Any television show based on a movie is bound to inspire reservations. Particularly when the television show is a remake. Nevertheless, that's what Robert Rodriguez has set out to do with From Dusk Till Dawn: The Series, a ten-episode run based on Rodriguez's 1996 film of the same name and housed on Rodriguez's network El Rey.
From Dusk Till Dawn: The Series marks El Rey's first original programming. The series revolves around two criminals, the Gecko brothers Seth and Richie, who are on the run after breaking Richie out of prison and robbing a Texas bank. On their way south towards Mexico, they have an encounter at a liquor store in the middle of nowhere with Sheriff Earl McGrath and his deputy, Ranger Freddie Gonzalez, a character not seen in the film but who takes on a starring role here, at least in the pilot. Waiting in Mexico for them is crime lord Don Carlos. When Carlos refuses to provide them a ride after things get bloody at the liquor store, the Gecko brothers must make it to Mexico on their own.
The pilot seems to set up that the series or at least the first season will revolve around the brothers making it to Mexico, with Ranger Freddie in hot pursuit. The pilot is exactly what you expect from something helmed by Robert Rodriguez. Much like his pal Quentin Tarantino (who co-wrote and acted in the film), Rodriguez is known for his use of violence and gore, and the pilot has plenty. The film itself is described as a "vampire-thriller" and there are definitely supernatural elements at play in the pilot, though vampires themselves aren't mentioned. It's obvious that Richie is incredibly unstable, and it will be interesting to see how that instability plays out in trying to get to Mexico.
If you're a fan of Rodriguez's other films such as the Mexico Trilogy, the original From Dusk Till Dawn, Sin City or Machete, this series could be for you. While the acting isn't phenomenal, the pilot delivers exactly what you would expect: violence, gore, action and scantily-clad women. If that's your bag, make sure to catch it on El Rey, Tuesdays at 9pm/8pm central.
