The year is 1990. The previous decade, a post-sexual-revolution era still in the early stages of the AIDS epidemic had given us countless cautionary tales surrounding sexuality. From slasher films that made sure to kill off the sexually active cheerleader before the second act to erotic thrillers such asFatal Attraction,where an extramarital affair gave way to the mistress from hell, the thrillers of the 1980s had been a response to the overall anxiety the public was feeling about sex at the time. While the decade did give the public re-watchable classics that served as time capsules of the period, those films haven’t always aged the best. Pre-marital sex was historically demonized, homosexuality stigmatized, and female characters who didn’t fit a cookie-cutter mold of virtue were often either villainized or violently maimed. However, aTromarelease (of all things) broke the mold through its progressive exploration of lust, objectification, sexual orientation, and spirituality.
Def by Temptationis a horror film written and directed by former child actorJames Bond III. He also stars in the film alongsideKadeem Harrison,Samuel L. Jackson, andCynthia Bond. Paving the way for the ’90s Black horror revival, which included cult classics such asCandymanandTales From The Hood,Def by Temptationis a surprisingly progressive horror filmabout a succubus known as The Temptress (Cynthia Bond) who lures unsuspecting men before she seduces and brutalizes them in her gothic boudoir. Released in 1990,Def by Temptationis a cautionary tale about promiscuity. However,Bond’s film isn’t as sex-negative as it is pro-sexual ethics, as evidenced by how it treats its male victims. Throughout the film, the male characters' fatal flaws don’t come from wanting a one-night stand. Rather, they materialize in objectification, adultery, and even internalized homophobia.
Def by Temptation
Theology student Joel travels to New York City to reconnect with his cousin K and escape his sheltered life. However, their reunion takes a terrifying turn when they encounter a demonic seductress who targets and kills men. As they uncover the truth about her sinister nature, Joel and K must navigate a deadly game of cat and mouse, testing their courage and faith.
‘Def by Temptation’ Subverts Traditional Horror Tropes
When Joel (James Bond III), a 20-year-old man studying to become a minister, feels compelled to travel to New York City to broaden his horizons, the succubus sets her sights on him. Joel is following in the footsteps of his father. If she can conquer Joel, she can end his bloodline. Joel is innocent and purposeful. His friend K (Harrison) is much more worldly and free-spirited, but they share wholesome values and ethics. In an early scene, when The Temptress attempts to seduce K, his saving grace is that he won’t go home with her because Joel has arrived from North Carolina and K wants to let him into his apartment. When The Temptress develops an interest in Joel, it creates a rift between the two friends.
One of the most charming aspects ofDef by Temptationishow it subverts slasher tropes. Whereas many horror films from this era were quick to put girls having premarital sex on the chopping block,Def by Temptationstarts subverting this trope as soon as it introduces the succubus’s first victim (John Canada Terrell) — a bartender and textbook lothario. In the film’s opening montage, he phones various women. He pressures a woman over the phone to get an abortion, saying, “Dump the kid, and you can kick it with me,” before then calling a married woman. He suggests to her that they should role-play, and he can wear her husband’s clothes. The audience is almost encouraged to root for his demise. In the next scene, the succubus seduces him before brutally attacking him. The film sets itself apart from previous slasher films by subverting gender expectations, giving us a killer who isn’tFreddy Krueger,Jason Vorhees,Michael Myers, or some other masked man, but rather a glamorous femme fatale. The trope of the “sexy cheerleader” or “bimbo” who gets murdered for having a “hot girl summer” is traded for a lothario who gets validation from being able to use women for sexual gratification. It’s a play on gender roles rarely explored in previous slasher films.
‘Def by Temptation’ Is Not Sex Negative but Pro-Sexual Ethics
One of the hallmarks ofwhy this film deserves a place in cult-classic discourseis that it isn’t preoccupied with sex negativity. This perspective of sexual ethics and the anxiety surrounding the AIDS epidemic doesn’t show itself until the audience is introduced to The Temptress’s second victim. Credited as “Married Man” (Rony Clanton), the character’s motivation is defined by the removal of his wedding band. The next morning, he looks in the mirror and has deep scars all over his body. He also discovers that The Temptress was aware he was married the entire time and that she had given him the AIDS virus. This turning point suggests that the decision to be intimate with The Temptress can have a ripple effect on her victims. The married man’s fears as well as those of the audience are shown on screen when he simply says, “I thought I could just walk away.” Her second male victim decided to commit adultery without considering the physical and emotional impact it could have on both himself and his family.
As such,Def by Temptationhas a more progressive perspective on adultery thanFatal Attraction.Fatal Attractionis an iconic thriller that has been revisited not only forGlenn Close’s riveting performance but also for how test audiences and conservative attitudes during the timeplayed a role in the ending’s rewrite. In the original ending, Close’s Alex Forest commits suicide. Dan Gallagher’s (Michael Douglas)fingerprints are left on the gun, and he’s arrested for her murder. Audiences hated the ending and wanted to see Alex punished. This led to the now-infamous scene where Beth Gallagher(Anne Archer),an idealized version of domestic femininity, shoots a pregnant Alex. The film ends, and we know that the family unit is safe. In Susan Faludi’sBacklash: The Undeclared War Against Women, Faludi writes, “The decision to choose the ending might not be indicative of any feelings Adrian Lynne has about women, as much as it’s indicative of opinions about women in the 1980s.”
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‘Def by Temptation’ Shows the True Horrors of a Closeted Existence
InDef by Temptation,every victim has a character flaw that ultimately plays a role in their demise. This film is unique because it doesn’t pathologize the one LGBTQ+ character in the film. Jonathan’s (Steven Van Cleef) internalized homophobia and motivation to force himself to be with a woman ultimately puts him in danger. In this scene, the film suggests that the pressures of toxic masculinity are violent within itself. It’s important to note that Jonathan’s murder is arguably the most violent of all three. When he cannot perform, The Temptress sexually assaults him. It’s a very brave scene for 1990.
Def by Temptationdoesn’t treat male sexual assault as something comical but as something horrifying and stomach-churning — as it should be. While the film technically falls under the “Bury Your Gays” trope, it’s important to note thatLGBTQ+ characters were very much erased from many popular horror films from the previous decade.Films likeNightmare on Elm Street 2: Freddy’s RevengeandThe Lost Boyspracticed queer coding; there was a subtext that the characters may have been LGBTQ+, but it was rarely confirmed due to conservative attitudes during the Reagan era.Def by Temptationis a low-budget Troma releaseon the fringes of the studio system.This may have given the film more leeway to showcase a nuanced LGBTQ+ character. The character’s brutal assault is an allegory about the coercion of hetero-normative society.
‘Def by Temptation’ Paved the Way for the Black ’90s Horror Revival
Def by Temptationis an overlooked Troma release that paved the way for the ’90s Black horror revival. This film occupies the space between the Blacksploitation era of the ’70s and ’80s and the new Black horror cinema explosion following the success of Jordan Peele’sGet Out. James Bond III’s campy, spooky, low-budget horror film blended late-night humor, a significantly scary femme fatale, and visual poetry that sometimes resembles the neon-lit Giallo films of the ’70s. The film spins a cautionary tale that invokes the anxieties of the period.
Def by Temptationis available to stream on Shudder in the U.S.
