9) Song Selection (From Dusk Till Dawn)
There’s a reason I have many Tito & Tarantula songs on my iPod, and that’s because of From Dusk Till Dawn. You know these guys, they’re the house band rocking the Titty Twister, who also turn into vampires jamming on instruments made from human body parts. They can do everything from get the room hopping (Angry Cockroaches) to score a sultry exotic dance (After Dark), and their inclusion helps to make Rodriguez’s fake bar take a life of its own.
Every song perfectly fits the “Chicano” vibe of the film, mixing American stylings with true Mexican settings, putting together true cowboy classics like The Blasters’ Dark Night and ZZ Top’s Mexican Blackbird – a testament to Rodriguez’s musical knowledge. You know the filmmaker is actually a sick guitar player, right? Check out the band Chingon, which Rodriguez helped found, and you’ll understand why this secret rockstar always manages to assemble some of the grooviest soundtracks around.
Doesn’t get better than From Dusk Till Dawn though, if you ask me.