Movie Watchin Wednesday

Created on 6/27/2008, last active awhile ago.

"At Spout, we watch a movie on Wednesday!"

Interested in: No particular genre

Re:Oct. 1st: El Mariachi (1992)

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seely
Posts 402

9/30/2008 4:58 PM
posted awhile ago

Oct. 1st: El Mariachi (1992)

*I can't get the film link to work. If anyone else can, feel free. -Seely

El Mariachi

Directed by Robert Rodriguez.

Starring Carlos Gallardo, Consuelo Gomez, Peter Marquardt, Reinol Martinez.

Filmed in two weeks on a budget of 7,000 dollars, El Mariachi was one of the singular pleasures of the 1993-1994 movie season. Kind-spirited guitarist El Mariachi (Carlos M. Gallardo) simply wants to wander through life as his father and grandfather did, with a song in his heart and a smile on his lips. He wanders into a small mob-run town, guitar case in hand. It so happens that the local criminal element is awaiting the arrival of vicious hit man Azul (Reinol Martinez), who is well known for carrying his weapons in...a guitar case. Just when you think you've got a lock on what's going to happen next, director Robert Rodriguez throws us for a loop, unexpectedly alternating whimsical comedy with graphic violence. Rodriguez later retooled the plot of El Mariachi for his far more expensive (and far less satisfying) Antonio Banderas vehicle Desperado (1995). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Under discussion:

Desperado (1995)

kizmar
Posts 9

10/1/2008 1:50 PM
posted awhile ago

Re:Oct. 1st: El Mariachi (1992)

As a fan of Desperado, I also liked this one. I would definately suggest it to anyone who liked Desperado and Once Upon A Time In Mexico.

Good stuff.

SkyPilot
Posts 576

10/1/2008 2:25 PM
posted awhile ago

Re:Oct. 1st: El Mariachi (1992)

El Mariachi really surprised me, and I'm wondering what you guys thought of it.

The rhythm of it felt really different from Hollywood action movies. For example, the opening sequence reminded me of an old Sergio Leone western. A bunch of people sitting around doing things we don't understand. (Are we in a jail? Then why is this guy in a prison cell? Why is that woman hitting the cell bars with a wrench?)

The phone call answers these questions (well, not the wrench question), but the conversation made me think Azul will be the main character. He's not.

To make a long story short, I was consistently surprised by what I was seeing. I appreciated a lot about El Mariachi, but its weird rhythm made it feel more accidental and amateur than deliberate and indie. Like it was made by a student who had the talent but not the chops to pull of his vision.

That's just how I felt. Did anyone else think the movie felt a little "off"?

pairadocs
Posts 10

10/7/2008 10:37 AM
posted awhile ago

Re:Oct. 1st: El Mariachi (1992)

Definitely more of an amateurish feel than indie film... and while it had that vibe, it still shined. For a film with such a small budget, it was entertaining to see what Rodriguez managed to pull off. You could see several of his "trademark" cinematics in this, although not to the extent he pulls off in his higher-budget flicks.

This was one of those films I've always wanted to see, but could never find the time or excuse to fit it in. I really enjoyed it, and it made me want to go out and get Desperados and Once Upon a Time in Mexico and watch them now....