Black Devil Doll from Hell

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.

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.

Brilliantly sincerely evil and naive. It could be compared to John Waters work in it's disregard for societal racial, drug and sexual taboos even tho I think they were going more for a PUPPET MASTER vibe. The plot is less convoluted than that of PUPPET MASTER (nice lady goes to open air market, buys cute rasta dummy/puppet, takes it home, puppet raises hell, smokes pot, is mean and gives her oral sex.) This movie is worth seeing - if you can find it. The soundtrack is Phillip Glass minimal and the sex scenes with the puppet are shockingly bad/funny. Beyond so bad it's good, so crinchingly terrible it's wonderful. Laugh your way through scenes never intended to be funny while you groove to the fumbled 2 finger synth sound track.

Having just endured director Chester Novell Turner's horror 'anthology' Tales From The Quadead Zone, I thought I would see if his earlier film, Black Devil Doll From Hell, was any better. As it happens, it's just as inept, with almost seven minutes of opening credits, equally terrible acting, cheap special effects and the same atrocious Casio organ music, but it does manage to be marginally more entertaining thanks to its incredibly silly plot which results in the one-of-a-kind sight of a ventriloquist dummy having sex with a woman (well, one-of-a-kind until Black Devil Doll, a 2007 'homage' to this film).

The lady who receives wood from the doll is devout Christian Helen (played by Shirley L. Jones), who purchases the dummy from a thrift store, despite being warned that it has strange powers and always finds its way back to the shop. Unpacking her new purchase and placing it on a chair in her bathroom, Helen decides to take a shower, unaware that the doll is watching. While she soaps up her jugs, Helen daydreams about making it with the dummy. The woman's fantasies become reality when the doll jumps on her back, ties her to her bed, and has sex with her, making her beg for him to continue.

Waking up the next day to find the doll gone, Helen is distraught: having experienced mind-blowing sex, she wants more. Now a sinner, she ditches her religious paraphernalia, puts on some lipstick and her biggest pair of glasses, and goes looking for a man to satisfy her the way the doll did. No one can (not even Will Smith in a hat), so she returns to the shop, where the doll is waiting. Buying the dummy for a second time, she takes it home and demands more action. Nothing happens, so she threatens to destroy it, a mistake that costs her dearly.

Black Devil Doll From Hell is, as you've probably figured out, utter garbage, but bonkers enough to appeal to fans of z-grade cult oddities: the dummy (part Rick James, part Stevie Wonder, with just a dash of Whoopi Goldberg) is hilarious, especially when it gets up and walks (clearly a child in similar clothing), or when it shouts at Helen, "How do you like that, *****?". Watching the doll as it licks Helen's breasts, goes down on her, or gets nasty is a truly bizarre experience. And what the hell is up with that smoke it belches in her face? She might not be much of an actress, but I take my hat off to Jones just for being game.

2/10. It's bad... but don't let that stop you from watching.

I remember a friend of mine got a copy of this from someone when I was in about 10th grade. We must have watched this movie about 40 times, and laughed hysterically every time. Unfortunately, he somehow lost his copy of it. This is seriously one of the funniest movies I've ever seen. I highly recommend it. If you're lucky enough to find a copy.