Five Favorite Robert Rodriguez Movies
Posted by Melissa Locker on
Tonight at 8 and 10:30 p.m. ET we are showing “Sin City,” a film that Robert Rodriguez co-directed with Frank Miller, who created the graphic novel. After the two collaborators developed and shot the opening scene of the movie with a unique green-screen process meant to recreate the stark, black-and-white look of the books, the Director’s Guild refused to let Miller co-direct. So Rodriguez quit the Guild to work with Miller, a bold and also admirable move, which is one of the things we love about him. The other thing we love about him is that he’s a filmmaker whose highest aspiration seems to be to make violent trashy camp movies. And who doesn’t love that? Plus, have you seen the poster for “Machete Kills” There’s no way not to love a director who approves that idea. Bet you know where this is going, don’t you? That’s right, a list.
Here are five of our favorite Robert Rodriguez films:
1. “El Mariachi”
Shot for $7,000, with a mainly amateur cast, in a small Mexican bordertown, the film was destined for the Mexican DVD market, but instead introduced the young filmmaker Robert Rodriguez to the world. The film stars Carlos Gallardo as a young mariachi who kills four men in self defense, which sets off a series of unfortunate events that unleashes El Mariachi.
2. “Desperado”
Desperado is the sequel to “El Mariachi” and the third in the Mexico Trilogy (the third being “Once Upon a Time in Mexico”). The film stars Antonio Banderas as the former mariachi seeking revenge on Bucho, the drug lord who killed his lover, Salma Hayek as a new love interest, and Danny Trejos as the assassin Navajas.
3. “Sin City”
Ripped from the pages of Miller’s graphic novel, “Sin City” is the dark tale of a town with no pity, no mercy, and not much daylight. It’s one of those movies that leave you wanting more and finally there are rumors that more might be on its way. Yep, “Sin City 2: A Dame to Kill For” is coming and we couldn’t be more excited.
It’s no secret that we love this vampire flick starring Quentin Tarantino, George Clooney, Harvey Keitel and, of course, Salma Hayek. In fact, we’re showing it on Sunday at 8:45 p.m. ET.
5. “Machete”
Fact: Danny Trejo is one scary mofo. Even though the “Machete” character originated in a so-called kids’ movie “Spy Kids” (which we also love, but, you know, choices) Trejo was still completely frighteningly awesome.That the film is an expansion of a fake trailer that was released together with Rodriguez’s and Quentin Tarantino’s 2007 “Grindhouse,” just makes it all some sort of meta in-joke, which makes us like it even more.
“Sin City” airs at 8 and 10:30 p.m. ET
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