Def by Temptation. 1990. USA. Written and directed by James Bond III. . With James Bond III, Kadeem Hardison, Bill Nunn, Samuel L. Jackson, Minnie Gentry, Rony Clanton, John Canada Terrell and Cynthia Bond. Restoration courtesy of Troma Entertainment and the American Genre Film Archive. 94 min.
“Demon, I shall rebuke you!” Def by Temptation is an urban morality tale written, directed, and produced by James Bond III, who also stars. Centering around a demonic succubus named Temptation, who attacks unfaithful men in 1990s New York, Def depicts the classic battle against notions of good and evil combined with the power of belief—and the knowledge of this vicious cycle. When Temptation meets Joel, a young man from the South who is meant to be minister like his father but has a crisis of faith, she is unable to lure him. The demon’s sudden lack of attention ignites Joel’s curiosity and a deadly investigation by his friend, K. Interesting fact: Ernest Dickerson, director of Bones (which was shown earlier in this series), is *Def by Temptation*’s cinematographer.