Desperado (1995)

DESPERADO is somewhere between a sequel to, remake of and parody of Robert Rodriguez' debut EL MARIACHI. The film goes loud and brash where the non-existent budget meant EL MARIACHI had to be creative, but it is no less clever in its way - in part due to the way it plays with the mythos of its predecessor.

Rodriguez puts all that Hollywood money to good use with some beautiful Hong Kong style shootouts, with Antonio Banderas miraculously transformed from the slightly nebbish young star of assorted Pedro Almodóvar films into the sexiest man alive, and Salma Hayek veritably setting the screen on fire alongside him.

DESPERADO was a landmark in Hollywood action films, part of a wave that absorbed techniques Hong Kong had refined over the years and taught Western audiences to expect more - and Hollywood crews how to deliver it.

Steve Buscemi, Cheech Marin, Danny Trejo and Quentin Tarantino all make amusing appearances, along with the band Los Lobos, who also provide the soundtrack.