Genre: Action/Horror.
Studio:
Dimension Films.
Production Company:
A Band Apart/Los Hooligans.
Project Phase: In the Can.
Who's In It:
Michael Parks (Ambrose Bierce); Danny Trejo (Razor Charlie); Ara Celi
(Esmeralda/Santanico); Marco Leonardi (Johnny Madrid);
Sonia Braga (Vampire Princess); Temuera Morrison (The
Hangman); Rebecca Gayheart (Mary Newlie); Orlando Jones
(Ezra Traylor); Lennie Loftin (John Newlie); Jordana Spiro
(Reece).
Who's Making It:
P. J. Pesce (Director); Alvaro Rodriguez, Robert Rodriguez (Screenwriters);
Mike Murphy, Gianni Nunnari, Meir Teper (Producers); Robert Rodriguez, Quentin Tarantino,
Lawrence Bender (Executive Producers).
Premise: This film, the prequel to FDTD and set a hundred years before that film's date, concerns the story of Salma Hayek's character, who received only a few minutes of screentime in the first film - although they were some quality minutes...
Release Date: Unknown.
Comments: This will be a direct-to-video production. (CA doesn't usually track video releases...but because of the fan interest, here it is!)
Salma Hayek won't be returning as Satanica in the prequel.
Also of interest to FDTD fans is the forthcoming 90 minute documentary Full Tilt Boogie. Directed by Sarah Kelly, it chronicles the making of the original flick. (As a commentary on the whole video prequel/sequels and this documentary...it says a lot about how much Tarantino and Rodriguez dig not only the movies but their fans. Aw, guys.... *sniff*...I feel a group hug comin' on!)
Rumors: Unknown.
Scoop Feedback:
[Page draft submitted by 'widgett']
August 4, 1997... The budget for the prequel is said to be $10 million, the same as the sequel. Shooting was reportedly supposed to occur for both at some point this year, but it's already August and no word of production taking off yet.
Also, elsewhere on the Web, Duane Whitaker was listed as the screenwriter for the project, although the latest reports now show Team Rodriguez. [Scoop submitted by 'widgett.']
Christian reports to us that production is planned to start on October 15th. [Courtesy of Christian.]
[Also, thanks to the many others who've contributed news items and prodded us to make a page for the prequel. Here ya go!]
August 24, 1997... A scooper sends us his comments about the prequel's screenplay:
"I've read the screenplay, and the only formal mention to the first movie is on the cover of the screenplay, which actually says that the subtitle of the movie is not the prequel, but 'From Dusk Till Dawn III.' I know what you're thinking, ('What happened to part II?') and it makes no mention. The script, which takes place about 100 years in the past reads more like a prequel. The script is ok at best, but is awfully close to the first one. A bunch of interestingly assorted evildoers come to meet at a tavern, this time called 'The Devils Tit', and get into a huge barfight with sexy and not-so-sexy vampires. Except the circumstances under which the characters meet at the Titty Twister in the first one is much more interestingly written, where in the new one, It's just a bunch of people chasing a bunch of people chasing another bunch of people to the tavern. And then all hell breaks loose." [Scoop sent in by Mark S.]
September 2, 1997... It's just been announced that actor Michael Parks will star in the film. [Scoop sent in by Christian.]
November 16, 1997... Last week the production raised the ire of local environmentalists when imitation blood was dumped over rocks inside a cave at the Cedarberg Nature Reserve in Western Cape province, South Africa. The environmentalists claim the production damaged the ecologically-sensitive area. Producer Michael Murphey claimed that the shoot did not disturb the area and that they made sure the production left nothing behind. [Reported by 'colorg', 'jbayne', Sean, Dan, Mark S., Clint and anonymously.]
Sonia Braga, the Brazilian actress probably best known for her roles in Kiss of the Spider Woman and The Milagro Beanfield War is playing one of the lead characters. Is she the new Satanica? [Submitted by 'pbutcher'.]
November 22, 1997... Looks like the hangman is being played by Danny Trejo, the fella who was the bartender in From Dusk Till Dawn, and blew up real good. Also, Sonja Braga isn't the new Satanica. E! Online has her mentioned as a vampire princess. in their casting notes section. [Sent in by Dan.]
November 25, 1997... Marco Leonardi, the star of Like Water For Chocolate has a role in the film.
September 22, 1998... Some casting news:
"Picked up a copy of Maxim magazine this week. There was an interview with Rebecca Gayheart in there. Apparently she is going to be taking the part of Salma Hayek's character from From Dusk Till Dawn. She talked a little bit about her new movie (Urban Legends) and also about her upcoming role in The Hangman's Daughter in the article." [Scoop provided by 'guardian27'.]
September 27, 1998... Some clarification on Rebecca Gayheart's character: "Just to clear up some misinformation in the Sept. 22 scoop., Ms. Gayheart does not play Santanica Pandemonium (Salma's character from FDTD), she is actually playing a young missionary named Mary Newlie. Ara Celi (who played a mummy chick in a recent episode of "Buffy The Vampire Slayer") is playing Santanico Pandemonium." [Scoop provided by 'Monster Zero' and Mark Stewart]
October 27, 1998... Our first review of the prequel to From Dusk Till Dawn!
"I've got a bootleg workprint of The Hangman's Daughter and overall, I'm pleased to say that the film is pretty solid, if unexceptional. I know that there are plans to release Texas Blood Money theatrically, but I'm not sure how well the prequel would hold up on the big screen. The first half is excellentùdirector P. J. Pesce obviously learned a lot about the Western from his cable film The Desperate Trail and the opening act is a rousing homage to Leone and Peckinpah. Ambrose Bierce (Michael Parks) has eerie premonitions of the future before witnessing the escape/rescue of an outlaw from the gallows, and soon finds himself kidnapped by the outlaw's gang along with a young missionary and his frigid wife. As you can see, it's clearly the intention of Dimension for the FDTD follow-ups to at least follow the 'structure' and 'beats' of the original film. And that it does. At about the one- hour mark, the outlaws and the hostages hole up in a rather rustic desert hotel/brothel, and when night fallsùwell, you can pretty much figure out what happens.
"The second half of the film involving the vampires isn't as effective as the first half (a criticism of the original as well), but this is due largely to the familiarity of the splatter gags and the shoddy quality of the latex FX (and some very rough CGI). Granted, I'm basing my impressions on a work-in-progress; there are no titles and the music track is all temp stuff. Marilyn Manson's 'Beautiful People' accompanies the big bloodsucker assault scene (other music cues include classic Morricone and some of Bram Stoker's Dracula).
"Turns out that the girlfriend of the outlaw (and yes, daughter of the hangman) --later to become Santanico Pandemonium--has some sort of special blood that marks her as 'the one'! (Sonia Braga, briefly, as the madame/vampire priestess samples some of it and lets the mummified old crone in the basement know about it). The final act is the old 'chase through the tunnels' situation, as vamps and dead friends pop up to cause major grief to the survivors. And since in actuality, the body of Bierce was never found, Robert Rodriquez and his writing partner/brother have some fun incorporating some vampire lore into this historical enigma.
"The Hangman's Daughter has been shot in 1.85:1, so the film won't lose much if it's cropped for a video premiere. If the sets and FX of the second half were as strong as the locations and costumes of the first half, I'd say get this one into multiplexes FAST! For an intended DTV job, this is pretty high-quality, even occasionally smart, material. Too bad it falls just short of pleasing either camp."
[You just sunk your teeth into Robert L.'s review.]
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