Opening to a $10-million box office weekend on January of 1996, I was one of the many horror fans that flocked to see this film at the theaters. With the minds of Robert Rodriguez and Quentin Tarrantino behind this, it was bound to be violent, and from the beginning it was clear that the Gecko brothers were a force to be reckoned with and we as the audience were in for one hell of a ride. Quentin Tarantino was supposedly going to direct the film, but decided to focus more on his character and the screenplay, so Robert took over, but the first half of the movie just oozes the work of Quentins', with it setting the character development and introducing the unique family of a preacher and his adopted teen kids as hostages by the brothers. Forced to drive the duo the Mexico, the group make their way across and into an isolated trucker and biker bar called the "Titty Twister" where they are to meet someone. Sadly for them they've just set foot in a vampire feeding ground, where even the half-naked dancers are ready for some fresh blood. Against impossible odds, a criminal and a few citizens are forced to turn into vampire hunters and take on a horde of blood suckers.

This is truly a unique film -- from the badass characters like "Sex Machine" with his whip and crotch-gun, to the tough war-vet "Frost", and his removing-heart technique -- after the first half, this movie grabs us and doesn't let go until the credits roll. With make-up effects by genre veteran Robert Kurtzman, we're given the pleasure of viewing some nasty delicacies like exploding eyeballs, melting bodies, open guts, and lots and lots of blood -- a horror fans wet dream! No single vampire is like another -- each one has their own unique look or quirk to them, which makes things all-the more interesting, especially when we are thrown some surprises and new foes. I make reference to the second half a lot, but that doesn't mean the first is bad; it's just a little slow-paced compared the second, but there is a lot of tension and character development in it that makes it essential to the rest of the movie. This is definitely a movie that any horror fan shouldn't miss.

Badass characters, lots of gore, Salma Hayek, and with a combination of Robert Rodriguez and Quentin Tarantino makes for a very fun and entertaining vampire romp. Any fan of the genre should check this if they haven't already.