making a firm statement of its personality from the beginning.

    "This is straight-up who we are. You’re either going to love it, or if you don’t that’s totally cool. But if you love it, this is your home," says Valderrama. "And to be on board of this initial first line of fire as we launch this brand-new destination, a brand-new movement on television, I’m not surprised of the coalition of people that Robert has put together. Everyone in this cast and everyone in the network that’s coming on board has somehow touched pop culture in one way or another — and reinvented it together now. And that’s really fun."

    Zane Holtz, who takes over the role of Richie Gecko that was performed by Tarantino in the film, expresses the same excitement for being one of the first faces to represent a new network. "It’s probably the best opportunity you can be given as an actor on television. It’s do or die, basically … To be at the forefront and to be part of something as it’s coming together is incredible."

    ---

    From Dusk Till Dawn: The Series premieres on El Rey Network on Tuesday, March 11 at 8 p.m. CDT.

    The matte painting from the original From Dusk Till Dawn film that inspired Robert Rodriguez.

    Aztec Temple matte painting From Dusk Till Dawn the movie
      
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    The matte painting from the original From Dusk Till Dawn film that inspired Robert Rodriguez.
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    Movie Review

    How to Train Your Dragon remake puts a fresh twist on the original

    Alex Bentley
    Jun 12, 2025 | 4:14 pm
    Toothless and Mason Thames in How to Train Your Dragon
    Photo courtesy of Universal Pictures
    Toothless and Mason Thames in How to Train Your Dragon.

    Let’s get it out of the way right at the top: The new live-action How to Train Your Dragon, coming a mere 15 years after the original animated film, serves no real purpose other than to make more money for Universal Pictures and Dreamworks Pictures. However, unlike Disney’s approach toward remaking their animated movies, this attempt manages to succeed on its own merits instead of being a half-baked vessel for nostalgia.

    As fans will remember, Hiccup (Mason Thames) lives in Berk, a town on a remote island populated by Vikings who constantly have to defend themselves against rampaging dragons. Hiccup’s dad, Stoick (Gerard Butler), is the community’s vaunted leader, with a legacy that seems impossible for Hiccup to measure up to, especially since he’s stuck in the armory alongside Gobber (Nick Frost).

    But Hiccup has a knack for inventions, and his use of one new weapon during a dragon attack takes down a feared Night Fury. Finding the wounded dragon deep in the forest, Hiccup decides against killing it, leading to an unexpected bond between the two of them. Most of the film shows Hiccup trying to prove himself to his townspeople, including the fierce Astrid (Nico Parker), while also nursing the dragon he dubs Toothless back to health with the help of another one of his ingenious creations.

    Written and directed by Dean DeBlois (who’s had the same roles on all four HTTYD films), the film is most notable for how engaging it is despite it retelling a story many already know and love. The biggest reason for this is a pivot away from telling a story mainly for kids toward one that feels like an extremely light version of Game of Thrones. Almost right away, there are real stakes for the people in the film, and the way DeBlois and his team stage the scenes, the danger can be felt by the audience.

    This sense of “realness” comes through especially well in the scenes between Hiccup and Toothless. The design of Toothless is faithful to the original, but the CGI makes the dragon feel amazingly believable. And when they start flying, the film literally and metaphorically takes off. At multiple points, the camera seems to have trouble keeping them in frame, a smart move toward verisimilitude when the filmmakers clearly could have made it an overly smooth watching experience.

    Even though it’s more serious than the original, the film still has plenty of fun to offer. Characters like Gobber (who replaces his two missing limbs with odd contraptions) and the ragtag group of teenagers who come to be in awe of Hiccup’s skills at taming dragons provide more than a few laughs. Hiccup isn’t quite as goofy as he was when voiced by Jay Baruchel, which turns out to be a good thing as his sense of purpose amps up the drama of the story.

    Thames’ performance gets better and better as the film goes along, as Hiccup goes from town whipping boy toward hero. He really shines in the last act when he’s given a few scenes that show off his acting range. Parker is equally good, demonstrating the girl power needed for the role, but also the softness of a potential love interest. Butler, the only actor reprising their voice role, is a great presence who sells the outsized personality of Stoick.

    Against the odds, this new version of How to Train Your Dragon is equal to the success of the first film, accomplishing the goal of making it feel like you’re watching the story for the first time. If live-action remakes are going to continue to come out, future filmmakers should study this film for how to respect both the history of the franchise and the audience paying good money to be entertained.

    ---

    How to Train Your Dragon opens in theaters on June 13.

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