Actor James Bond III’s career dates back to the seventies, it’s interesting that his last major movie gig would be his final curtain call, and for horror and black cinema fans, Def By Temptation serves its purpose on multiple ends.
Screened for this year’s inaugural Nightstream Film Festival, the horror comedy’s restoration comes courtesy of Troma Entertainment and the American Genre Film Archive. Making his entrance amid the height of his TV stardom in the sitcom, “A Different World”, is actor Kadeem Hardison who stars alongside Bond III, and actress Cynthia Bond, as the scintillating antagonist in this story.
The film doesn’t hesitate much before introducing our sultry villainess in the first act, diving headfirst in the moments thereafter into the grisly scenery of our Temptress (Bond) dousing her latest victim in a shower of blood, before sending him running stark naked for dear life and trapped, only to be devoured with blood seeping through the bottom of her apartment door, and the victims just keep coming in the scenes thereafter.
We soon meet Joel (Bond III), a divinity scholar following in the pastorhood of his father’s footsteps, who’s lived a largely safe and secure life under his grandmother (Minnie Gentry), particularly in the wake of his parents’ deadly accident years earlier. Transplanting from the rural suburbs of North Carolina to the urban allure of New York City nightlife, Joel reunites with his childhood best friend and aspiring actor, K (Hardison), for a tenuous vacation from his Southern bearings.
When the Temptress comes into their lives, though charmed at first, it’s not long before K begins to see past her kittenish and guying ways, revealing an even darker, more devious persona: a succubus that afflicts and feasts on men. Eventually convinced of his suspicions with the help of a secret government agent (late actor Bill Nunn) who specializes in the supernatural, it not only remains to be seen if whether or not K can break through Joel’s naiveté in time before the Tempress leads him astray, but if Joel’s faith is strong enough to help him break from her enveloping spell.
Placed center stage is a pointed focus on a certain demographic of men for Bond’s Tempress, seeking men of a lascivious and competitive nature, married or single, or players who can’t help but think with what’s between their legs. They’re all otherwise easy targets for the beast in its beautiful, humanoid image, though it becomes apparent throughout the film that Joel is the one she wants.
Her presence notwithstanding though, the entity of evil is definitely tangential to the icebreaker in scenes between the young, coy Joel, and the agnostic, more mature and experienced K, with the latter appealing to Joel to see past the filter of his church teachings and view the real world for what it is, for its economics, and people in general.
Def By Temptation doesn’t keep you waiting long for the gore and suspense, nor does it hold back much either at certain moments. There’s a scene where a gay bar patron acquieses to Temptress’s charms, and her failure to seduce him with her femine ways compels her to try a more alternative method. Either way, it’s a grisly scene and she’s gonna have her meal regardless.
Much of the comedy ranges from its over-the-top horror antics, to the shameless flirtatious role of Dougie, played brilliantly by Nunn. The most interesting part is when he begins confiding in K with his own suspicions about the woman and her mysterious air, and really, it has less to do with the cheap assortment of his pick-up lines to try and fortify his attractability at the bar. The added spectacle – the use of practical effects, body prosthetics, costume design and certain set pieces meant to ante up the fantastical horror elements – like getting eaten by your television and having your innards and bones spat out – are fitting for any fan of bygone low budget cult horror cinema.
Joined by solid cast performances from its cast with Bond’s commanding lead as the title villain, and a nifty cameo by recording artist Freddy Jackson putting some of his lyrics to punny use, this Nightstream Retro feat was a fine addition to its first-year line-up, and a perfectly-timed revival ahead of Halloween. If you’re looking for something classic to watch to suit the mood, Def By Temptation is a succulent treat.
Year:
1990Runtime:
95 minutesLanguage:
EnglishCountry:
USPremiere:
Not ApplicableCast:
James Bond III, Kadeem Hardison, Cynthia Bond, Bill NunnDirector:
James Bond III
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