Product Details

• Actors: Carlos Gallardo, Consuelo Gómez, Jaime de Hoyos, Peter Marquardt, Reinol Martinez
• Format: Color, NTSC
• Language: English
• Rated: R (Restricted)
• Number of tapes: 1
• Studio: Sony Pictures
• VHS Release Date: February 21, 1995
• Run Time: 81 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (21 customer reviews)
• ASIN: 6302860067
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #370,869 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

Filmmaker Robert Rodriguez captured the world's attention with this little 1992 film, made for only $7,500 (not counting the cost of a little prerelease polish) and originally destined for the Spanish- language video market. An enterprising studio executive saw the enormous Spielbergian talent in Rodriguez's work and decided to get El Mariachi out to the international public. A tight, inventive, highly entertaining movie from start to finish, the story concerns a guitarist mistaken for a hired killer and forced to fight a local crime boss and his army of goons. Rodriguez makes clever use of every available prop, from guitar cases to a beat-up bus to a funny-looking dog. But his promise as a director--he went on to make Desperado and From Dusk till Dawn--is evident in every scene. --Tom Keogh

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Play on, Mariachi, March 19, 2000

By 

Kevin Alphonso (Canton, Michigan) - See all my reviews

This review is from: El Mariachi (Dubbed) [VHS] (VHS Tape)

"El Mariachi" is probably the most visual film that I've ever seen. By "visual", I mean that all of the fancy and amazing camerawork used here combines with the story to make a truly unique film.

Director Robert Rodriguez, making his first feature film here, takes action to a unique level in this straightforward and, sometimes, jaw-dropping movie, which is full of so much that moviegoers love, it's almost impossible not to like it.

Carlos Gallardo plays a young man who wants to earn a name for himself as a mariachi, a beloved, legendary kind of guitar player. He walks into a town hoping for luck. But, instead is mistaken for a brutal killer by the hired hands of a local crime lord.

At a tightly-wound 81 minutes, "Mariachi" starts up the steam and never lets up. The action scenes are loaded with energy and the story complements them with good characters and good actors that make it all work.

The sequel, "Desperado", missed the mark and is not very memorable. It missed all of the elements that made "Mariachi" so good and so much fun to watch.

Stick with this film for all it's ingenuity and brilliance, it is a film that should not be ignored.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A moviemaking marvel, April 9, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: El Mariachi [VHS] (VHS Tape)

I first read about this movie in "Millimeter" magazine...and couldn't believe that anyone could possibly do what Robert Rodriguez did. Don't have enough money to rent a dolly camera? Borrow a wheelchair and move the camera around on that. Can't record sound properly? Edit it on a home camcorder. Can't afford editing time? Borrow time at the local cable access station. Oh, and while you're at it, make a film good enough to get you a national distribution deal and recognition as one of the hottest directors around. My hat's off to you, Robert. You made an amazing film...probably because no one told you you couldn't do it that way.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Action Movie!, June 26, 2001

A Kid's Review

This review is from: El Mariachi (Dubbed) [VHS] (VHS Tape)

Even though this movie was made on 7,000 it is just as entertaining as these million dollar movies out there! This movie to me was more entertaining than Titanic ever could be! And the action sequences a great! Anyway if you are looking for a good action movie this is your movie!!