DEF by Temptation

Mixing singles bar seduction with bestial blood-sucking, this all-black horror movie offers a vampiric variation on Spike Lee's She's Gotta Have It. Drawn to New York by strange dreams, religious country boy Joel (Bond) competes with his streetwise brother K (Hardison) for a bad sexual temptress who prefers Bloody Marys to screwdrivers. The sexist overtones of Cynthia Bond's predatory vampire leave a nasty taste in the mouth, the special effects are poor, and the plot sags badly in the middle. Nevertheless, the stylish visuals, sharp dialogue and incidental humour make this an unusually classy Troma release. The production values are B negative, but actor/producer/director Bond's debut feature rates a B plus.