Fresh and Exciting

a film so unique, intoxicating and bizarre that it not only demands another viewing, but is also forgivable as a satirical comedy where the jokes eventually take the back seat.

I think this is a new genre that they're all sort of working their way through it and haven't got all the kinks worked out yet but it's a genre that works for me.

It's the kind of movie you'll want to see a second time with someone who hasn't seen it yet, to remember what it was like to watch it for the first time.

This cheap and cheesy all-black horror film is about a female demon in human form who goes around killing sexually promiscuous men. It's as simple as that, and a plot that's not necessarily bad given the right treatment. A pity, then, that the execution is all wrong in this often laughable amateurish effort, which was unsurprisingly distributed by the team at Troma.Everything about this film is bad, from the dated attempts at stylish direction to the rubbish acting (the possessed woman goes way over the top) and the even-more awful gooey effects. I used to see this film around on VHS and DVD back in the day although I never got around to purchasing it, and now I can see why.Really, the only reason anyone would go out of their way to watch this film these days is to see a few famous actors in early roles. Bill Nunn (SPIDER-MAN) is here as an erstwhile hero while Samuel L. Jackson plays a preacher. Kadeem Hardison (DRIVE) is also present. The blame for this film's failure can be laid at the door of writer/director/star James Bond III, who definitely bit off more than he could chew. As a blaxploitation horror film, it's a dog.

I think most of the bad reviews for this movie are from people who aren't familiar with the Troma franchise. Troma is an independent film company that showcases unique, unusual and often very twisted projects from up-and-coming filmmakers who can't get a break from other (more hypocritical) film companies. "Def by Temptation" is certainly the work of an amateur, but I can tell that James Bond III put his passion into the movie and he did make a moderately good effort. I can't lie and say that the movie doesn't look low-budget, but its cheapness adds to its charm. And there's never a dull moment. The acting is often good, since quite a few of the actors are alumni from Spike Lee's films. Bill Nunn, who many might remember as Radio Raheem in "Do the Right Thing," gives the strongest performance and to this day I feel like he's one of the many underrated actors who never gets proper recognition for his talent. As you can expect, though Samuel L. Jackson is on the cover of the DVD and video, he's only in the movie for about 15 minutes. Once again, cashing in on the popularity of a big-name actor, who wasn't such a big name at the time. Kadeem Hardison, who many remember as Dwayne Wayne on "A Different World," does a fine job in the lead role, as does the female lead who plays the Temptress. About the only bad apple in the bunch is the director himself, who plays second lead. Bond's performance just seems way too subdued and his emotions seem forced.I understand he's supposed to play a laid-back, repressed, Bible-toting individual, but he plays the role a little too low-key. The concept of an all-black horror movie has been done before in films like "Blacula," but it's not a concept that has been repeated very frequently. Even in our supposedly politically correct times, the black characters still tend to die off significantly quicker than the white characters in scary movies. Some of the dialogue is a little too cheesy, but there's also a lot of funny dialogue. The movie takes itself more seriously than you'd expect, but it never gets too serious. Nowadays, we see tons of campy horror flicks that seem 90 percent comedy and 10 percent horror, so it's cool that Bond didn't want to go that route. From a technical standpoint, the film's best aspect is its lighting, especially during the bar scenes. The DP is Ernest Dickerson, who's worked on Spike Lee's films. The camera-work is sometimes shoddy, with some bad eyeline matching during the dialogue scenes, but the lighting is great. It was also fun to listen to the movie's hip soundtrack, mostly composed of R & B from the early 90's. It helps date the film, but not in a bad way. "Def by Temptation" is far from a masterpiece, but it's entertaining and unique. Just don't expect to see Sammy L. in a big role and you won't be disappointed.

Atmospheric, erotic, sleek, poignant, original? Def By Temptation is none of these. Painfully slow, painfully boring. Terrible cinematography, lighting and editing. Terrible acting. Terrible music. Nothing worth seeing.Samuel L. Jackson is prominently featured on the front and back of the DVD box, and the DVD menu, and his name appears first on the front and back of the box's credits. He's barely in it!The DVD box states there is "Commentary by Fangoria Managing Editor Michael Gingold" and "Commentary by VideoHound author Mike Mayo." Think that means there's feature- length audio commentary by them? Think again! They are seen talking about the movie for less than two minutes each in videos in the special features section. There is only one audio track for the movie, and no commentary track by anyone.Cynthia Bond, playing the "Temptress" is not pictured or even credited on the box. Little wonder! She's a very homely looking middle-aged woman. Still, she's one of the main stars of the movie, and that's hardly fair to her to not credit her on the box.Not sure what this what was shot on. DVD has full-frame presentation only.

The only reason I'm even putting any comments in for this film is because I just finished reading an interview of Samuel L Jackson and someone asked him if he was still in contact with Troma. Jackson quickly said, "Hell No!!" And I can understand why. Def by Temptation is an all black cast vampire movie starring the writer/director James Bond III, Kadeem Hardinson and Mr. Samuel L Jackson himself. It centers around a black vampire Tempest who is seducing black men and then killing them through sucking their blood. The special effects are gory and the story is pretty predictable. The acting is pretty bad, but in a funny kind of way. As a whole the movie is definitely a bit below average. It's about as good as Eddie Murphy's Vampire In Brooklyn, but funnier and scarier at times. Is it worth seeing? Sure, it's worth at least one rental if there is absolutely nothing else at Blockbuster that you want to see. Otherwise, drive a stake into this movie, cause it's dead.