It's entirely possible that sending the audience out feeling lousy was intentional

Blending excellent reporting and strong storytelling, this is a disturbing film truly stranger than fiction

It's an amazing and heartbreaking story.

This is one of the few movies I've ever seen where the whole audience broke into spontaneous, loud applause a third of the way in.

During the early years of the "Home Video Revolution", video rental outlets needed items on the shelves and needed them NOW! Distributors were grabbing just about anything that ran long enough to be considered a "film", slapping a grabber of a cover on it and putting it out. A distributor took a look at a homemade shot to video movie called "Puppet", renamed it "Black Devil Doll From Hell" and this stinker is the result. BDDFH would be relegated to a single VHS copy in Chester N. Turner's sock drawer otherwise. We would be the poorer for it.This film has everything. The dumpiest (Sorry, Shirley) leading lady in cinema history, the worst heavy metal title song ever, titles straight off a Commodore 64 that go on over six minutes at the beginning and nearly that long at the end. A soundtrack that features some of the worst electronic hum and worst mixing ever committed to video. A score that is performed on a Casio keyboard. Acting that actually rivals "Manos, The Hands Of Fate" in ineptitude. Silly camera work and without a doubt the most amusingly overwrought dialogue I've ever seen. But the star of the show by far is "Puppet", a ventriloquist dummy with braids and what appears to be one of Thurston Howell's jungle explorer outfits from "Gilligan's Island". Hideous, and hilarious, from start to finish. Only watch this with friends you know well. Anyone else will immediately label you "insane" and call the appropriate authorities.

Helen Black (Shirley L. Jones) is a devoutly religious Plain Jane who goes shopping in an antiques store one day. There she spots a rastafarian ventriloquists' dummy; she's given warnings about the nature of the dummy, but she's quite taken with it and goes ahead and buys it anyway. Soon after she's taken it home, it comes to life and reveals a salacious nature, having its way with her and leaving her wanting more.Auteur Chester Novell Turner tackles the subjects of sexual repression and awakening in a "Holy expletive, I can't believe what I'm seeing" style. Suffice it to say, those people who thought that the 'Prey' segment of 'Trilogy of Terror' wasn't cheap enough or crass enough are treated to this mind-boggling, jaw-dropping no budget oddity. It's painfully slow, and extremely crude, but damn if it isn't fascinating in spite of itself.The acting is by and large atrocious, the effects quite primitive, and the persistent keyboard score is by turns aggravating, hilarious, and even kind of catchy. The main attraction is the Devil Doll itself; operated and voiced by Keefe Turner, it's an incredibly horny and nasty little demon who actually demands that Helen *beg* to be taken. This character is so memorable, and priceless, that one really does miss it when it's gone.This is the kind of thing a dedicated B movie enthusiast should see at least once, even if only to say that they *have* seen it.Five out of 10.

"Black Devil Doll From Hell" is the tale of a religious woman pressured by her friends into dating and becoming involved with men before marriage. She, being the devout believer she is, refuses. Until one day when she finds a dreadlocked ventriloquist doll at the local thrift store. Once taken home, the doll becomes more than just a plaything... it quickly becomes her lover! "Doll" was filmed and released in 1984 after being made with a home video recorder. Today (2008) it's not unusual for some enterprising kids to borrow their parents' digital video camera and make a low-grade, low-budget horror film. But in 1984? It's exceptionally rare, and even more rare that such a film would get such widespread attention and positive reviews.Chester N. Turner is our writer, director, producer, and resident music-maker. Other than the opening credits with almost 7 minutes on a black screen with bad rock music, we are treated to Turner's synth music. And "synth music" is the polite way to put it, as it's essentially three keys on a Casio keyboard played in various orders. And the music is the best part of this film -- there's bad acting, horrible film quality, the sound is unbearable (the volume fluctuates wildly, and often times the "music" drowns out voices).Even the plot is a bit confusing if you try to think about it. The doll allegedly grants our dearest wishes. Yet, when he first comes alive, the doll attacks the religious woman, knocks her unconscious, ties her to a bed, rapes her and licks her body with a tongue covered in something that looks like curdled mayonnaise or Oil of Olay. Why do I suspect this wasn't her wish? Despite its complete lack of redeeming value, "Black Devil Doll" is an important film in the history of doll horror. Although appearing years after the "Talky Tina" episode of "The Twilight Zone" (1963), this hidden treasure (that's sarcasm) preceded the more iconic films "Dolls" (1987), "Child's Play" (1988) and "Puppet Master" (1989). We can't say this one was the best, but we can certainly say it was one of the first through the gate in what was to be a decade of doll-inspired terror. And its influence isn't dead yet. Writer Shawn Lewis, of the new (2008) "Black Devil Doll" says "Black Devil Doll From Hell" is "one of the many inspirations for" the newer film; "it is a homage, and we are proud to say so." If you can find a copy of this one (and it's not as hard as you might think), don't waste any money on it. Have a friend rent it or buy it and go to her house... Chester Turner hasn't made anything in twenty years, and the last thing we need is him getting a few extra dollars and thinking he's capable of trying again. Let this one drift away into the land of legend, where even the most awful things are remembered fondly.

Anyone that doesn't understand how amazing this film is shouldn't have the right to comment on it. Who else but Chester N. Turner could have pulled off such a hilarious and shocking film gem with no budget what so ever. I challenge any one out there to pick up a video camera and shoot your own movie and see if you have the talent to make anything this memorable. I guarantee you or your favorite well-known filmmakers can't. Give Spielberg or Scorsese no money to make a movie and what ever they make will be less memorable then this. Once you watch this movie it will be embedded in your brain for the rest of your life. This is a no-budget film classic. All hail Chester N. Turner.