I received an ARC audiobook of this title from the publisher through NetGalley.

I've always enjoyed the films of Robert Rodriguez, so this was a great listen. Told as a diary of the events during filming El Mariachi and getting it out there, it was cool to hear it from the author's experiences. And as a bonus, Rodriguez narrates the edition.

A delight, entertaining as it is informative. An excellent primer for anyone interested in independent film - what I really appreciated about this audiobook, though, were the intermittent interjections and reflections from the elder Rodriguez narrating it. It was nice to hear how perspective changes in subtle ways as compared to the young gun who originally penned this. A delight, entertaining as it is informative.

This was okay, would have liked it more if I was more directly interested in the day to day of film making. But Rodriguez lays the process out well and I think filmmaking buffs will love this.

I first saw El Mariachi years after it first came out. I had remembered the hype but never knew the story of what it took to create the movie until now. Wow, I am amazed! Rebel Without a Crew, the book, was originally published in 1995 based on diary notes Rodriguez kept throughout the filming. Dreamscape’s audiobook version of the book came out recently and allows listeners to hear Rodriguez recount the story in his own voice, with asides added to give his current perspective on certain of the events that happened back when it all started.

Listening to this book hooked me into learning all about the journey of Robert Rodriguez. I’ve since rewatched and enjoyed El Mariachi. I had no idea that Rodriguez was both producer and director of one of my favorite horror movies from the 90’s, The Faculty. I also found an old reality show on Tubi based on his experiences in which he makes another movie (called “Red 11”) without a substantial budget or crew.

The audiobook tells many interesting tales including stories of how he raised the $7,000 used to create the film, his casting (no spoilers given here but this is probably my favorite part of the book), and the movie’s explosion at film festivals and in Hollywood. I listened at a speed of 1.25 which I believe to be ideal for any book which I like.

While I am sure the book itself is great, I have to recommend this audiobook given Rodriguez reads it himself and has added the previously-mentioned asides. Rebel Without a Crew would be perfect for dreamers who aspire for greatness and are willing to put in the work required.

Thanks to Dreamscape Media and NetGalley for providing me the opportunity to listen to Rebel Without a Crew. The above opinions are my own.