In the 70s, James Bond III was a prominent child actor known for the short-lived series The Red Hand Gang. He also made appearances on popular shows like Wonder Woman, The Love Boat, and The Waltons. In 1988, Bond starred in Spike Lee’s second feature-length film, School Daze, with Laurence Fishburne and Giancarlo Esposito. While working on the film, Bond became acquainted with some cast and crew members, including cinematographer Ernest Dickerson. Once filming wrapped, Bond recruited some of his School Daze costars to appear in his directorial debut film. Bond cast Kadeem Hardison, Bill Nunn, and a relatively unknown Samuel L. Jackson from the earlier production. Troma stepped in to help with filming at some point, including having Redneck Zombies director Pericles Lewnes handle the effects. In March 1990, Bond’s only directing effort, Def by Temptation, held its premiere in Chapel Hill, North Carolina.
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Synopsis
Joel (James Bond III) is a devout Christian studying to become a minister when he decides to take a break. He meets up with his brother “K” (Kadeem Hardison), an aspiring actor who’s happy to have his brother stay over. While showing him around New York City, they stop into the One Step Down club for some drinks. The night before, “K” met his dream woman (Cynthia Bond) and hopes to find her there again. Much to his dismay, she sets her sights on Joel and latches onto him, completely blowing off “K.” He becomes suspicious after noticing she has no reflection, so he asks his detective friend Dougy (Bill Nunn) for help. According to Dougy, she’s been seducing and killing men for years, and they discover she’s a succubus. Joel is in for the ultimate test of his faith unless his brother can save him from Temptation.
Review
Like many great low-budget films, Def by Temptation manages to rise above its limitations to become something special. It’s a shame this is James Bond III’s only directing effort because he shows a lot of promise here. With help from cinematographer Ernest Dickerson, he uses colored lighting and soft focus to give the film a nightmarish quality. Bond also uses fog and darkness to further add to the already spooky mood established. Additionally, the gore effects are surprisingly decent for such a small budget, and gorehounds will be satisfied. Admittedly, some makeup effects look slightly dodgy, but the quick editing and low lighting help hide it. This ties into what’s probably the film’s biggest flaw: the budget was unfortunately not enough for the filmmaker’s ambition. You don’t need huge budgets to make a good movie, but they might’ve bitten off more than they could chew.
In terms of the acting, it’s very hit or miss, but you can tell many of them are trying. While a decent director, James Bond III isn’t the best at acting, coming off somewhat flat and wooden. It helps that his costars, Kadeem Hardison and Bill Nunn, can carry the film with him. However, the performance that stands out the most is Cynthia Bond as the captivating yet deadly temptress. She owns every scene she’s in, and you have no trouble believing her ability to seduce any man she wants. It’s a shame she didn’t act in much else after this because she’s easily the film’s highlight. Also, despite the marketing plastering his face all over, don’t expect Samuel L. Jackson to have a significant role here. Overall, Def by Temptation is a highly underrated supernatural horror film that genre enthusiasts should give a watch.
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