Black Devil Doll from Hell (1984) (V)

Director:

Chester Novell Turner

Writer:

Chester Novell Turner (writer)

Release Date:

1984 (USA)

Genre:

Horror

Plot:

A woman buys a doll at a magic shop. Unbeknownst to her, the doll is possessed by an evil spirit, and it proceeds to take her over. |

Plot Keywords:

Doll | Spirit | Possession | Supernatural | Transformation

Cast

Shirley L. Jones	...	Helen Black
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Gladys Ames	...	Church Member #1
Bernard Brown	...	Club Dancer #2
Jacqueline Coats	...	Church Member #2
Sharada F. Coats	...	Church Member #3
Toshia Coats	...	Church Member #4
Loneo Davis	...	Church Member #5
Rev. Obie Dunson	...	Preacher
Tommie Graham	...	Club Dancer #1
Onita Green	...	Club Dancer #3
Arlether Harris	...	Church Member #6
Randolph L. Helton	...	Church Member #7
Denise Hill	...	Church Member #8
Thalia Holloway	...	Second Buyer
Jeanine Johican	...	Church Friend
Larry Jones	...	Club Dancer #4
Anton Kinerman	...	Church Member #13
Donyattia Kinerman	...	Church Member #9
Sheila Kinerman	...	Church Member #11
Solomon Kinerman	...	Church Member #10
Willie Kinerman	...	Church Member #12
Ricky Roach	...	First Lover
Marie Sainvilvs	...	Saleslady
Avery Speaks	...	Church Member #15
Jerome Speaks	...	Church Member #14
Chester Tankersley	...	Second Lover
Caroline Taylor	...	Church Member #16
Kathleen Turner	...	Barbara's Voice
Keefe Turner	...	The Doll (voice)

Runtime:

70 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

USA:Not Rated

Filming Locations:

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA

Company:

CNT Production Company

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Black Devil Doll (2007)

Soundtrack:

I'm Your Nightmare

I DEFY you to keep a straight face while watching this!

I used to always pass this box at the video store and, after over a year, I decided to rent it. I can't remember when I laughed so damned hard in my life! There are some legitimate comedies that haven't tickled me this much, definitely a "So-Bad-It's-Good" classic. The story concerns one Shirley Black (Shirley L. Jones), a deeply religious woman who stops at a thrift shop and buys a doll that looks a lot like Webster with French braids. The woman running the store tells Shirley that the doll was the property of an East Indian gentleman with strange powers (although the doll has a West Indian hairstyle, but, never mind) and that it always returns to the store under its own power. Hearing that should put anyone off of purchasing the doll, but not our intrepid and spiritual Shirley (so brave and righteous is she that she preaches to men trying to sell her stolen merchandise on the street). She buys it and even tells it "You'll be the only man to see me naked other than my husband" before taking a shower. She then has visions of being attacked by the doll.

Once again, anyone else would be getting rid of the doll at this point. But Shirley hangs on to it. The next day, it jumps out of a closet and knocks her unconscious. It then ties her to the bed and has its way with her before running back to the thrift shop. Shirley is then sent into a downward spiral of sexual degradation as she looks for the thrill that her "little woodenheaded b*****d" has given her with mere mortal men. Let's face it, once you've gotten it on with a doll that looks like a cross between "Lester" of Willie Tyler & Lester fame and Stevie Wonder on the HOTTER THAN JULY album cover, well, no flesh and blood piece will do (Meshach Taylor's line from MANNEQUIN comes to mind: "I would never interrupt you while you were getting a piece of wood."). Other people I know who have seen BLACK DEVIL DOLL FROM HELL have also had the same reaction: Utter hilarity! Especially at the Mr. T-sounding voice of the doll ("B----, b----, I said wake up, b----!").

If you're looking for a coherent, competent piece of cinema, you'll be disappointed by THE BLACK DEVIL DOLL. But if you're looking for something in the PLAN 9/ROBOT MONSTER ouevre, by all means, check THIS out. By the way, LOVE that cheesy organ music.