Black Devil Doll from Hell

Black Devil Doll from Hell has gained something of a cult following but think carefully before paying large sums of money to obtain it - it's not worthy of any serious investment. It is, however totally, hysterically, funny entertainment.

Shot on home video without a budget using home locations and presumably friends and family as actors, the story tells of a cursed doll, that when purchased, grants it's owner any wish, but this service obviously comes at a price. And the star of our tale, meek, church- going Helen, is about to find out what that is! Helen spies the doll in a curiosity shop one day and is compelled to buy it, despite the shop owner's doom-laden warnings. On getting the doll home. she makes a place for it in the toilet (!?) and then the terror beings, as Helen first starts to be visited by weird hallucinations about the doll coming to life - and then it actually does come to life and subjects her to a "puppet sex attack"!

Now already this sounds absurd, not to mention very sleazy, but as the film is so amateurish, you can only laugh at the proceedings rather than anything else. Everything is played straight, in fact the actress playing Helen does her best to contribute a performance of sorts - but it's all for nothing as once the Black Devil Doll himself starts to wake up, you'll forget about any realism at all. Basically, the doll is a commercially bought ventriloquist's puppet with a Rick James style hairstyle, and when he comes to life, he's pretty much animated in the same way (ie, with a stage hand's arm up him, waggling him about). The scenes in which the puppet assaults Helen are what this film is famous for and you may have to pinch yourself to know that what you are seeing has actually been committed to film. There's nothing graphic in the film, Helen is never shown fully naked and there is no violence to speak of, it's just the hilarity of the situation that will imprint it on your memory. That and the doll's foul-mouthed, "Mr T" accented vocal tirade, which good taste prevents me from transcribing here.

The whole wretched thing is scored with a Casio organ, seemingly set on one single demo loop that goes "boom-titty-boom-tish" over and over again, oh except for the serious scenes when what are presumably supposed to be sinister chords are represented by a sound more like ear-splitting feedback.

Due to the rarity of any copies of this item, it has become more talked about than actually seen. Sadly if more people did see it, the fog of curiosity would probably evaporate leaving what is simply, one man's very warped attempt at a home horror movie. It's not shocking or extreme, so if you do get a copy, my advice is to have a party and invite a bunch of friends over to watch it. Personally i am very glad my love of bad movies led me to it, and I feel all the richer for having a copy to enjoy.

Shot-on-video horror movies are probably the only kind of movies that come close to the depressing look of video pornography. The sheer lack of production values leads the viewer to contemplate whether or not the money that he or she has in their wallet could have funded a better piece of cinema. That said, BLACK DEVIL DOLL FROM HELL is just about the shoddiest movie I've ever seen, and that's saying something! I've braved more bad movies than I can even remember, and this one ranks pretty much as one of the three all-time worst pieces of galloping horse crap that I have ever endured. Terrible pacing, an annoying casiotone sound track, execrable acting and a truly pointless story are just some of the many non-highlights.

The only reason to see this is for the unintentionally hilarious rape scene wherein a pious sister of the church is tied down to her bed and given a serious rodgering by an evil, horny ventriloquist's dummy with dreadlocks. The scene where he "orally pleasures" her will forever be burned into my memory, not only because if was silly beyond all human comprehension, but because his tongue looks like a popsicle stick. And, yes, we do get to see his, er...wood. Rent it, and fast forward to this scene. After seeing it, immediately remove the tape from your VCR and use it as a skeet shooting pigeon.

Unbelievable obscurity from the mid-80s revels in its pornographic and horror inspirations. A church-going lady saving herself for marriage goes shopping at a thrift store and picks up a Jamaican puppet believed to have evil powers. It then proceeds to rape the living bejeezus out of her and turns her into a horn dog, only human meat cannot satiate her newfound hunger for puppet penis. Absurd on every level with pacing that can block a magnum bullet, this has garnered a cult status for all the right reasons. Only a few freeze frame montages show any creativity and deliver the biggest belly laughs, unless you count the disco scene from 1984 with numerous extras shaking their booties to Casio music. Which is the film's other main asset: score. The opening credits droll for a full 6.5 minutes with an accompanying song you'd swear was performed and vocalized by Aaron Stielstra; the rest of the songs coming from a Casio keyboard demonstration (literally) and an unbearable one-note synth drone that sounds like your tape is broken. Remarkably, the puppetry is very competent and I couldn't spot any humans manipulating the Fat Albert-voiced doll. Many, many scenes of erotica and nudity from one of the most unattractive women to grace the screen. The thrift store owner's line reading is hilarious and deserves its own drinking game.

I have been waiting 10 years to see this movie. I first read about it in a Joe Bob Briggs article of the all-time worst B rated movies ever made. This one stuck out because of the nature of the film. The devil doll, the rape, etc. Maybe it was the 10 year wait that made this film seemingly better to me than to most.

The other reviews are mostly correct though. The intro is terrible. The money Chester Turner invested in the opening song could have made the difference. The credits seem never ending, especially since there are only about 10 different people mentioned in a 6 minute period. Shirley Jones is not as dumpy as everyone else has said either. Average, maybe a little less, but thats all.

The sound is really the worst thing about this movie. The Casio keyboard comments are not bullshit either, that's really what it is. Some scenes you can barely here the characters lines beneath the sound of the Casio keyboard playing 4 keys over and over again. The acting was only as good as the dialogue provided. Hard to make good out of a shitty script. The movie would have been so much better with some proper sound editing.

The video is not too choppy for being made with a camcorder. Parts of the rape scene are hard to follow because they cut the video into still shots that slowly progress leading the viewer to believe the VCR is eating your cassette tape. Hang in there, it only last a minute or two.

The plot was good enough though, and it had much potential. The doll, the rape, etc. The puppeteer was phenomenal, and the special effects are way ahead of their time. If this movie was available with closed captions, I would recommend this to anyone. Turn the volume off, and you can't lose.

Unfortunately, this is one of those films that could have been huge just based on the controversy surrounding it, but alas, it is no longer made. It would be a good one for someone to purchase the rights to and re-release it after some heavy media hype.

Chester Novell Turner's social commentary piece about the struggles faced by a young, average-looking, African-American woman and the troubles she encounters with her religious beliefs and the puppet she loves. Turner has a magic ability for character development; we learn that the female character is religious, not only through a 10-minute phone conversation, but also a 10-minute camera pan displaying all the religious artifacts (read: Sunday bulletin) hung from her wall.

The film sexy side places the female lead with an abusive, controlling puppet that simply does not care about the women who nurture and care for him. While some scenes may be difficult to watch, the end result clearly displays the destructive nature when a woman makes love to a puppet. Not since Jurassic Park has visual effects seemed so real - many scenes of the puppet actually look like a 6-year old kid! Truly amazing!

I wish the Academy had opened their eyes in 1985 and taken notice to this masterpiece! A great story, jaw-dropping visual effects and to top it off - a soundtrack that hasn't been heard since I accidentally pressed the `demo' key on my Casio keyboard. Find this video, it will make you rethink your social circles dominance.