From Dusk Till Dawn 2: Texas Blood Money (1999)

(On Cable TV, October 2020) Considering that much of what was great about the first From Dusk Till Dawn was its out-of-nowhere genre twist midway through, it’s almost a given that any follow-up will not be able to get that impact, yet From Dusk Till Dawn 2: Texas Blood Money does keep the pretence running a bit too long. After a meaningless prologue (featuring Bruce Campbell and Tiffani Thiessen), the film spends too much time assembling its band of criminals going after a bank heist before derailing the plan with the sudden intrusion of the good old vampire bar. Danny Trejo has a small role to keep up appearances, then we’re off to the bloody stuff. While the film’s level of interest fluctuates throughout, it does work itself to an interesting climax during the robbery itself, as our protagonist (a rather likable Robert Patrick) finds himself stuck between robbing vampires and opposing police forces in an isolated Mexican bank. The numerous vampire gore gags that follow are the reason why the film is worth a look for fans of the first instalment, and it’s where director Scott Spiegel seems to have the most fun as well. It doesn’t make Texas Blood Money a good movie (and I can think of many ways, most of them incompatible with the film’s low-budget, which would have made the result more interesting) but at best it’s an entertaining watch for those who want just a little bit more of the series’ modern western approach to the vampire myth.