I can never get enough of the Robert Rodriguez/Quentin Tarantino team up of 'From Dusk Till Dawn'. It's such a fun film that spawned sequels and a TV Show that now has three seasons. Unfortunately, all of the actors and crew have been released from their contracts as of last Halloween, and there are no plans for a fourth season, which is sad, because this third season started to explore a variety of new characters and monsters. As we saw at the end of the original film, there were ancient tombs buried underneath that famous bar that went back centuries. Robert Rodriguez has said before that he's always wanted to explore the mythos of those tombs, which is one of the reasons he created the TV series.
So far, 'From Dusk Till Dawn' has explored those different angles quite well, but it wasn't until this third season that all of these creatures and entities came to the forefront. Things have gone to hell in a hand basket this season, and it doesn't take long to get there either, as to start season three, the destruction of the Titty Twister goes off with a band. This allows all of those creatures and monsters out into the open as Seth and Richie Gecko deal with their problems with each other, in addition to fighting the new demons.
In addition to all of the new characters and monsters, there is a mind control aspect to this season with Kate taking on more than she can chew. In fact, Kate is one of the best characters in this season, as are all of the supporting roles. Each of them are given more time to shine here as Seth and Richie are doing more or less of the same as they've been doing in the past two seasons. Add insult to injury here with Seth and Richie being angry with each other through most of this season due to Richie's "transformation".
This third installment to the series definitely hits the ground running and never stops with a new vision and new characters. It's something the show needed. It's just unfortunate that we won't see more. The blood and guts aspect of the show is once again top notch, which should appease the gore hounds on this one too. If this is the last time we will see 'From Dusk Till Dawn', this was a solid way to go out, which was bloody fun and entertaining, and leaving us wanting more.
The Blu-ray: Vital Disc Stats
'From Dusk Till Dawn': Season Three comes with three 50GB Blu-ray Discs from eOne and Miramax that are Region A Locked. There is no insert for promos nor a digital download code. The discs are housed in a hard, blue plastic case with a cardboard sleeve. The box art has a reverse side that lists all episodes and information about each episode.
Season three of 'From Dusk Till Dawn' comes with a 1080p HD transfer and is presented in 1.78:1 aspect ratio. As with previous seasons, this show takes place in a lot of low lit situations or at night, which could hinder the detail a bit, but in this case, it doesn't. Detail is fairly sharp and vivid, even in the darker scenes. Closeups show all of the great makeup effects, individual hairs, and gory wounds nicely. Wider shots looks great too, which gives the image some depth.
Colors look excellent with bright neon colors that pop off screen. The color red looks exquisite as well. Some of the heavier CGI scenes can cause the image to go soft a bit, but that's usually standard in modest budget shows. There is some minor video noise as well, but that's the only issue. Black levels are mostly deep and inky and the skin tones are natural, leaving this video presentation with solid marks.
This release comes with a lossless DTS-HD MA 5.1 mix and sounds great. The sound effects of the demons howling and snarling as well as every other creature screaming in the distance sounds great. Each noise is robust and full and packs a good punch with some good directionality. The ambient noises also sounds great from the rear speakers in every episode.
The score always adds to the suspense and horror in each episode without drowning out any other sound aspect. The dialogue is clear and easy to follow and free of any pops, cracks, hiss, or shrills. The low end brings the bass quite often without going into rocky territory as well, leaving this audio presentation with solid marks.
Audio Commentary - There are three episodes with audio commentary with the filmmakers, producers, and actor Brandon Soo Hoo. Those episodes are 'Head Games', 'Matanzas', and 'Dark Side of the Sun'. The filmmakers and actor discuss where the show has gone, some technical aspects, character development over three seasons, and some anecdotes from the set. They are all worth listening to.
Season 3 Catch Up (HD, 10 Mins.) - There are three short featurettes that cover characters, places, and conflicts to catch the viewer up on the past two seasons.
Featurettes (HD, 8 Mins.) - There are four different featurettes that include, discussions on the new monsters, how Kate has transformed through each season, and Carlos Madrigal.
Inside the Episodes (HD, 8 Mins.) - Some brief behind the scene looks at the making of the show with interviews and B-Roll footage.
Season 3 Wrap Up (HD, 4 Mins.) - This gives us a look at where all storylines have left off and what we can look forward to next.
Season 3 Best Kills (HD, 2 Mins.) - A montage of some of the more gruesome kills this season.
When Sex Machines Collide (HD, 3 Mins.) - Jake Busey and others talk about the character of Sex Machine.
Evolution of a Fight Scene (HD, 3 Mins.) - Here is a look at some behind the scenes rehearsal on the heavier fight scenes in the show, which are similar to the MMA style of fighting.
Deleted Scenes (HD, 2 Mins.) - There is one deleted scene from 'Matanzas' that is worth looking at.
Trailers (HD, 3 Mins.) - Trailers for the show.
'From Dusk Till Dawn' was a fantastic film. This series sure couldn't live up to the original film, but it had some great moments with solid storytelling and visual effects. I love how the whole mythology of the vampires and monsters were captured here and went deeper than the film ever did. It's sad though that there are no plans for a fourth season, because it would've been great to see where the show went from this third season. That being said, this was a solid last season if this is the end for 'From Dusk Till Dawn'. The video and audio presentations were both good and the extras are worth watching and brief. Recommended!
Portions of this review also appear in our coverage of Dunkirk on Blu-ray. This post features unique Vital Disc Stats, Video, and Final Thoughts sections.
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