User reviews

When Laura Gemser and Joe D'Amato team up to make a movie; you can bet that no matter what the movie is about or what character Gemser is playing that some of the alternate titles will include the word 'Emanuelle'. And this film is no exception, as it got branded with the unimaginative title 'Emmanuelle Goes Japanese'. Naturally, the film has nothing to do with Gemser's most famous character and thankfully the title Black Cobra Woman is generally the more accepted one - and the one that I saw the film under. From the plot description I was actually thinking that this film might be half decent...and it does at least get off to a decent start. The film focuses on Judas; a rich man who surrounds himself with exotic snakes but has little contact with people. One night, Judas goes with his brother to see an act at a nightclub that involves a beautiful woman dancing with a snake. Naturally, he is immediately taken in by this woman (she's played by Laura Gemser so this part of the film is quite realistic) and decides to take her back to his home...

Laura Gemser takes the lead role and spends most of the film either naked, getting it on with other women or both; which is all well and good, but anyone familiar with Gemser's filmography will have seen it all so many times before and it's particularly disappointing in this film as we actually have the basis for a decent plot here. One of the more bizarre casting decisions is represented by Jack Palance, who I guess was either not getting a lot of work around the time or just couldn't resist a starring role alongside the beautiful Laura Gemser. Naturally for a Joe D'Amato flick, it features plenty of sleaze and it's really all encompassing so there wouldn't really have been room to flesh out the story even if the director wanted to. The film does at least deliver on the title's implied promise of featuring snakes; and seeing Gemser dance with a big Cobra is worthwhile. A scene that sees a snake skinned alive and cooked was a bit needless, though. Overall, however, this film is not really worthwhile; it's better than some of the lesser Emanuelle flicks, but that's not really saying anything. I can't recommend tracking Black Cobra Woman down.

Black Cobra is directed by filth king Joe D'amato, edited by fellow trashmeister Bruno Mattei, stars gorgeous Asian sexpot Laura Gemser, and even features future Oscar winner Jack Palance in a key role, and yet despite this massive potential (particularly for deviancy), the film blows it by being thoroughly bland for most of its running time. With a story revolving around poisonous snakes, erotic dancing, and revenge, this could and should have been so much more sleazy.

Naturally, the frequent full frontal nudity from Gemser prevented me from switching off in disgust (or rather, lack of disgust), but the soft-core action soon became rather tedious, with Gemser delivering loads of the self gratification and girl on girl action that we can always rely on, but nothing out of the ordinary (I find it hard to believe I'm saying this, but the copious bare flesh actually got boring).

Admittedly, there are a couple of scenes that manage to register slightly on the sleazeometer—a rather amusing strip scene in a lesbian bar that gets the clientele frisky, and a live snake being chopped up and fried for lunch—but most of the action falls way short of what I have come to expect from my Italian trash. The biggest cop-out is the finale—Gemser's revenge on the man who killed her lover—that involves the insertion of a cobra up the jacksy, but which is satisfied to simply suggest the nastiness.

Strangely, the film is also known as Emanuelle Goes Japanese, despite no character of that name going anywhere near Japan (Gemser's character is called Eva and the film is set entirely in Hong Kong).

I should have known better. I was actually expecting this film to be a combination of mystery, drama and horror. I knew from the box cover that there would be nudity. What I didn't know was that the nudity is the main feature of the movie. The movie has several nude women and many nude scenes. That would be OK if there was at least a stronger plot and a little bit more reason for making this movie other than showing skin. I know this type of film may have it's followers but even if viewed as a skin flick, it's boring and even a bit humorous. It was made in 1976. At that time it may have been exciting but compared to milder, soft porn movies of today, this would have to be classified as very mild, to the point of being almost dull. This movie was just too long for so few meaningful scenes. I can't think of any good reason for watching this film other than to have a nostalgic look at a 70s nudie flick.

If you're like me, you grew up watching late nite softies on Cinemax every Friday nite. If this is the case, then you have definitely heard and probably seen quite a bit of the lovely Laura Gemser. After seeing "BLACK EMANUELLE" many, many moons ago, I became an instant fan and have since viewed several of her films.

This particular gem qualifies as one of her lesser known films. Essentially, this is a variation on her Emanuelle role with Jack Palance and a whole lot of snakin' goin' on! Fun stuff most likely, if you are a fan of Gemser.

Gemser plays an exotic dancer named Eva. Performing with snakes is her specialty. No, not those kind! Now, you're getting ahead of me!

Anywayz... Gemser's real-life husband, Gabrielle Tinti, portrays Jules Carmichael. Jules is an executive of some sort, who persuades his brother Judas (Palance) to visit a nightclub with him to watch one of Eva's nightly performances.

Judas loves snakes (No, not those kind!) and his apartment is filled with them. So, along with her beauty, it's natural that Judas would fall for a gal like Eva. He soon arranges to meet and introduce her to his snakey friends. Judas hires Eva to take care of his pets while he is away on business. From here on out, you know the drill... While the cat's away, the mice will play... and dance around naked with the cat's snakes.

We soon learn that Eva really digs the lady-lovin' which overrides her tendencies to charm any snake other than the reptile kind. Several nude scenes later, Eva's girlfriend is killed mysteriously and Eva must find out who killed her and why. This is a common filmmaking trait known as a "mild plot motivator". I guess they need to keep things moving along but I, for one, wasn't complaining. I thought the pacing was just fine. Do what you gotta do, Eva. I'm all for it.

These are all the details I gathered. Aside from Gemser and the fact that this was one of those "Palance earns a week's pay" performances, I deemed all other plot elements unnecessary and naturally focused on the good parts, of which there are plenty.

You cannot go wrong with any film featuring a topless Gemser within the first five minutes, and fully nude around the eight minute mark. It's just a damn fact. Why can't more filmmakers hint on this?

"BLACK COBRA" was directed by the masterful eye of Joe D'Amato (Aristide Massaccesi), who would later collaborate on several films with Gemser and eventually go on to a successful career directing real pornos with an entirely different breed of snake.

Sadly, Gemser has pretty much left the filmmaking scene and her films no longer play on Cinemax. Most of them have since gone out of print on video here in the States, making them nearly impossible to find.

A quick program note: This is a long, long movie! Over four hours in length! Actually, it only clocks in at around 90 minutes, but if you find yourself using the slow-motion and pause feature on your VCR as much as I did, expect to gain an additional 2 1/2 hours of screening time.

In closing, I highly recommend this film. A truly uplifting experience! Teachers, show it to your classes today. They'll thank you for it! Trust me.

Later kids! -NM.

As part of watching a handful of Laura Gemser movies, I happened to stumble upon the 1976 drama "Eva Nera" (aka "Black Cobra"), and I must admit that I was rather surprised to see that the movie had the likes of Jack Palance in a leading role. I never figured that he would be in a movie such as this.

But nonetheless, I opted to sit down and watch what writer and director Joe D'Amato had to offer with this 1976 movie. Sure, I had never heard about it, as the type of movie that this actually is just simply usually falls outside of my field of interest. But I do believe in watching a movie once and giving it a fair chance.

Writer and director Joe D'Amato didn't exactly deliver a movie that fell into my liking here with "Eva Nera". The narrative of the movie was just simply too bland and slow paced. Nothing of any interest or worth actually happened as the movie paced on in snail pace.

The acting performances in "Eva Nera" were as expected, though I must admit that I was surprised to see Jack Palance in a movie such as this. I will say, though, that he actually was nicely cast though, as his charisma and presence added something to the movie. And Laura Gemser is, well, she is Laura Gemser, let's not dance around the bush here - pardon the pun.

I am sure that there is an audience out there for a slow burn such as "Eva Nera", but I just didn't happen to be a part of that particular target audience. And as such, then "Eva Nera" wasn't a movie that entertained me.

My rating of the 1976 drama from writer and director Joe D'Amato lands on a three out of ten stars.

Eva Nera (1976), directed by Joe D'Amato, attempts to weave an exotic tapestry of erotic adventure and intrigue but ultimately falls short of its ambitions. The film's premise, centering on the illicit and seductive allure of Southeast Asia, offers ample potential for a thrilling narrative. Unfortunately, despite the lush, picturesque settings and the tantalizing promise of forbidden romance, the story stumbles in its execution. The plot, which follows Eva (played by Laura Gemser) and her journey through a world of smuggling and seduction, often feels disjointed and underdeveloped, leaving viewers with more questions than answers.

The performances in Eva Nera are a mixed bag. Laura Gemser, known for her work in the Emanuelle series, brings a certain enigmatic charm to her role. However, the supporting cast fails to rise to her level, delivering lackluster and sometimes wooden performances that detract from the film's overall impact. The chemistry between the characters, which is crucial in a film of this nature, often feels forced and unconvincing, further distancing the audience from the unfolding drama.

One of the film's notable aspects is its cinematography. The exotic locales are captured with a vividness that highlights the natural beauty of the settings, providing a visually stimulating backdrop for the narrative. However, even this strength is undermined by inconsistent editing and pacing issues. At times, scenes drag on unnecessarily, while crucial plot points are glossed over, disrupting the flow and leaving the viewer feeling disengaged. The music score, while attempting to heighten the sense of eroticism and adventure, occasionally feels out of sync with the on-screen action, adding to the overall sense of disarray.

In conclusion, Eva Nera is a film that promises much but delivers little. Despite its alluring premise and visually appealing settings, it is hampered by a weak script, uneven performances, and poor pacing. For fans of Laura Gemser or those intrigued by 1970s erotic adventure films, it might hold some nostalgic value.

Eva Nera (AKA Black Cobra) is my favorite entry in Joe D'Amato's infamous "Black Emanuelle" series. Also known as "Emanuelle Goes Japanese", this film features no characters named Emanuelle, and doesn't take place in (or in any way allude to) the country of Japan. Other than these minor details, Eva Nera exhibits every other trait of a Black Emanuelle movie, including of course Laura Gemser as the main character, and the ever-present douche-bag Gabriele Tinti lurking somewhere in the cast. And though this movie lacks some of the overt acts of depravity that other Emanuelle flicks are known for, it offers three times that in the form of a more subtle weirdness.

The movie begins with Eva's arrival in Hong Kong. Played by the beautifully boring Laura Gemser, Eva's character is essentially the same as Black Emanuelle: a frigid, vapid, nonchalantly nymphomaniacal bisexual nudist mannequin-like temptress. Unlike Emanuelle, who is a reporter, Eva is a snake dancer. Here we use the term "dancer" loosely to mean standing around naked and arrhythmically flailing your arms while holding a live snake.

As you would expect from Joe D'Amato, the story that follows is totally nondescript and irrational, and mostly serves as a vehicle for him to express his most banal ideas of what constitutes eroticism. The remarkable thing is that, unlike other of his creations, like say Emanuelle and The Last Cannibals, here D'Amato tries to exercise restraint, which results in a bizarre, watered-down version of the typical D'Amato fetishes. Included are the mandatory nudism, lesbianism, morbidness, and the gawking fascination with all things foreign and Exotic that characterizes D'Amato's work, minus the ultra-violent sadism that he's also famous for. Along the way, D'Amato's camera still manages to objectify and diminish every single living and non-living thing it gazes upon, whether it be the bland characters, the city of Hong Kong, those oh-so-dangerous snakes, or deeper aspects of human experience such as love and death.

None of this would stand out much were it not for two key elements that make Eva Nera exceptional: the haunting euro-soundtrack and the mind-blowingly strange performance by Jack Palance, whose character is so freakin' weird it defies description. Highly recommended.

Quite simply a cinematic treasure that will never get the exposure it so richly deserves. Jack Palance gives quite simply his best ever performance by a country mile in the role of Judas. Palance breathes an awkward and devilishly creepy life into the snake obsessed sleaze Judas. His own fabulous performance crackles magically against Gabriele Tinti's Jules, his jealous and treacherous, even creepier, sociopathic brother.The film is intended as soft porn but works wonderfully as comedy, whenever I need a laugh this guarantee's it. It works woefully on just about any level. If you expect any kind of sexual excitement from Erotic Eva, look elsewhere. The superb score by Umiliani adds essential 70s style and character. The whole film centers around the brothers attempt to gain the affections of bisexual snake dancer Eva, played by the painfully skinny real life wife of Gabriele Tinti, Laura Gemser. The film is filled with magical dialogue, always involving Jack Palance. His spine twitchingly awkward seduction scenes with Gemser, and his subliminally hate filled smarm drenched chats with Jules are truly worthy of legendary status. Fast forward through the attempts at porn, except the scene with the prematurely ejaculating Japanese businessman. In short cheesier than a cheese puff factory, and as amusing and entertaining as cinema gets.

The 1970s is known as the era of disaster movies, but the Me Decade also saw Italy release some of its greatest exploitation flicks. One example is Joe D'Amato's "Eva nera" ("Black Cobra Woman" in English). Laura Gemser plays a snake dancer who hooks up with some strange people in Hong Kong. Jack Palance has a great time playing a snake aficionado. But I'd say that the movie's main purpose is to show Laura Gemser's naked body (and she DOES have a fine one). The movie contains just about every guilty pleasure imaginable. The movie makes no pretense about what it is. It might make you want to go to Hong Kong, but more than anything it'll make you wonder why Laura Gemser stopped acting. Maybe Quentin Tarantino will give her a bit part in a movie one day.

Anyway, a really fun movie, especially a certain shower scene (every exploitation flick's gotta have one of those). Among D'Amato's lesser movies was "The Blade Master" - aka "Cave Dwellers" - which got riffed on "Mystery Science Theater 3000".

First off, yes, Eva (Laura Gemser) is absolutely beautiful. Whether clothed or unclothed she's breathtaking. That said, she's just not that interesting as a character. Ms. Gemser's performance in EVA NEGRA (aka: BLACK COBRA WOMAN) is every bit as languid as her other Emmanuelle outings.

Presented as an "erotic thriller", this movie is obviously just another excuse for Ms. Gemser to get naked every 15 minutes. On that score, even the steamy scenes get tiresome. Without a real plot or direction, there's really nowhere to go with this.

Oh, there are some poisonous snakes thrown in as well.

One highlight is Jack Palance's perverted performance as the Eva-obsessed Judas. Gabriele Tinti is also memorable as his unhinged, even more Eva-obsessed brother Jules.

Black Cobra (1976)

* 1/2 (out of 4)

Joe D'Amato directed film about a shy, lonely man (Jack Palance) living in Hong Kong where his only friends are his pet snakes. One night his brother takes him to a strip joint where he sees a beautiful woman (Laura Gemser) putting on a dance with a snake. He moves the woman in but soon someone starts killing off her lesbian friends. The killer doesn't know the woman is a Goddess to snakes. Like many other D'Amato/Gemser films, this one here basically leaves the plot behind in favor of the beautiful actress walking around in the nude and carrying out various lesbian scenes. Gemser is also fun to watch (when she's naked) but the story here is pretty dull and lifeless. Palance must have really been down on his luck at the time.