El Mariachi (1992)

"The year's most entertaining movie.  Richard Corliss, Time Magazine
"...enormously entertaining example of street haiku.  Hal Hinson, The Washington Post
"A movie miracle...  US Magazine

Editor's Note While earning room and board for a song, a down-on-his-luck musician gets into deep hot water when he's mistaken for a guitar case-toting hitman in a small Mexican town. EL MARIACHI was produced by do-it-yourself Austin, Texas auteur Robert Rodriguez (FROM DUSK TILL DAWN, SPY KIDS) on a shoe-string budget for the Mexican video market but earned a major studio release. Winner of the Audience Award at the Sundance Film Festival.

	Carlos Gallardo
	Consuelo Gomez
	Jaime de Hoyos
	Peter Marquardt
	Robert Rodriguez - Director
	Robert Rodriguez - Director of Photography
	Eric Gutherie, et al. - Musical Score
	Elizabeth Avellar, et al. - Producer
	Robert Rodriguez - Writer

This western pastiche follows the saga of a "mariachi" (Mexican musician) who wanders into town looking for work and accidentally gets mistaken for a hitman -- who just happens to hide his guns in a guitar case. New York Times
"...A skillful, familiar-feeling hybrid of film noir and Western conventions..." 02/26/1993 p.C6

Rolling Stone
"...A surprise package stuffed with action and laughs....The exuberant Rodriguez pumps juice into every scene..." 03/18/1993 p.45-6

USA Today
"...[A] wry sense humor..." 02/26/1993 p.5D

Film Comment
"...It sports Sergio Leone visuals, snarling stichomythia in the dialogue, and the highest hit-rate for verbal and sight gags since AIRPLANE!..." 03/01/1993 p.2-5

Chicago Sun-Times
"...An enormously entertaining movie....Rodriguez shoots this story in a lively visual style that brings a lot of energy even to routine shots..." 03/12/1993 p.43

Chicago Sun-Times 9 of 10
Rodriguez shoots this story in a lively visual style that brings a lot of energy even to routine shots... Rodriguez isn't afraid to reach all the way back to silent comedy for shots that punch up the humor and the action... Shooting with amateur actors on real locations, plundering his surroundings for his shots and props, Rodriguez gets a gritty, sweaty dusty feel that drips with atmosphere. - Roger Ebert