Robert Rodriguez: 10 Things You Never Knew About The Director

Best known for movies like Machete and Alita Battle Angel, here are 10 things fans may not have known about film director Robert Rodriguez.

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Hollywood director Robert Rodriguez is best known for his horror films, action films, and animated films. Among his popular movies are Machete, Desperado, and Alita Battle Angel. The director who mostly uses Mexico as the filming location for his movies has been active since the early 90s.

Robert Rodriguez is also one of the self-taught filmmakers who didn’t attend film school, and, despite never winning an Oscar, he is still considered one of Hollywood’s go-to directors. Here are a couple of things you probably didn’t know about him.

10 His First Movie Is In The Guinness Book Of Records

Robert Rodriguez’s first film is in the Guinness Book Of Records for the lowest-budget movie to gross more than a million dollars at the American box office. El Mariachi only had a budget of $7000 that Rodriguez raised after participating in a medical research program.

The film was meant to be released direct-to-video, but Columbia Pictures liked it and offered to distribute it. Due to the El Mariachi’s success, Robert Rodriguez was given a big budget to direct the more popular sequel Desperado starring Antonio Banderas.

9 He Is Danny Trejo’s Cousin

Robert Rodriguez has directed Danny Trejo in a number of films, the most popular one being Machete. We’ve probably got a case of nepotism going on between these two, but it isn’t that obvious. The two didn’t find out that they were cousins until years later after they had already worked together on a number of projects. One of them must have skipped plenty of family gatherings.

Robert Rodriguez gave Trejo his first lead role. The actor has played supporting characters in nearly all his films. The collaborations between the two cousins have all performed well, so, hopefully, there’ll be more.

8 He Is Best Friends With Quentin Tarantino

No, Brad Pitt isn’t Quentin Tarantino’s best friend. Neither is Leonardo Di Caprio or Samuel L. Jackson. The iconic director’s best friend is none other than Robert Rodriguez. Birds of a feather truly flock together. The two are both self-taught directors, so they have much in common.

Rodriguez and Tarantino have worked together on a number of films including the horror feature From Dusk Till Dawn and the double-feature Grindhouse. Rodriguez also cast Tarantino in the former, as well as in his hit movie Desperado.

7 One-Man Film Crew

Rodriguez’s movies normally don’t cost a lot to make because he does most of the work himself. He isn’t a fan if delegating tasks, and, as a result, he has been nicknamed the “One-Man Film Crew.” As they say, if you want something done right, do it yourself.

In nearly all his films, Rodríguez is credited with producing, writing, directing, editing, and even composing the score sometimes. In Once Upon a Time in Mexico, for instance, he is credited for making the film’s soundtrack. Perhaps the only thing he doesn’t do is stunt work.

6 He Wrote Machete’s Script In 1993

Machete was released in 2010, but Rodriguez had already finished writing the script as early as 1993. He always had Danny Trejo in mind for the lead role, but it’s unclear why he sat on it for too long—perhaps he was just waiting for the right time.

The director has stated in numerous interviews that he always pictured Trejo as the Mexican version of Charles Bronson and wondered why he wasn’t cast in his own solo movies every year. Trejo has never been seen as a leading man in Hollywood, but he always has a string of projects coming his way.

5 The Time He Was Fired

When he was a teenager, Robert Rodriguez landed a gig that involved him videotaping his high school’s football games. However, he was fired after filming his very first due to his cinematic style that didn’t quite fit well in high school sports.

Apparently, Rodriguez would include many extra elements such as capturing the reactions of the parents and showing the ball in slow motion. The sports department only wanted someone who could record the game, so they got someone else. Well, too bad. They didn’t know the kind of talent they were letting go.

4 He Son Gave Him A Movie Idea

In 2005, Rodriguez made a movie from an idea that his son gave him. The movie was Adventures Of Sharkboy and Lavagirl, and it followed a lonely 10-year-old boy who creates a planet where all of his dreams come true. His son was even credited as one of the screenwriters.

Despite this being very adorable, critics refused to say “aww!” The movie has a 19% score on Rotten Tomatoes. Many said that the visual effects weren’t good enough. The box office wasn’t kind, either; Adventures Of Sharkboy and Lavagirl only broke even by a small margin.

3 He Resigned From The Directors Guild Of America

All Hollywood directors are members of the Directors Guild of America, but Rodriguez decided to resign a few years ago. Before Sin City’s release, Rodriguez wanted to credit Frank Miller as co-director. Miller hadn’t really directed the movie, but the story had been adapted from his popular novel.

The Directors Guild of America refused to grant Miller permission to do this, and so he resigned. The move cost him, as he was forced to step aside from a project he had already agreed to take.

2 He Owns The El Ray TV Network

Apart from owning a production house, Rodriguez owns the Texas-based cable network El Ray. The network targets English-speaking Hispanic Americans. One of the first shows to air on the network was a TV adaptation of From Dusk Till Dawn.

Most of the shows airing on the network follow the grindhouse style of filmmaking. Commercials are also shot in a stylistic manner. In addition to that, Rodriguez has his own show on the network where he interviews other directors.

1 He Fell In Love With Filmmaking When He Was Eleven

The director developed an interest in making films at the age of eleven. The interest grew after his father bought him one of the very first VCRs that were equipped with a camera. He ended up filming everything he could, including playtime and family dinners. Years later, his passion would develop into a real and highly decorated career. What a proud father his dad must be.

Link Source : https://screenrant.com/robert-rodriguez-director-facts/