Truly Dreadful Film

A Disappointing Continuation

Fun premise, good actors, bad writing. This film seemed to have potential at the beginning but it quickly devolves into a trite action film. Ultimately it's very boring.

A movie that not only functions as a solid scarefest but a razor-sharp satire.

James Bond III's ambitious "Def by Temptation" has entertaining characters, is done with style, and its theme is pretty universal; it doesn't necessarily have to apply just to religion. It deals with the challenges one faces on their way to finding their purpose in the world and the battles they fight with themselves.The writer / producer / director also stars, as Joel, a divinity student from North Carolina who's uncertain of his future and thinks that visiting his brother 'K' (Kadeem Hardison), a film actor, in NYC will really do him some good. He finds that the city is, in his own words, a "wild" place. He won't find a better example of this aspect than the super sexy form of a predatory barfly, known only as Temptress (Cynthia Bond). She targets the horny men around her, and is in actuality a demon who knows that her greatest achievement will be the corruption of a pure soul such as Joel. 'K' comes to realize that this lady is bad news and tries desperately to save his brother.The movie is enhanced by the moody and striking lighting schemes courtesy of the talented Ernest Dickerson, who of course went on to be a fine director in his own right, although Dickerson would have to leave the production early, forcing Troma boss Lloyd Kaufman to step in. Bonds' movie is equal turns gory, atmospheric, comedic, and erotic, and is overall an impressive effort.Bond himself is admittedly quite low key in the lead role, but is inherently likable and one does want to see this guy rise to the challenge he's facing. Hardison lends his strong comic energy to his role; one particularly funny scene has Joel modelling various choices in clothing. Cynthia Bond is extremely alluring in the antagonist role; we can see that she would be pretty hard to resist. Bill Nunn is highly amusing as barfly Dougy whose attempts to pick up the ladies too often don't work out. It turns out, though, that Dougy has a surprise in store for characters and viewers alike. Melba Moore has a fantastic cameo as Madam Sonya, and it's likewise great to see Samuel L. Jackson as Joels' minister father, although fair warning to those who want to watch this movie for him: his screen time is quite limited.There's a lot of blood splashed around for all of us gore hounds watching; an early scene where the red stuff pours out of a shower faucet is visually powerful; the eventual demon makeup is not too bad although Bond never does stress the horror elements of his movie too much. There IS a fun moment where a character is yanked into a TV, and that's certainly one of the highlights.Those looking for B genre pictures that are above the norm would be advised to give "Def by Temptation" a look, as it really is nicely done.Eight out of 10.

"Def by Temptation" is one of the sleekest, most genuine independent horror films to come out in the past 20 years. It is easy to dismiss its credibility due to the reputation Troma has built for itself (and the film does include plenty of creative gore), but it is one of the most poignant and original works of the modern horror genre. An original story, talented actors, great low-budget special effects and a skilled eye on the part of director (and writer/producer/actor) James Bond III for genuinely creepy visuals make this a horror film on the same scale of such other cult classics as "The Hunger" and "Nadja". It is a rarity to find a horror film that still focuses on old-fashioned traditions such as plot and character development, and this film has a refreshing amount of both. James Bond III is pioneer in the spirit of Oscar Micheaux, and has truly created a horror masterpiece with "Def by Temptation."

There's nothing great about Troma's "blaxploitation" horror outing about a seductive vamp preying on men in New York. Ernest Dickerson's ("Jungle Fever," "Do the Right Thing") cinematography and Samuel L. Jackson's supporting performance as a priest are just some of the assets going for this trash, but nothing more. Personally, I prefer Pam Grier's 70s films over this loser. My evaluation: * out of ****.

Rarely does Troma release a "high-quality" movie. That's a big surprise! Every time, we get the puzzled feeling of their reputation in bringing us the best of the worst. DEF BY TEMPTATION is an exception, however, so it's no big deal that Tromaville gets whatever their fans can chew on. Even with an all-black cast, it's a very well made flick on an independent level. The dark atmosphere is what really makes this hot and spicy. It has a style of its very own, a vampire horror opus that involves seduction, eroticism, and redrum...er, murder. Noteworthy is Samuel L. Jackson as a priest, but for an early screen appearance, don't expect much. If you're used to those 70s blaxploitation horror classics, including ABBY or SUGAR HILL, then consider this to be a special alternative to those glory days, only in a more updated fashion. A rock-solid example of how to make a personal movie, ladies and gentlemen.