Hard Luck
Encyclopedia
Hard Luck is a 2006 film reuniting Mario Van Peebles
and Wesley Snipes
, who also worked together in the 1991 film New Jack City
. Hard Luck features Wesley Snipes
as Lucky, a down-on-his-luck former criminal and drug dealer whose post-prison trials and tribulations take him on a wild adventure. The film is set two years after Hurricane Katrina
, so it takes place in the year 2007.
) is released from prison and tries to lead a respectable life despite his troubled past. Lucky once or twice reflects on the wisdom of his grandfather who supposedly told him "sometimes without bad luck, it would seem you don't have any luck at all." This theme is supposed to be manifested throughout the film. Shortly after his release from prison, Lucky tries to get back on his feet but inexplicably ends up a victim of Hurricane Katrina's wrath, and loses his newly found life. After moving back to New York, Lucky is dealt another blow when the government withdraws funds for his yoga and samba dance classes which he uses to try to keep kids off of the streets. This unfortunate event leads to Lucky enduring the bad influences of two old friends from his past life as a criminal, who lure Lucky to a strip club under the false pretense of a friend's birthday. When a drug deal with some dangerous mobsters goes bad, Lucky is now on the run with a feisty Puerto Rican stripper from the strip club, Angie (Jackie Quinones), and over $500,000 in American currency, which is wired with marking dye.
Throughout the film, there are short cuts of an unconventional and troubled couple, unexplained and known to the police as the "Sawtooth Killers."
James Hiroyuki Liao
plays Chang, an egotistical and maniacal accomplice to Cass, played by Cybill Shepherd
, a mother of a mentally challenged man named Eugene (Mike Messier). Motivated by Cass's son's unpleasant experiences with society's rejection of mentally challenged individuals, the couple brutally kidnaps, tortures, and presumably kills their abductees, recording their exploits on video, possibly for future viewing.
These two stories merge at the end as Angie and Lucky find themselves caught up in the path of violence, and Lucky ends up an unlikely hero by saving the life of a would-be victim of the Sawtooth Killers. The film culminates with Lucky saving the police officer played by Van Peebles, from Cass's son Eugene who is armed with a shovel. Lucky, choosing to have a positive outlook on the events by using perspective gained from his grandfather, characterizes the events as being "the luckiest day in an unlucky man's life." Lucky and Angie go on to receive a $200,000 reward which had been offered by the police for information leading the capture, arrest, and/or prosecution of the Sawtooth Killers.
Mario Van Peebles
Mario "Chip" Cain Van Peebles is an American director and actor who has appeared in numerous Hollywood films. He is son of filmmaker Melvin Van Peebles.-Life and career:...
and Wesley Snipes
Wesley Snipes
Wesley Trent Snipes is an American actor, film producer, and martial artist, who has starred in numerous action films, thrillers, and dramatic feature films. Snipes is known for playing the Marvel Comics character Blade in the Blade film trilogy, among various other high profile roles...
, who also worked together in the 1991 film New Jack City
New Jack City
New Jack City is a 1991 crime film starring Wesley Snipes, Ice-T, Mario Van Peebles, Judd Nelson, and Chris Rock. Snipes stars as Nino Brown, a rising drug dealer and crime lord in New York City during the crack epidemic...
. Hard Luck features Wesley Snipes
Wesley Snipes
Wesley Trent Snipes is an American actor, film producer, and martial artist, who has starred in numerous action films, thrillers, and dramatic feature films. Snipes is known for playing the Marvel Comics character Blade in the Blade film trilogy, among various other high profile roles...
as Lucky, a down-on-his-luck former criminal and drug dealer whose post-prison trials and tribulations take him on a wild adventure. The film is set two years after Hurricane Katrina
Hurricane Katrina
Hurricane Katrina of the 2005 Atlantic hurricane season was a powerful Atlantic hurricane. It is the costliest natural disaster, as well as one of the five deadliest hurricanes, in the history of the United States. Among recorded Atlantic hurricanes, it was the sixth strongest overall...
, so it takes place in the year 2007.
Plot
The confusion begins when Lucky (Wesley SnipesWesley Snipes
Wesley Trent Snipes is an American actor, film producer, and martial artist, who has starred in numerous action films, thrillers, and dramatic feature films. Snipes is known for playing the Marvel Comics character Blade in the Blade film trilogy, among various other high profile roles...
) is released from prison and tries to lead a respectable life despite his troubled past. Lucky once or twice reflects on the wisdom of his grandfather who supposedly told him "sometimes without bad luck, it would seem you don't have any luck at all." This theme is supposed to be manifested throughout the film. Shortly after his release from prison, Lucky tries to get back on his feet but inexplicably ends up a victim of Hurricane Katrina's wrath, and loses his newly found life. After moving back to New York, Lucky is dealt another blow when the government withdraws funds for his yoga and samba dance classes which he uses to try to keep kids off of the streets. This unfortunate event leads to Lucky enduring the bad influences of two old friends from his past life as a criminal, who lure Lucky to a strip club under the false pretense of a friend's birthday. When a drug deal with some dangerous mobsters goes bad, Lucky is now on the run with a feisty Puerto Rican stripper from the strip club, Angie (Jackie Quinones), and over $500,000 in American currency, which is wired with marking dye.
Throughout the film, there are short cuts of an unconventional and troubled couple, unexplained and known to the police as the "Sawtooth Killers."
Serial killer
A serial killer, as typically defined, is an individual who has murdered three or more people over a period of more than a month, with down time between the murders, and whose motivation for killing is usually based on psychological gratification...
James Hiroyuki Liao
James Hiroyuki Liao
James Hiroyuki Liao is an American television, film and theatre actor.-Life and career:Liao was born in Bensonhurst, Brooklyn, and is a 2004 graduate of the Juilliard School's drama division. He also studied at the Marjorie Ballentine Studio. In his acting work, he has also been credited as James...
plays Chang, an egotistical and maniacal accomplice to Cass, played by Cybill Shepherd
Cybill Shepherd
Cybill Lynne Shepherd is an American actress, singer and former model. Her best known roles include starring as Jacy in The Last Picture Show, as Betsy in Taxi Driver, as Madeleine Spencer in Psych, as Maddie Hayes on Moonlighting, as Cybill Sheridan on Cybill, and as Phyllis Kroll on The L...
, a mother of a mentally challenged man named Eugene (Mike Messier). Motivated by Cass's son's unpleasant experiences with society's rejection of mentally challenged individuals, the couple brutally kidnaps, tortures, and presumably kills their abductees, recording their exploits on video, possibly for future viewing.
These two stories merge at the end as Angie and Lucky find themselves caught up in the path of violence, and Lucky ends up an unlikely hero by saving the life of a would-be victim of the Sawtooth Killers. The film culminates with Lucky saving the police officer played by Van Peebles, from Cass's son Eugene who is armed with a shovel. Lucky, choosing to have a positive outlook on the events by using perspective gained from his grandfather, characterizes the events as being "the luckiest day in an unlucky man's life." Lucky and Angie go on to receive a $200,000 reward which had been offered by the police for information leading the capture, arrest, and/or prosecution of the Sawtooth Killers.
Cast
- Wesley SnipesWesley SnipesWesley Trent Snipes is an American actor, film producer, and martial artist, who has starred in numerous action films, thrillers, and dramatic feature films. Snipes is known for playing the Marvel Comics character Blade in the Blade film trilogy, among various other high profile roles...
as Lucky - Mario Van PeeblesMario Van PeeblesMario "Chip" Cain Van Peebles is an American director and actor who has appeared in numerous Hollywood films. He is son of filmmaker Melvin Van Peebles.-Life and career:...
as Captain Davis - Cybill Shepard as Kass
- Luis GuzmánLuis GuzmánLuis Guzmán is an actor from Puerto Rico. He is known for his character work. For much of his career, he has played roles largely as sidekicks, thugs, or policemen....
as Million Dollar - Aubrey DollarAubrey DollarAubrey Dollar is an American television and film actress.She was born in Raleigh, Wake County, North Carolina and studied at Needham B. Broughton High School, where she was a classmate of fellow actor Colin Fickes. She also attended Boston University and Amherst College...
as Rain - Noel Fleiss as Sol Rosenbaum
- Bill CobbsBill CobbsWilbert "Bill" Cobbs is an American film and television actor. He has starred in over 120 television programs and movies.-Life and career:...
as Cobb - Kevin ChapmanKevin ChapmanKevin Chapman is an American actor known for his big build and ability to play an assortment of characters ranging from the obnoxious brother, Terrence in FX's Rescue Me to street enforcer Val Savage in Clint Eastwood's critically acclaimed film, Mystic River.Chapman was discovered by the late...
as Franklin - Melvin Van PeeblesMelvin Van PeeblesMelvin "Block" Van Peebles is an American actor, director, screenwriter, playwright, novelist and composer.He is most famous for creating the acclaimed film, Sweet Sweetback's Baadasssss Song, which heralded a new era of African American focused films...
as Hospital Prophet