1990 Directed by James Bond III
An evil succubus is preying on libidinous black men in New York, and all that stands in her way is a minister-in-training, an aspiring actor, and a cop that specializes in cases involving the supernatural.
James Bond III's Def by Temptation, Tentación Diabólica, Surmansuu, Succube
Bloody showers. Shot impeccably by DP god Ernest Dickerson, loaded with colors/lighting, Spike Lee alumni, and soundwaved with a dope soundtrack, Def by Temptation is never silly—peppering in scary succubus shit like bloody showers and eroticly choosing sleazy scumbo guys as victims along the way until that awesome final act kicks into gear... highlighted by a body getting sucked into a blood spewing TV which is my favorite tv oriented horror kill ever. DBT is also legit funny too, James Bond III really made something special here and I see a few producer credits since but really wish he got to write/direct again.
Probably my second favorite Troma movie after Screamplay (might even be my fav Troma movie tbh) with…
Somehow they made a blaxplo horror MOONLIGHT almost 30 years ago and nobody noticed.
Zero-budget horror with a million dollar message. Temptation can and will get your ass. Awesome music. Genius practical effects. Hero grandma. Sam Jackson doesn’t say motherfucker. I love both Bill Nunn and Kadeem Hardison, especially when they get to play Demon Hunters. James Bond III ain’t no secret agent or quality actor, but he does write and direct something very unique. Horror fans need to experience this!
CW: sex references, religion
To echo everyone else, this really did defy the expectations set by the word "Troma" being associated with it. It takes the sex equals death idea and wraps it around the ur-example of the succubus, bringing in a little dose of religious imagery and backstory. It does this all in a neon haze of silk stockings seductions and New York-in-three-sets quasi-erotic setting, but it still manages to have fun (it is not at all self-serious), find some depth of character (not much, but enough to be interesting), and skillful horror direction (that mirror reveal was the most fun I've seen with that sort of thing in a long time). There's no way this isn't a sexist mess to some degree, but if you assume the succubus is a tragic hero, it works out all right.
October count: 47/31
this one's a real curiosity: a troma-released horror film with an all black cast that includes sam jackson, bill nunn (as a character named dougie who is basically the black dale cooper), and the musicians melba moore, freddie jackson, & najee. if you've looked at my twitter / talked to me about movies IRL recently, you might know that a recent project of mine is an attempt at launching a reconsideration of ernest dickeron's career beyond his collaborations with spike lee. DEF BY TEMPTATION is photographed by dickerson and bears the stylistic trademarks he explores later in BONES: bold reds, contrasted with royal blues, and fulci-esque gore effects. due to the visual similarity it bears to BONES and his work with…
Def by Temptation is so much more interesting than I expected it to be. I put it on ready for cheap Troma garbage (no disrespect... love you, Troma), but this doesn't really belong in their shit-spattered catalogue. It's low budget, for sure. But it's also got Ernest R. Dickerson behind the camera. It has a slick look. The screen filled with colour, glowing lights, and haze. The effects (apparently also conceived by Dickerson) are incredibly inventive with some fucking amazing moments (the TV scene is fabulous).
The slickness comes from Dickerson, but the film's strange personality is straight from director/writer/star James Bond III. The script is nuts. An insane blend of moral hand-wringing, self-discovery, and lust. The characters are really…
Def By Temptation is one of those gems I dug as a kid cause Kadeem Hardison aka Dwayne Wayne from A Different World starred in it. Finally got my hands on the top notch Vinegar Syndrome blu ray!
This film is better than I remember it being. The Italian inspired lighting. The demonic bar scene dream. The hungry tv death scene. Badass grandma(reminds me of my granny). The overly sexual demonic vampire lady. Religious undertones. Old school pick up lines. A young up n coming Samuel L. Jackson cameo. Dope 80s score. A moody atmosphere throughout.
8 out of 10
As a kid I can remember marvelling at Toxic Avenger VHS tapes, only to be informed that they weren’t appropriate. By the time the Toxic Crusaders rolled around, I was too old for its scatological humour. Still, in my early teens I became obsessed with Troma studios. It wasn’t easy. For every random Redneck Zombies that popped up at the Blockbuster on the edge of town, their was a veritable catalogue just out of reach. The trailers at the start of the tapes added insult to injury. The most frequently appearing ads: Eve’s Beach Party Fantasy, Rowdy Girls (Announcer: starring international superstar Julie St---raain), and Def By Temptation. Appreciation for Ms. Strain aside, I have not sought out the first…
To keep a script consistently fresh, fun and exciting is no easy task but DEF BY TEMPTATION seems to handle in with ease. A succubus is on a mission, feeding on as many men as she can take on as she woo’s them in with promises of hot sex and fun nights. Luckily for the viewer, we are treated to the aftermath of the love making and get to see plenty of bloody carnage ranging from hot blood showers to severe penetration. There is lots of blood and lots of death.
A hot soundtrack keeps the sound pumping through neatly and some brilliant humour keeps the action lively. The lead duo of James Bond III and Kadeem Hardison define a…
Daily Horror Scavenger Hunt 7 – January 2019
14. Ready for Glass? Watch any horror film featuring Samuel L. Jackson.
So-so slow-going horror/drama/thriller picks up at the end with a pretty fun climax. I found it more interesting as a time-capsule of the then brand-new Independent boom of black filmmakers telling stories. Also a Troma movie that, despite it's obvious low-budget, looks professionally made and has style.
Film #24 of My Hooptober Halloween Horror-thon
This is a Troma movie I've always heard to be one of the better ones. It certainly gets mentioned as far as "urban horror" movies go as one of the best. When I put the DVD in the other day and watched that Lloyd Kaufman introduction that I've grown so accustomed to over the years and was very surprised to see that this one was not silly or full of jokes. Lloyd legitimately talks about the movie and says a few times that he thinks it's one of the best movies to ever come out of Troma.
It's definitely an entertaining movie I don't think it's better than movies like Screamplay or There's…
fear of the father (god and biological) morphed into a fear of women, with some tender bro friendship moments & humor. easily one of the best low budget features in terms of innovative uses of lighting, set design, editing, and cheap but effective sfx, the forced creativity making a better product than so many other more expensive movies. on paper it sounds anti-woman but the end product is more focused on the hero's internal conflict (quite possibly with his own sexuality as well as his faith), most of the featured women are subject to obnoxious lying cheating men, while the villain is the always lovable and relatable succubus, confident and fashionable, the thirst for men and glee in murdering them an eternal demonic struggle for hetero misandrists everywhere
Def By Temptation is a fantastic little number that I originally mistook for a vampire piece. That couldn't have been farther from the nature of this film, that revealed itself to be a truly charming demon picture and a masterclass in contemporary black horror. Spanning across the themes of faith, principles, and family, Def By Temptation is truly something to behold, and belongs in any cinephiles black cinema collection.
A downright hypnotic mashup of an early-90s erotic thriller structure with a visually imaginative blaxploitation horror throwback. Blacula by way of Mario Bava.
Although the structure is a bit ungainly at times, the characters are strong enough to carry the day. This should be discussed alongside the likes of The Addiction and Habit as one of the seminal genre efforts to utilize an otherworldly menace stalking the streets of the Big Apple as a metaphor for much larger cultural and societal issues.
This also boasts one of the most stunning transfers I've ever seen on a Vinegar Syndrome release, which is saying something. If this came out of the Troma vaults, I'm pleased to report they're keeping their archives in remarkable shape.
It was a big movie day for me on my day off and we started with this. The 90’s black horror gem, Def By Temptation. I’m realizing, I need a better and more in depth feelings/take on these at some point, as these are just my hot takes.this certainly has some filmmaking skill behind it and I appreciate and enjoy it for that. Has some problems with heteronormative stances and homophobia imo, but also, this is up for interpretation on where this film stands and what it’s saying. Overall, 90’s black horror is back and better than ever.
Watched for a podcast discussion. It had been nearly 30 years. There are several layers to it. It's a horror film, a horror film with black creators and an all black cast, and it's a Troma film. It has high production value thanks to Ernest Dickerson. It's thoughtful and uses religious themes for the succubus story. A cool time capsule for the era. Oddly slow pace, writer/director was prob still too green to be the lead.
oof, did not expect this to be as good as it is. Loved it, really enjoy how the vampire is a properly supernatural being and not just a bloodthirsty person with super powers. The main characters are written and performed really well, especially for this type of film, quite likeable too. There's something very 90s (older) kids tv about this film, and I don't mean that in a bad way.
Phenomenal, even though the swearing is somehow censored on Troma's streaming site because of course it is
"You got a Cameo butt, make me say Owww!"
James Bond III and Ernest Dickerson made the one of the best, and sexiest, horror films that you've likely never heard of.
Microbudget films like this are incredibly inspirational and bless Vinegar Syndrome for surfacing it because Troma sure as hell wasn't doing anything to shout out about it.
I could listen to Samuel L. Jackson spitting fire and brimstone for days. We’ve seen this story, but not quite like this. It couldn’t be further from timeless, and it feels about twice as long as it should; but it’s slyly directed, with a thoughtful plot and clever, engrossing, characters. It runs into some problems in the final act, specifically with some distracting makeup and a strange encounter with a TV - but these weren’t enough to spoil the fun. Hilarious and earnest Black- & Sex- ploitation like no other.
File Under: Demons and Things
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