DrunkenMaster2000

To convince you of the incompetence of the filmmakers, I have just one thing to point out about this crappy excuse for a zombie movie:

They got the name of the lead zombie wrong. Romero's protagonist-zombie in his 1985 classic Day of the Dead is named Bub; in this pathetic 2008 remake they call him Bud. How can they screw that up? It's like remaking Star Wars and calling your lead character Daryl Skywalker.

If you thought Day of the Dead 2: Contagium was the lousiest zombie movie ever made -- think again. Oh wait -- this remake is produced by the guy who directed Contagium. And he also directed the ultra-lousy Creepshow 3. I can't tell if James Glenn Dudelson is trying to single-handedly destroy the legacy of George A. Romero, or if he simply making Romero's movies better. Thanks to this 2008 remake, Romero's 1985 Day of the Dead is an American classic.

Enough said.

Vampiro, guerrero de la noche (aka Warrior of the Night) starts off in a wrestling arena, with legendary Mexican Wrestler Vampiro Canadiense (whom which the film is named after) is fighting in the main event. The arena is jammed packed as the wrestlers enter the ring, but once the match begins Vampiro's make up changes, and the seats suddenly become empty (I guess the production company couldn't afford extras). However we do notice two lady fans of Vampiro enjoying the show. The girls are sitting with a very evil looking dude. What proves to be evil about the man is the strange metal glove he's wearing on his left hand. The glove seems to have a power over Vampiro, and with a twist of his wrist Vampiro collapses in the ring. The crowd panics and Vampiro is lead out of the ring on a stretcher. But before Vampiro is brought to the hospital, his body is kidnapped by the evil man and the two women. While kidnapping Vampiro the three evil doers come face to face with a women with incredible powers, and her side kick; a lovable mutant rat / monkey (think Jar Jar Binks crossed with an Ewok). The rest of the film pits these forces against each other, while for most of the movie Vampiro lays unconscious chained to a bed.

Vampiro made this movie at the high of his popularity in Mexico, however he rarely speaks of its existence. Strangely his voice is dubbed by a Mexican actor. The action scenes are far and few between. The strangest bit in the movie occurs during the climax. Vampiro finally breaks free of his chains and is allowed to kick some bad-guy butt. At one point Vampiro grabs some rope, climbs a pipe and then for some reason disappears for the rest of the fight. Just when you thought the lead character was going to do something very cool, the bad guys are defeated on their own without Vampiro's participation. He suddenly reappears in the last shot celebrating the defeat of the villains. What a waste?!

I don't mean to sound like this film isn't worth watching. I'd imagine that if you watched this film with your friends and drank heavily it's possible to enjoy it. The only thing worth mentioning here with any bit of enthusiasm is a note for Mexican Wrestling fans: the opening and closing of the film features more then a few big names in Lucha Libre; including Pirate Morgan, Norman Smiley (aka Black Magic), and the late great Art Barr. If these names mean nothing to you: stay away from this clunker!

I was so excited when I read about a documentary being produced about the Emmanuelle film series. To me the Emmanuelle series is as exciting as any genre film series, i.e. zombie movies, post-apocalyptic movies, westerns, martial arts films, etc. I was even intrigued by the fact that it was being directed by filmmaker (and so-called cinephile) Alex Cox. However after watching this poorly executed documentary I couldn't help but think what a greatly missed opportunity this film is. The Emmanuelle film series deserves better then Alex Cox. The documentary really needed someone who truly loves this series for all of its greatness and for all of its flaws. It's obvious that Cox has nothing but contempt for the series. He uses clips from different parts of the series and edits them in a way to accentuate the movies shortcomings. He scores interviews with Sylvia Kristel (the original Emmanuelle), Just Jaeckin (the director of the original film), and somehow and most importantly Laura Gemser (Black Emanuelle). Gemser is now retired from acting, and is famous for refusing interviews about her career. The most exciting news about A Hard Look is that Gemser finally breaks her silence. However Cox waists this amazing opportunity, in fact he makes Gemser looks stupid. Cox uses sound bites that make Gemser come off like a moron about her career and about the Emanuelle films in general. For no reason what so ever Cox finds a way to include an interview with Dennis Hooper, with pointless effect – and that is what this film is; a documentary chalked full of pointlessness. I guess the only reason Cox includes an interview with Hooper is that it gives him an excuse to show footage from Cox's terribly mediocre movie Straight to Hell (starring Hooper). Showing footage from Straight to Hell allows Cox to draw comparisons between the Emmanuelle film series and Spaghetti Westerns. This comparison leads Cox to conclude that Spaghetti Westerns that were once considered an eye sore of the Western genre are now considered classics, and that erotic films (like those of Emmanuelle) are still considered "second rate." Why he asks – "what's wrong with sex, what's wrong with pleasure?" He draws a comparison between the bodily pleasures, that of having sex outdoors and drugs – both which are banned. This sequence concludes with Alex Cox enjoying cannabis, and validating the saying, "dope is for dopes." The only saving grace of A Hard Look is that it demands another filmmaker to make a truly loving documentary about this amazing film series, from someone who is truly passionate about every nuance of Emmanuelle.