Full Tilt Boogie

The DVD-cover on From Dusk Till Dawn didn't say anything about this little extra. I don't see why not, but it was a nice surprise. Maybe that was the effect they were looking for.

Full Tilt Boogie is definitely not the standard document on making a specific film. It's no where near the quarter to half hour documentaries found as extras on many DVDs. Unlike most, this one doesn't really put emphasis on the stars, director, writers and so on. They are all there, although mostly as part of the crew rather than as individuals making well prepared statements on the movie, which can then be used for promotional purposes.

The whole documentary has pretty much nothing to do with promoting the movie, which is a good thing. It seems like a movie from a young filmmaker who is out to prove herself. And in my mind, she did. She's really interested in everything going on behind the scenes. She's not afraid to take on subjects which some might find inappropriate, but which are a part of film-making. Of course the director is always central, but there is so much more going on and the other parts are hardly ever touched in a movie like this.

I'm personally interested in film-making beyond the glamor, so this is a movie for me. It's also pretty entertaining and shows many of the more famous people in a different light, at least somewhat. Obviously the people on the set are just people, which means many of the things they do are quite mundane, but still a bit weird.

For someone like me, I'd highly recommend this, to others... well, I'd still recommend it, but not very strongly. If the subject matter isn't for you, don't go out of your way to watch this, but if it is - or strange humor from Tarantino interests you - take a looksie.

When Sarah Kelly asked Quentin Tarantino for a project, he gave her an opportunity to document the making of "From Dusk Till Dawn" the South of the Border-Vampire flick in which he starred with George Clooney, directed by his pal Robert Rodriguez.

What we get is a frank, behind the scenes, none of that prepackaged, smooth-edged stuff you see in the press packs, or on ET.

Pace yourself. For in today's world of sound and media bytes, 97 minutes may seem an eternity, but this is a well- paced, fun from start to finish feature. And don't look for Harvey Keitel, he's camera-shy when it comes to these things.

I just purchased the Collector's Edition of "From Dusk Till Dawn" about a week ago, and last night finally got around to viewing the "Full Tilt Boogie" documentary, which details the making of the project from conception to post-production. Star/writer Quentin Tarantino, director Robert Rodriguez, stars George Clooney and Harvey Keitel and producer Lawrence Bender all give their insight into the making of one of the '90s' most "cult"-heavy flicks.

Personally I'm not a huge fan of the movie, I think it's good because it's unique - something that doesn't really come out of Hollywood very often: a movie where you don't know what is going to happen next, and when you think you do...you're wrong.

It's a thriller in the vein of "Pulp Fiction" that suddenly shifts into comedy, then into slapstick, then back into crime thriller, then into horror, then into comedy... it never stops and really is an original film.

The documentary details the making of the film and opens at a comic book convention (Fangoria) where Rodriguez and Tarantino are being interviewed about their upcoming project.

From then it starts back at the beginning and goes through the entire process.

It's not a great documentary but it is a good one with insightful interviews and a comprehensive scope. I don't really think the film as a whole warrants any kind of "classic" treatment - the DVD is worthy of a finer picture some might say - but considering some of the awful five-minute HBO making-ofs that are on TV all the time nowadays, "Full Tilt Boogie" is a return to form.

"Full Tilt Boogie" does not provide any great insight into the making of "From Dusk 'Til Dawn", nor does it really glimpse in depth into the world of Quentin Tarantino or Robert Rodriguez. It does, however, showcase how calm & humble George Clooney remains in a karaoke bar despite being hounded by women and hangers-on. The film serves more as an episodic confessional for a non-union film crew; explaining how they feel about their work (few consider themselves in a creative light, they are all unabashedly in it "for the money"), why they're in the film business (money or avoidance of the 9-to-5 routine), the best perks available (free beer, getting to watch movie stars eat), and how the crew spends their time off (getting "sloppy drunk" & playing a lot of guitar). There's a minor story involving union protests over the use of non-union crew members, but it unfolds without any real interest. Rodriguez & Tarantino give a brief interview where they share some funny thoughts on the work of Stephen King, there are also short moments with Clooney, as well as a playful Juliette Lewis; and Harvey Keitel gives a brief, bizarre and distant interview to Tarantino towards the end of the documentary (sorry fellas, no Salma to be found here).

I enjoyed "Full Tilt Boogie" because I got to know what it's like to work on a film set, albeit not on the set of "From Dusk 'Til Dawn". But ultimately, the film didn't really end up telling me much about the people featured in it. And it didn't follow up on some items. For example, they didn't reveal who won the "Best Butt" contest? Oh well, I guess this film is for the hardcore fans.

I came across this documentary when I rented the DVD at Blockbuster. At first, I thought this would be another one of those HBO Special BS that companies usually slap on their DVDs, but from the beginning when Clooney and Tarantino were walking about the set along to the BeeGees, I was hooked. This wasn't the polished crap that I was used to, this was a full-out documentary that explored every aspect of film making. Instead of just interviewing the actors and the director, FTB interviewed the ADs, the grips, the runners, catering, the assistants, and many, many electricians. Instead of exploring about what went right in the movies, this explored what went wrong, and how the filmmakers fixed these problems. The budget problems, issues with the set design, "union troubles," all of it was there. This was the real stuff. Sure it might be a lil' long, but it was refreshing to see what REALLY goes on behind the scenes.