DVD REVIEWS

El Mariachi, Desperado, Once Upon a Time in America

Sony Pictures Home Entertainment presents on January 4, 2011 a trilogy of action-adventure shoot-outs, El Mariachi, Desperado and Once Upon A Time ewly-remastered on Blu-ray.

The three films, which have become cult favorites, showcase director Robert Rodriguez’s raw and gritty style of filmmaking in visually-stunning high definition.

Each Blu-ray includes the all-new special feature “The Cutting Room,” which puts fans in the director’s chair and allows them to cut together a video using clips and music from the movies, which they can then post to BD-Live for others to view and rate.

All three films include director’s commentary and movieIQ. Additional features for Once Upon A Time in Mexico include eight deleted scenes with commentary, four featurettes and two short films.

El Mariachi

All the guy wants is to be is a mariachi, just like his father, his grandfather and his great grandfather before him. But the town he thinks will bring him luck brings only a curse of deadly mistaken identity. Forced to trade his guitar for a gun, the mariachi (Carlos Gallardo, Desperado and Bravo) is playing for his life in this critically-acclaimed film debut from writer/director Robert Rodriguez. Financed with earnings from a month-long stay in a research hospital, this astonishing action adventure was shot with no second takes, using borrowed equipment and a talented cast of unknowns. The riveting result is a wild bullet-dodging ride through a world of bandito violence, from the suspense of the opening shoot-out to the tragedy of the unexpected conclusion. With little more than a great story and a lot of heart, Rodriguez has created pure movie pleasure, setting new standards for independent filmmaking, and establishing himself as an unquestionable talent.

Running time: 81 minutes.

MPAA Rating: R

Blu-ray Special Features

Blu-ray Exclusive:
* The Cutting Room
o  Create your own video with clips from both El Mariachi and Desperado and upload your cut to BD-Live for others to view and rate
*  Commentary with Director Robert Rodriguez for El Mariachi and Desperado
* MovieIQ
* 10 Minute Film School
*  Robert Rodriguez’s Student Film: “Bed Head”
*  10 More Minutes: Anatomy of a Shootout
*  Los Lobos with Antonio Banderas – “Morena De Mi Corazón”
*  Tito & Tarantula- “Back To The House That Love Built”