REVIEW – Black Devil Doll (DVD)

Published on: 10th September, 2009

REVIEW - Black Devil Doll (DVD)  | read this item

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Just what do you expect from a movie called Black Devil Doll, whose tagline is ‘He’s a lover! He’s a killer! He’s a muthaf**kin’ puppet!’? When everything about the marketing of a movie is excessive, chances are it’s going to lose much of its audience during its brief seventy-two minute running time. After all, even the front cover boasts ‘Warning: This film offends everyone!’ Still reading? For those that felt Team America: World Police was a little too tame, the Lewis brothers try their best to leave no stone unturned. Racial jokes? Check. Rape? Check. Necrophilia? Check. Puppet penis and ejaculation? Double check! It’s doubtful that Roger Ebert will be praising this movie and I can’t see the filmmakers picking up an Oscar at next year’s Academy Awards, but for those that still laugh at dick jokes and enjoy ample nudity in their evening viewing, Black Devil Doll may just be for you!

The plot is as basic as they come: Sixties black militant revolutionary Mubia Abul-Jama is set to be executed by electric chair at midnight, meanwhile a big breasted young woman dabbles with an Ouija board, releasing his spirit into the body of a ventriloquist doll. Once sex with the airhead loses its novelty, he decides that he needs variety and convinces her to invite a selection of slutty friends over for a party of sex and death (not necessarily in that order). Another minor inconvenience is her annoying ex, who acts like he’s from ‘da hood’ and refuses to take no for an answer. That’s the story in a nutshell, but chances are if you’ve paid money to see a movie that is presented in ‘Necroscope’ and containing ‘totally awesome scenes of murder and rape’ then you’re not really after anything too complex.

Shot in California in the fall of 2007 for just $200,000, the genius of Black Devil Doll has without a doubt been the marketing, courtesy of co-writer and producer Shawn Lewis, who has been bombarding the internet with posters, trailers and fan pages now for two years. With the help of artist Stephen Romano (who penned the upcoming tie-in novel, reviewed here soon!), various artwork has been doing the rounds, recalling the sleazy exploitation flicks of the seventies. In another inspired move, two versions of the trailer were released in late 2007, one containing hardcore material, whilst the other was censored ‘for any of you pansies that were afraid to link the uncut trailer to your web sites.’ The premise of a small black puppet raping and slaughtering his way through a group of naked bimbos almost invites controversy from the moral majority, but let’s face it, wasn’t that the idea?

So how does the film stand up without the promotional gimmicks? Well, I’d make sure your parents are fast asleep before pressing play, as you don’t want to have to explain what it is you are watching when they walk in to see a puppet’s erection on the TV screen. Black Devil Doll seems like an exercise in bad taste, a perverse joke by two brothers that somehow blossomed into a feature. The dialogue is full of such expletives as ‘Girl, you got some big-ass titties but you ain’t got no motherfuckin’ brains’ and ‘Baby, I say ‘nigga’ over a hundred times a day, it’s the only thing that keeps my teeth white!’ In fact, viewers should be warned that those who take offense against the ‘n’ word are best to stay clear of this movie as it is used more times than on a Richard Pryor record. It is also rather derogatory, violent and full of gratuitous nudity. But if that’s what you like in a movie then you may be in luck.

Black Devil Doll’s budget is clear during many scenes, yet the visual effects are impressive and the various montages that intercut an array of bizarre footage with each murder are well handled and keep the film from looking stale. The editing is also impressive, with split-screen and other seventies-style techniques giving it an enjoyable retro feel. One of the most impressive elements, however, is the score, performed by The Giallos Flame, which expertly blends a blacksploitation vibe with something one could have imagined Goblin creating for a vintage Argento thriller. With strong bass, percussion and occasional brass instruments, the selection of tunes on offer really gives the movie a unique touch, particularly during the stylish opening credits (a mixture of flames and dancing women, created by cinematographer John Osteen).

Director Jonathan Lewis (Shawn’s younger brother) clearly has an affection for seventies cinema and he is obviously a filmmaker with talent. The movie’s greatest flaw, however, is the acting, with lead actress Heather Murphy proving especially weak. It seems that all of the players were cast for their large breasts instead of their acting prowess, although it is likely this was intentional as the camera takes every chance it can to zoom in on heaving cleavage or naked flesh. Jonathan himself has a brief cameo during the opening execution, in which he portrays Young Mubia, but from then the action is mainly focused on the scantily clad girls who perform all manner of sexual fantasies (lesbianism, soaping their breasts whilst washing the car). It seems that the Lewis brothers were just as interested in creating a skin flick as they were making a horror.

In all honesty, Black Devil Doll is hysterical. If you have a strong stomach and are able to leave your brain at the door, the movie is one constant joke that repeatedly attempts to break the boundaries of taste and acceptability by throwing in every taboo they can think of. The script, penned by Shawn Lewis and Mitch Mayes (who would also handle special effects, set decoration and wardrobe), is a deeply offensive yet tongue-in-cheek reaction to political correctness. Think of something that would be described as ‘evil’ or ‘offensive’ and chances are you will find it here. Those whose video collections are made up of Fellini, Bergman and Welles will probably be best to pass this one by, but those who still find farts funny should definitely hit this!

As for the DVD release, Lowest Common Denominator have really gone to town with this. Fans are treated to five commentaries (including the cast and one by the Black Devil Doll himself, definitely worth checking out), photo galleries, an ‘audience reaction track’ (which almost makes it feel like a sitcom and is a nice addition), trailers, animations, an interview and footage from the Hollywood premiere, in which fans proclaim how they would enjoy if the ‘Black Devil Doll tossed my salad.’ And if that’s not enough, inside there is some tasty artwork, as well as a foldout poster with production notes and merchandise details on the reverse.

The presentation of the movie itself is impressive, with the colours vibrant and the audio crystal clear (in the always reliable 5.1). The menu screen is entertaining as well, as we are treated to a selection of tracks from the movie which help to pass a few minutes, although they are eventually interrupted by the Black Devil Doll announcing ‘Get off your lazy white ass and push play!’ It really is hard to fault this release, a pleasant surprise that such a low budget flick could be given the kind of treatment usually reserved for special editions. So for those that have enjoyed the movie, there is plenty elsewhere on the disc to explore.

Black Devil Doll is by no means a masterpiece and I doubt it was ever meant to be. It’s raw, sleazy and afterwards you feel a little dirty, but there is no denying just what an entertaining experience this is. There are so many outrageous set pieces on display that you can forgive its minor flaws when the filmmakers are clearly just having a good time amusing themselves and pushing censorship as far as they can go (thankfully, this is an unrated release, so it’s doubtful UK fans will get to experience it in this format). So how would I describe Black Devil Doll? Sick, perverse and offensive… just like a good movie should be!

Release date: October 27, 2009

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