Whether you're a fan of Robert Rodriguez's El Mariachi and Desperado or not, zany entertainment awaits you in the new DVD of Once Upon a Time in Mexico, the third film in Rodriguez's trilogy. El Mariachi, the mythical guitar-slinging hero of Mexico, has been the subject of many art forms and is the basis for Rodriguez's three films. Yet he offers a very stylized and absorbing view of El Mariachi.

Set in the middle of a revolution, a host of characters drift in and out of this tale like the wind, leaving bits of sand that sometimes collect to make sense of something, and others so scattered, you have no clue what's going on. But even in those moments, Rodriguez's production spares no loss of action and fills the screen with attention-grabbing characters who coerce viewers to tune-in to the fun. Who wouldn't want to see shapely and beautiful Salma Hayek as a knife-wielding martial arts expert? Or Johnny Depp in his imaginative take on the role of a corrupt CIA agent? Or Antonio Banderas, seething with self-confidence, as the brooding singer/killer?

Already known as a master filmmaker who does it all, once again Rodriguez directed, wrote and produced the film, was the music composer, the director of photography, the production designer and the editor. WOW. And you'll love the music, mostly written by Rodriguez as well, but also with pieces written by Depp and Banderas to fit their characters.

Although Rodriguez finds extreme enjoyment in making his own films and "doing it all," he still works on other projects.

"I like switching back and forth," he said. "It just makes a more sense to do more of the jobs where you've written the material and know it so well.  When it's someone else's script, then it's much more open to interpretation. Part of my projects is going to be things I didn't particularly write. I like to try different things, and I learn a lot from other writers and other filmmakers." 

This time out Rodriguez added a new dimension to his repertoire by shooting the entire film with a digital camera on high-definition video -- which he said, "changes how you capture the images and how you capture the work you do with the actors on the set. It's just a huge boost creatively."

After seeing the results of shooting Mexico with this technology, Rodriguez is moving full steam ahead to embrace it.

"I just got the new cameras that came out, and we're going to shoot this weekend on a new project we're starting. I'm getting into doing projects that just aren't even possible on film. That's what's so great about the new technology.  It allows you to dream about things that weren't even possible before, and in this next project, once people see it, they'll know there's no way to have shot it had it not been for the new technology. And that's great.  When you can conceive of movies that are not possible with the current older technology, then that's when the technology is really revolutionary because that allows you to tell new stories in different ways, and it really opens up the art form. It can do everything film can do but plus so much more." 

So will Rodriguez return to shooting with regular film?  "Oh yes, absolutely. I'll never abandon film. People seem to think film is more organic, and doesn't grow on trees. You forget, it's such an old technology that that, too, is a technology. It was just the best technology we could come up with at the time.  And it's really just outdated at this point. But people who have a real love for nostalgia just don't want to hear that sort of thing. I did get some great reviews from Roger Ebert on Once Upon a Time in Mexico. He wrote that the movie looks really great."

Mexico features a dream cast. Rodriguez used actors from the other two films as well as new ones. Banderas simply nails the character of El Mariachi. He seldom speaks, and whether playing the guitar or spraying bullets, it's all done with the fluid movement of a dancer. Banderas was more than happy to sign on to do the film.

"We've (he and Rodriguez) done six films together and they've all been perfect experiences, because we are in symphony," said Banderas. "There is a fluidity to the language we share similar to what I have with Pedro Almodovar."

Johnny Depp, new to the storyline, brings more of his well-known pirate "quirkiness" to his role. He even throws in a hint of his Edward Scissorhands and Sleepy Hollow personas to fill out the character he plays, and he gets laughs throughout the entire movie.

Rodriguez, in one part of the wonderful DVD commentaries, explains how Depp brought many of his own ideas to the film. "But there are also things that seemed like they might have been his ideas but were actually in the script," said Rodriguez. "He just does things in such a fresh way it seems like he's making it up on the spot. That's part of what's great about Johnny." 

Rodriguez shot Mexico before Pirates of the Caribbean, so many people had not been reminded of Johnny's uniquely amusing abilities yet. "When you hire someone like Johnny, you're hoping he'll bring all his imagination to the table," said Rodriguez.  "It was one of my favorite written parts, and he came in and just did it off the page. I mean he had three arms, he killed the cook, and he lost his eyes. He was already a really interesting character. But I couldn't wait to see how Johnny would take this to the next level. And he did.  He's very free, and I gave him that kind of freedom as a director because I wanted to be an audience as a director watching him."

Other outstanding actors portray idiosyncratic characters in the story. Cheech Marin, who usually dies in Rodriguez's films, lives up to that expectation again. Willem Dafoe plays the icy drug lord, Barillo. Mickey Rourke and his dog one-up each other, and Enrique Iglesias makes a singing and acting appearance.

The new DVD of Once Upon a Time in Mexico has many great filmmaker features, a concept that is increasing the popularity of DVDs as an influential key in the movie's overall success.

"It's really valuable to a filmmaker when people who didn't get a chance to see a movie in a theater for whatever reason -- marketing, the timing of the movie or they weren't sure if that was the movie they wanted to see -- discover it later through other media. So I've always tried to put a lot of importance on the DVD release, sometimes even more than a theatrical release because that's really where the life of the movie will be. I try to make the packaging and the materials that go with it really definitive, sort of, your final statement on your movie because that's how people are going to enjoy it."

In addition to deleted scenes, trailers and selected scenes from Mexico, there are two commentaries by Rodriguez, one with the musical score running in the background and one without -- plus segments Rodriguez is now known for since he first included one in his book (A Rebel Without a Crew, Making Mariachi): his 10-Minutes Film Schools. 

"These are great fun to put together," said Rodriguez. "I like to do a lot of the extra stuff myself here at home. I've always been a fan of the extra goodies featured on DVDs and before that, laser disks. I think it helps build an audience of movie lovers, because people get to see what filmmakers are thinking and also just to record methodology. I think if someone told me research shows no one watches any of that, I would still do it just for having a record of the methodology of the movie making process."

In the 10-Minute Flick School, Rodriguez adds commentaries for both the average viewer and film aficionados. "It's FAST...CHEAP…and IN CONTROL, or the importance of being well versed in special effects and technology in modern movie making so that you're not only cutting edge and fiscally responsible but that you have ultimate freedom as well as learn how shots tie together and get edited," he explains on the DVD.

"It's not really actor or other kind of commentaries on there. I figure if someone's going to go listen to a commentary, they're really interested in methodology in one of my movies …so I'm going to make sure you get all the information you could possibly want and talk fast."

Speaking of working at home, in the 10-Minute Inside Troublemaker Studios segment, Rodriguez offers a complete tour around his studios based at his home in Texas. The tour not only conjures up envy but also helps one understand the complexity of Rodriguez's work and how he manages to complete his own vision of each film.

The 10-Minute Cooking School unleashes Rodriguez, also obviously a competent chef, in the kitchen. "This is where I show how to make Puero Pibil, the slow-roasted pork dish Johnny Depp loves to eat so much he'll kill for it"

In his kitchen Rodriguez shows us his own menus printed and waiting for his guests to choose what dish they want him to make. 

Rodriguez, who has some secret projects he won't talk about, has optioned Mike Allred's Mad Man comic book and is now in the process of filming it. 

Meanwhile, the new DVD of Once Upon a Time in Mexico  offers movie fans many hours of viewing pleasure, thanks to the amazing talents of filmmaker Robert Rodriguez. 

(Released by Columbia TriStar Home Entertainment and rated "R" for strong violence and language.)