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From Dusk Till Dawn 3:Hangman's [VHS]

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Deciding if you want to see this one is going to be easy. If you saw and liked the original "From Dusk Till Dawn" then you are going to like "From Dusk Till Dawn 3: The Hangman's Daughter." Even better, if you did not like "From Dusk Till Dawn 2: Texas Blood Money," you will find this one more to your taste . In fact, you can skip the first direct to video sequel in favor of this film and not miss a thing because this second sequel is actually a prequel. The bad news is that what makes this one succeed might spell the end of the series, because, after all, how many times can you draw water from the same well? Therefore, we may well be at the end of the Aztec/Mexican Vampire Bloodbath movies.

"From Dusk Till Dawn 3: The Hangman's Daughter" is set during the Mexican Revolution, tied to that period of history by the presence of Ambrose Bierce (Parks), American newspaper columnist, satirist, essayist, short-story writer, and novelist, an enigmatic figure who disappeared south of the border and is presumed to have died during the siege of Ojinega in January 1914. Bierce is in Mexico to bring something of great value to Pancho Villa, but he is also ill and has something of a death wish.

At the other end of the spectrum is the outlaw Johnny Madrid (Marco Leonardi, "Like Water for Chocolate") who not only escapes from the hangman (Temuera Morrison, "Six Days, Seven Nights"), but the takes the hangman's sensuous daughter Esmeralda (Ara Celi) away with him. Madrid and Bierce first meet up when the outlaw's gang robs the stagecoach on which the writer is riding to join Villa (there is something to be said for having a blind man ride shotgun on a stage). But they meet again after the hold up when Bierce and a young newlywed missionary couple, Mary and John Newlie (Rebecca Gayheart and Lennie Loftin), end up that night seeking shelter at the combination bar and bordello that we recall from the first film (Danny Trejo is still behind the bar as Razor Charlie). Meanwhile, the hangman is still on the trail of his daughter. Eventually, wackiness ensues.

The film returns to the essence of the original, which finds a ground of humans forced by dire circumstances to band together against a horde of bloodsucking fiends. The first time around the scene was set in a Mexican biker bar. This time around it is essentially the wild, wild west, even if it is still early in the 20th century. The movie has a touch of class with Sonia Braga as Quixtla, the proprietress of the establishment, although the Bierce character also brings some dignity and ironic wit to the proceedings. Orlando Jones even plays it essentially straight in his role as an Andalusian brush peddler in the wrong place at the wrong time.

The script is by Álvaro Rodríguez, based on a story he co-wrote with original director Roberto Rodríguez. Director P.J. Pesce ("Body Waves") does not have the cinematic flair of Roberto Rodriguez, but then who does? The main thing is that he treats the first half of the film seriously as we deal with the possible romance between the outlaw and the hangman's daughter, the stagecoach robbery, and Bierce's deathwish. Then it becomes party time in the bar and all hell breaks loose. The special effects are over the top, but intentionally so; they are just part of the menu. The last half of the movie is simply a question of going along for the ride and waiting to see who makes it out of there alive.

Actually, I think "From Dusk Till Dawn 3: The Hangman's Daughter" might be more enjoyable than the original. It is more of a classic horror film without the "Pulp Fiction" sensibilities that writer Quentin Tarantino brought to the table the first time around (with the exception of this film's "dance number"). As always when it comes to such films, whether we are talking Tarantino or vampires, it comes down to questions of taste. Either way, this film deserved better than the fate of being direct to video.