This Quentin Tarantino Film Was Banned in Ireland And The Reason May Surprise You
From Dusk Till Dawn is an iconic vampire picture. It’s one of the rare examples of an action-horror hybrid that works on nearly every level. However, the film did stir up some controversy upon release. In fact, it was banned in Ireland for several years following its US premiere.
The picture was banned following a series of shocking real-life tragedies. A horrifying school shooting transpired in Dunblane, Scotland on March 13, 1996. A month later, a similar incident unfolded in the Australian state of Tasmania. According to The Irish Times, these tragic events gave Sheamus Smith, the censor on the Irish film board at the time, pause. He saw the feature’s graphic nature as promoting real-life violence. Censors have taken that approach with onscreen carnage on a number of occasions. However, research suggests onscreen brutality isn’t likely to encourage violent behavior in anyone not already predisposed to violence.
The ban on the picture remained intact for several years. But in 2004, the Irish film board finally lifted it.
Robert Rodriguez and Quentin Tarantino co-wrote the script for From Dusk Till Dawn and Rodriguez directed. In addition to cowriting, Tarantino also played Richie, one of the lead characters.
In case you’re unfamiliar, the setup goes like this:
On the run from a bank robbery that left several police officers dead, Seth Gecko (George Clooney) and his paranoid, loose-cannon brother, Richard (Tarantino), hightail it to the Mexican border. Kidnapping preacher Jacob Fuller (Harvey Keitel) and his kids, the criminals sneak across the border in the family’s RV and hole up in a topless bar. Unfortunately, the bar also happens to be the home base for a gang of vampires, and the brothers and their hostages have to fight their way out.
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H/t: Collider
Categorized:News
