Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

El Mariachi is a Comedy Of Errors. (Hey, what a catchy title for a play !) A poor man's " North by Northwest" wherein a mariachi looking for a job gets mistaken for a killer seeking revenge because they carry identical guitar cases. It's a funny, fast paced and an extremely well plotted film, shot without a crew and only one camera. Rodriguez used a wheelchair for a dolly and a ladder for a crane. It works beautifully. He recounts his adventures, including raising money by submitting to medical experiments, in this --to some--inspiring book. I say 'to some' because if you want to get a rise out of an aspiring director who is working "through the system" i.e; editors, directors of photography, cameramen, 2nd A.D.'s, the guy brings the coffee, in short ANYONE in crew on a Hollywood set or in postproduction, all you have to do is casually mention 'El Mariachi' and they'll start grousing about how it really cost a million bucks after it got picked up to bring it up to quality prior to release. Hmm. . .slightly untrue but a face saving urban myth. In a few years they'll be saying it took 10 million. They're not alone. Film schools and some other Indie filmakers also dislike him. Why? Simple. Rodriguez is a throwback to the Golden Era of silent films and the early twenties, prior to the star/ agent system. (Gee, however did D. W. Griffith or Erich von Stroheim manage it without ever having attended a film school? Boggles the mind, doesn't it? ) BTW, Rodriguez' appendix 'The Ten Minute Film Course ' is worth the price of the book alone. Cheap really, considering he tells you how to save 20k from a school that will , after all is said and done, qualify you after four years to be the guy that brings the coffee to the set--or if you're extremely well connected and lucky, the 2nd A.D. Which explains the dislike from both film schools and wannabe directors who already plunked downn their dough and have little to show for it ten to twenty years after. But why would some Indie directors dislike one of their own? Simple again. Envy. You see we have now a new myth in town--similar to the myth in the 40's that you were going to get 'discovered' sitting at Schwab's cafeteria , namely the myth of the YOUNG FILMAKER. HEY KIDS, LET'S PUT TOGETHER OUR MASTERCARDS, SHOOT A LOW BUDGET FILM AND HAVE IT PLAY IN THE FESTIVAL CIRCUIT! Good luck. The truth is that for every Robert Rodriguez there's ten thousand intolerable idiots who couldn't direct traffic, let alone a film, and whose idea of writing a 'small movie' is a self indulgent sentimental auto biographical P.O.S. about the meaning of life, which ususally means scenes with teenagers drinking espresso and talking about their angst, or a study of a failed relationship, or a cynically dark vision from hell, or the plight of the (fill in the blank). Zzzzzzz.................... But well written with a good plot? Forget about it! A comedy? Unimaginable. After Mariachi's success, R. R. was given money (and a crew!) for his subsequent projects. He amazed the establishment by shooting as many as 70 camera set ups on a single day! Well, why not? Without stars demanding changes to the script (Please read 'Adventures in The Screen Trade ' by William Goldman ) and other idiocies, it can and has been done. Furthermore R.R. believes that the reason overblown and overbudgeted Hollywood productions are usually so stale is because of all the waiting actors have to do as the crew lights and sets up the next shot ( Oh, about 3 hours each on a good day ) which robs actors of energy and films of their vitality. Along with Goldman's books ( He folllowed up with 'Which Lie Did I Tell? ' ) and Robert Evans 'The Kid Stays in The Picture' R.R's book is among the wisest and wittiest renderings on Hollyweird.