El Mariachi gave special mention to director Robert Rodriguez and his ability to merge two separate genres of films—"the narcotraficante film, a Mexican police genre, and the transnational warrior-action film, itself rooted in Hollywood Westerns"—successfully "despite the constraints of a shoestring budget." The film is recognized by American Film Institute in these lists: El Mariachi El Mariachi is a 1992 American contemporary western action film and the first installment in the saga that came to be known as Robert Rodriguez's "Mexico Trilogy". It marked the feature length debut of Rodriguez as writer and director. The Spanish language film was shot with a
Mariachi El Bronx (2009 album) performing "Cell Mates" in mariachi style under the name "Mariachi El Bronx". The punk rock album was released first, on November 11, 2008. Titled "The Bronx", it was their third eponymous album. The band supported it with a world tour from September through December 2008 covering Canada, the United States, Europe, the United Kingdom, Australia, and New Zealand, playing with bands such as Bad Religion, Every Time I Die, and Stick to Your Guns. In a December 2008 interview, singer Matt Caughthran commented that "["Mariachi El Bronx"] was something that was a part of us that we didn't really realize.