Black Devil Doll From Hell... Some deep thoughts, and a slight retrospective on the films of Chester Novell Turner

"You wooden headed bastard..."

There is something truly disturbing about "Black devil doll from hell". At first glance it's easy to toss this movie into the bad movie shitpile and never give it a second thought. I imagine that is probably why most people have never seen, let alone heard of this movie. Most viewers will watch it and will not be able to get past the retail store ventriloquist doll which is supposed to scare us, or the casio keyboard produced soundtrack. If they could, they would see a genuinely disturbing story unfold onscreen. The main female character "Helen" begins the film a religious woman who is heard talking to a friend about her purity and how it is sacred and how she should come to church with her on sunday. By the end of the film she is literally begging a  satanic doll to fuck her.

"I long for you..."

The journey from saint to sinner is a rather quick one for Helen. She walks into an antique store one day and finds the doll for sale. The shopkeeper tells her about the doll and how it has been purchased four separate times and how it has made its way back to the store each time. First of all, this would be a red flag for me. If someone told me that I was purchasing a possessed doll I would pull a 180 and run away as fast as I could. But...for whatever reason she decides she must purchase the doll. It is easy to say that this is a big hole in the films logic. But, let's look at it from a different perspective. Everything that Helen did that day, led up to her entering that store and finding that doll. 

She never had any other choice. It was destined to be

They were destined to meet. If that is true, then her beliefs about being a good woman and preserving her purity never mattered... as they were only there to eventually be broken. Following this train of thought, it is easy to see how Helen only ever existed to be destroyed. She is the victim of a cosmic prank played on her by the forces of evil. In this scenario, Evil forces are the prankster, she is the victim, and the doll is the Whoopee cushion. I don't see this movie as being about the doll, as much as I see it being about the presence of evil and its ability to bend the will of the unsuspecting. The doll itself does not matter. It is just the on screen representation of evil. It is just the thing that is put there for us to follow the transfer of evil... from Hell, through the doll, into Helen. See what I am saying? The doll doesn't matter. She could have stuck her foot in the wrong fucking shoe and wound up possessed and longing for Satan, instead she bought the wrong doll.

As awesome as it is, this doll doesn't matter in the end...

The real story is about the breaking of the human will. It is about the presence and power of evil in ones life and the depths that ones desires can drive them to. Much like Chester N Turners other film "Tales from the Quadead zone", there is a powerful statement being made. You just have to look really hard and pay really close attention to see it.  It's also completely possible that I am imagining things, and all of this is just nonsense. Maybe Chester Turner really did just make a shitty movie about a doll, but I have a hard time believing that. I think Chester Turner was both a Victim and Champion of low budgets. His films have become sought after by collectors, and fetch hefty prices online. However he never achieved any sort of commercial success. His films are only remembered now for the most part because of how poorly produced or "bad" they are..I find his two films to be genuine works of art. They are the perfect example of "Camera and a dream" film making.  These people really wanted to make a movie, and they did just that. With whatever little bit of resources they had, they produced a film that is still remembered, still has a fanbase, and is somewhat of a legend in the horror community. Not much is known about Chester N Turner. He released two movies... "Black devil doll from hell" released in 1984 and 1989s horror anthology "Tales from the Quadead zone", and has no other credits to his name. His whereabouts are unknown and it is in the air as to whether  he is dead or alive. Some say he passed away back in the mid 1990s sometime, while others say he is alive and well but does not want to be associated with his films any longer. Either way, his two contributions to low budget cinema are greatly appreciated and admired by many. It confounds me as to why there has not been a legitimate release of this film outside of Chester Turners home pressed VHS tapes. It would seem to me that this movie is ripe to be tossed onto the DVD market, yet to date no legitimate release exists...and that is a real fucking bummer.

For the love of Satan.

Satan loves all of his children. Especially the bad ones.

So, If you are here I imagine you have probably heard of "A Serbian film". This movie caused quite a stir when it was released due to its "Graphic depiction of infanticide and rape". If you have not seen "A Serbian film"... the scene in question involves a man having sex with a newborn child, still attached to its mother. It is disturbing, and it will get under your skin.

Meh... Whatevs...

 At the time of its release bloggers and websites everywhere were talking about this film and how it "crossed the line" and "entered new territory for shock cinema". This is not exactly true. It had been done before. One year before "A Serbian Film" popped up and shocked audiences with its depiction of infant rape, Lucifer Valentine released "Slow Torture Puke Chamber", The third and final installment of the Vomit Gore Trilogy. Aside from bringing the story of Angela Aberdeen to a close, it also included a scene that I feel was overlooked in terms of its cinematic significance. Towards the end of the film Hank skinny appears on screen and assists a woman in giving birth, in a wonderfully graphic and disturbing manner of course.)I mean, come on... this is a Lucifer Valentine film...) Here is a screenshot:

It's only going to get worse from here...

Not only does Slow Torture Puke chamber cross the same line that "A Serbian Film" did, it also adds emetophilia, verbal abuse, and as a bonus... a little bit of kick the baby. And it does it all up close, and without cutting away. Those who have seen this film know exactly what I am talking about. The first thing to take note of in this scene is the fact that an obviously fake doll was used. Most viewers would automatically assume this was just a poor choice of special effects. Most viewers don't look deeper than the screen...

That baby belongs to Satan now.

The magic of the scene lies in the fact that an obviously fake doll was used, but you still FEEL the same feelings as if you were actually watching the unthinkable unfold right in front of you. This is where the movie fucks with the viewers head. You know that you should not feel so disturbed by the on screen antics of a blood and puke covered Hank Skinny playing with a gelatin doll. In fact, the sight of it could almost make you laugh... but the context in which it is presented is what fucks you up. It makes for a truly surreal moment. If you ask Lucifer Valentine, he will tell you that the choice of an obviously fake baby was intentional, and that it was meant to illicit a sort of internal conflict within the viewer. Or, as he explained it to me, the doll is:

 "A paradoxical visual manifestation of a slaughtered vomit doll"

I wonder why this film was overlooked when  it was released. There was no sort of outrage. Lucifer Valentine wasn't mentioned on google news. But, he should have been. What I'm saying is that all of the mania and public outrage that "A Serbian film" received should have gone to "Slow torture puke chamber". Lucifer Valentine crossed the line first, he deserves the recognition. A Serbian Film only "worked" because of the outrage and outcry against it.It is actually a pretty boring film, and its only redeeming quality is the quick moment of shock and disgust you feel the first time you see it. Lucifer Valentines film is  very well produced, it lingers in your head for days, and it disturbs you on a level that defies explanation. His films do not rely simply on a brief moment of shock value. It is a shame that he did not receive the mainstream recognition he deserved for his contribution to extreme cinema. However, in my  interactions online with Lucifer Valentine it becomes apparent that he does not care what the mainstreams view on him or his films is. He is content knowing that his fans love his work and will remain loyal. 

By the way, this is not Lucifer Valentine. Stop saying that it is.

 I still can't help but feel a bit of confusion. Audiences flocked to theaters to watch The human centipede, SAW, and A Serbian film because they heard they were shocking films that set out to explore the darker facets of humanity...The bad parts of life...They wanted to see something they do not usually get to see, but still retain a level of comfort. I guess that this is where the mainstream and Lucifer Valentine collide. Lucifer Valentines films provide EXACTLY what the audience seeks to find. They shock, they give you a peek into the "other side" of things, they give you something to think about. But his films strip away the level of comfort. They force you to confront the horrors of not only the real world, but the metaphysical world as well. They evoke genuine responses and reactions from viewers. They are the real deal mind fuck. But most audiences can't handle the real deal and are content watching the next SAW film or bad horror remake, never knowing that there is a deeper kind of horror film to be enjoyed. Something that doesn't insult its audience by asking them to completely suspend any and all disbelief. Disbelief does not exist while watching a Lucifer Valentine film. You know that what you are watching is real. You'll tell yourself it can't be, but it is. And isn't that what a horror audience wants? To be so scared they have to re-assure themselves " ITS ONLY A MOVIE...ITS ONLY A MOVIE". I guess the problem lies in that a Lucifer Valentine film is so much more than "ONLY A MOVIE" It's a full on pillaging of all your senses, sensibilities, and emotions that will leave you feeling it for days. It seems that most audiences do not want to feel, they only want to watch. And that is a fucking shame.

A Shameless plug...

I've got some pretty nifty stuff listed on amazon.com right now including some pretty rare VHS tapes for sale. Click HERE to check it out.

...and I'll give you some movies

Last house on dead end street on SUN VIDEO...

This image is enough to make any VHS collector shit in his pants.

When the shit hits the fan....

Waterpower...one of the most notorious films to emerge from 1970s new york. Waterpower concerns a man who becomes fixated with enemas after a trip to a 42nd street brothel.  Burt and his new found fetish quickly turns into Burt and his big bag of enema supplies... prowling New york after dark looking for "Bitches", "sluts", and "Pigs" to forcefully administer enemas to. Burt somehow gets it in his head that he is helping to spiritually cleanse the women he forces the enemas on. Oh yeah, did I mention he also rapes them just before he gives them the enemas? The film never formally tells us that Burt is insane. He seems troubled, however this is never directly addressed. This lack of reason makes his actions all the more bizarre. 

Waterpower was produced as a Porn film in 1977. Director Shaun Costello was well known for his previous endeavors in the Adult film industry when he was contacted by members of the Gambino crime family. He was told that he was needed to direct another porn film, and that it needed to be an "enema movie". The final product ended up being more of a horror film than porn film. It is hard to imagine anyone ever going to see Waterpower with the intent of jerking off. There are moments in this movie that were undoubtedly genuine...namely a scene where a stewardess is given an enema in her apartment bathroom. The character screams and pleads for Burt to remove the enema nozzle from her ass. Burt moves it in further and it becomes apparent that the ACTRESS is now telling Burt to "take this thing outta me right now". The scene quickly changes direction and our enema obsessed hero can be heard saying " well, maybe that will be enough", an obviously impromptu line. He then has her sit on a toilet and expel some of her enema before having her do so in her bathtub. It is in these moments the film becomes its darkest. At another point in the film an actress can be heard saying " oh my god, there is shit everywhere. I can't believe I am doing this",  completely out of character. That few seconds, is the very definition of Exploitation Cinema, in my opinion. And yes...there really was shit everywhere.

There is a brutal sense of authenticity throughout Waterpower. Jamie Gillis' portrayal of an Enema Rapist is dark, deep, and very disturbing. The shining moment for me came during a scene where he states " maybe this will work for you, then I won't have to come kill you. Maybe we can even be friends"... just after raping, but just before forcing an enema into a defeated, terrified woman on a bathroom floor. Jamie gillis would go on to star in over 400 adult films before dying in 2010. Today he is regarded as a legend within the porn industry and has a cult following outside of the porn industry, mainly due to this film.

Waterpower is not a film for everyone. It's not even a film for every fan of extreme films. This is a movie that not a lot of people are going to enjoy watching. And it shouldn't be... like I said, this film is a gritty, nasty film. It exists only to disgust and shock its audience, and it succeeds. The major problem with this movie is actually getting your hands on a copy. Even if you do find a copy, you can't really know which version you are getting. There is a heavily edited version available on DVD which should be avoided. There is also a DVD circulating that contains a 85 minute cut of the movie. People often refer to this as the directors cut, however the true directors cut runs 74 minutes. When Shaun Costello handed over the final film it ran 74 minutes. Along with the film, he also handed over all of the cut scenes.Most notable are the scenes where Burt receives oral sex at gunpoint. Shaun Costello has stated that he feels that the addition of these cut scenes causes the movie to drag, and lose impact. If you are going to watch this movie, watch the 74 minute version. 

Waterpower is a legendary piece of sleaze unlike no other. It disgusts just about everyone who watches it, and if someone saw it on your shelves they would think you are a fucking sicko. But, you can't really call yourself an extreme cinema fan without watching this one at least once. So, if you are ready to give it a go, click the link down below. It's the 74 minute directors cut, the way it was meant to be seen. Just be warned...everything in this movie is real.

 Do not click the link below if you are under 18 or sensitive to graphic sexual images.

Click here to watch WATERPOWER online. Totally NSFW!!!

What the fuck is the deal with all this defective DVD shit?

How many times has this shit happened to you?...

You purchase a new DVD. On the drive home you are practically bouncing in your seat thinking about watching your new movie. You get home, take a shower, then get comfy. You are sucked into the movie. Nothing else exists. You are fully submerged in whatever you are watching.Then, it happens...A skip. But not just a skip, a full on fucking stall. At first you think it might just be a delay caused from layer transfer, or maybe a thumbprint or plastic shaving on the disc. You get up, completely fucking bummed out and head over to your player. "Hmmm... the disc looks fine" you think. Maybe it was some random occurrence. You put the disc back in and give it another go, only to have your brand new movie stop on the same 36:28 mark. Or, you flip it over and your brand new disc looks like it was tossed in a blender.

 What the fuck is the deal with all this defective DVD shit?

Seriously... I can only believe that DVD manufacturers no longer have quality control departments. Or if they do, they must staff them with retarded gorillas who are force-fed a steady stream of trucker speed and hard liquor. And apparently, the only way to put the discs into their cases is by hurling them against a wall made of forks. Once the discs land near their cases, a very ungraceful fellow must come along to pound the discs onto their holders using an old hammer.

Example A:

If you want to know what a rape victim feels, buy this!

 Like a lot of you, I was Uber-excited when i heard about this set. The packaging looks awesome and has absolute shelf appeal. Plus it came with two pairs of 3D glasses and a sweet ass hockey mask. Not to mention, the awesome sounding book-style holder for the discs. The day came that I got my hands on my copy of "Friday the 13th The Ultimate Collection". Aside from all of the extra bullshit that came along with this set including the shitty replica mask, the flimsy packaging that arrives broken, and the lack of any new bonus features a alot of us were also treated to 8 highly damaged discs. Some purchasers only had fingerprints or light scuffing on their discs. Others, myself included had discs that were deeply scratched, cracked, or in some cases glued to the book style holder with hot glue. It got so bad in fact that amazon.com stopped orders on it while they were figuring out if they would allow sales of it on the site. I cannot begin to fathom how such a huge fail could have come from such a large manufacturer of entertainment media. I personally believe, it is because manufacturers have cut costs in the way of quality control. They also hide behind the convenient policy of " no returns or exchanges once its been opened" that most stores employ nowadays. I understand the need for a policy on returns on a product that can easily be duplicated. It is obvious to see the potential for piracy there, but what about those who purchase a disc that is  completely unwatchable. Then, when we try to return the defective product we are stuck with it because it is sold out due to it being a "limited edition the store only received 3 of."
Once the store shoots you down, that is the end of the road. It is practically impossible to contact a large manufacturer such as Paramount pictures to tell them " Hey assholes, your shitty practices resulted in another shitty product. I need it replaced."  Even if you do manage to get someone on the line, you are simply told to return it to the store.It is a constant stream of one party passing the blame on to another. In the end, the consumer gets the screw.

A typical method employed by DVD manufacturers to ensure the discs arrive as damaged as possible.

What about when a company releases a DVD that is supposed to be uncut, or fully restored, etc.. AND ITS NOT???!! As shitty as this sounds, it happens. The last time it happened to me I just about blew a socket. Redneck Zombies...one of my favorite films was released a few years ago on TROMAs "TROMASTERPIECE collection" DVD. It claimed it was the same directors cut as the previous release, only this time the film had been color corrected and restored " to its full gory-glory". They failed to mention the following:

several seconds were removed throughout the film

the original intro card was completely removed and replaced with an obviously new, computer generated intro card


The "mutation" sequence effects were not enhanced, rather they were  washed over by new, poorly constructed computer effects.


Several bits of dialogue and background noise would be removed.


When you purchase this DVD, you are going to feel as though someone has kicked you in the guts and snatched your wallet.And the manufacturer will still get to keep the money you spent on a product you were mislead into buying.

So what then? Are we to not purchase DVDs until manufacturers decide to commit to a certain level of quality in return for our patronage? Or do we simply continue paying for defective, shitty releases and pretend we are happy? I think paramount should have been held accountable for their fuck up. It seems to me that the point is often lost... IT IS THEIR FAULT! I didn't produce a shitty disc. You did not mislead yourself into buying a sub-par product. THEY mislead you, THEY released shitty products, and THEY should be held accountable for it.

He's only 16, but he remembers the 1980s home video explosion...

 I Scored a really nifty copy of Drive-in massacre on "cult video" from amazon for about 7 dollars including shipping. Depending on who you talk to,  it is worth anywhere between ten and thirty dollars.I know of a guy who purchased a copy of 555 on VHS from amazon a few years ago for about 10 dollars.  He resold his copy on ebay last year for close to 200 dollars. For those who do not know, 555 is a Shot on video film from 1988 about a serial killer murdering couples he finds fooling around after dark. 555 is not an amazing movie by traditional standards, however fans of Shot on Video horror regularly shell out upwards of 125.00 for a genuine copy.In 2011 555 saw its second release since 1988 when massacre video released it on limited edition VHS, DVD, and limited edition DVD with extras.The limited edition VHS and DVD sets sold out almost immediately with copies showing up on amazon and ebay within days of the films release.Even today several copies sit on amazon for over 100.00 a piece.I am proud to own a copy of massacre videos 555 VHS release, however I have to wonder why it commands such a high price tag. The obvious answer for the price is supply and demand. I guess I wonder... why such demand? Is it because people actually enjoy this film, or is it just the "cool film to have at that time". I wonder how many of the people who are shelling out 150.00 for a copy of 555 have actually seen it. Or for that matter, how many had ever even heard of it before it became a cool movie to like.Now,I'm not saying that in order to buy a movie like 555 you need to remember renting it when it first came out or anything like that. Just be real about it. If you are only buying rare VHS tapes because it's the cool thing to do or whatever, just come out and present it as such. I see a lot of young kids getting into collecting VHS or Beta. They hop on youtube and talk about how they "remember the good ol' days of mom and pop video stores"  or how they have "been tracking this tape down since i was a kid". First of all, if you are graduating high school this year...you were not even alive in the "good ol' days" of mom and pop video stores, not to mention your first movie was probably watched on DVD. Secondly, you could not have been tracking it down that long, seeing as how you are still a child.Again, I say...there is nothing wrong with being young and enjoying old horror movies, What I AM saying is stop trying to pretend your fondness for Thriller Home Video headers or Cannon movie covers is spawned from nostalgia or remembrance "of times long gone". You're not old enough to remember those days, and you are starting to look silly.

The motherfucking Vomit Gore box set is here!

Unearthed Films And Lucifer Valentine have released The Vomit Gore Trilogy box set. Aside from the 3 films in the trilogy, the set also includes a 4th disc featuring Lucifer valentines new short film " A perfect child of Satan". There is also some awesome supplemental material on the 4th disc as well. All of this comes packaged in a 4 disc digi-pak. This review is going to focus on the set itself, not so much the films. Overall, this set is a winner. The first 3 discs are the same discs as released previously by unearthed films and all of the films look and sound great.Since there are plenty of reviews online for the previous releases, I'm going to focus on the fourth disc and the packaging of the set.If you already own the previous releases, you should still consider picking this up for the 4th disc. "A perfect child of Satan" very well may be Lucifer Valentines best work yet. This 25 minute film builds you up, only to blow you to bits emotionally. I promise you,the last 3 minutes or so of " A perfect child of Satan" will completely fuck you up. All of the supplemental material for the film is fucking incredible. I don't want to give anything away, but the filming conditions of "a perfect child of satan" are fucking mindblowing. Knowing how it was filmed adds a new level of intensity and realism to the film. Those of you who have watched them know what I am talking about. When you get the set do this:

1) Watch A perfect child of Satan
2) Watch the making of featurette
3) Re-watch A perfect child of Satan

I promise you, it will hit harder.

The set comes packaged in a nice Digi-pak box. It is a dual Gatefold 4 disc holder (the same used for the Simpsons DVD sets).
It features brand new artwork from Lucifer Valentine. I feel that the choice on imagery and the color scheme for the box was absolutely perfect. As a collector, I know the significance of "shelf appeal". This set looks beautiful on the shelf. The bright pink box stands out amongst the other spines on the shelf. My only issue with the set itself was the lack of an outer slipcover. Most sets of this type include an outer slipcase and although it isn't a huge deal, a slipcase would have been a nice addition. I don't know about the rest of you, but I would toss an extra five or ten bucks at unearthed for a slipcase if one was made available for purchase.(wink wink)

When you get your set, be careful removing your discs. These type of cases tend to "grip" the discs the first few times you remove them and if you are not careful...shit happens. I would recommend carefully removing the 4 discs, then taking a blank CD and breaking in the disc holders by repeatedly snapping the disc onto the holder and removing it.Do this a few times and you will notice a decrease in the amount of resistance when removing the discs. 

Unearthed films and Lucifer Valentine did a great job on this set. Those of you who have not yet experienced a viewing of these films can pick up the full trilogy in one convenient purchase and save yourself the trouble of trying to track down the individual films.Aside from saving time, you also get the bonus disc... all in one fucking awesome package. Those of you who already own the previous releases should still pick this set up while you have a chance. This will be your only chance to own "A perfect child of Satan" and you can't say you have a complete collection, unless you have a complete collection... ya dig? Visit Unearthed Films  to order yours while you still can.

"...You Wooden headed bastard."

Black Devil Doll From Hell... Chester N. Turners masterpiece. As easy as it is to laugh at the films shitty special effects, there really is a genuinely disturbing subplot where the main woman has her soul bent to the will of Satan. You just really have to pay attention to pick up on it.

This cover is very misleading...

But a good film nonetheless. And a perfect example of the type of advertising used to sell a less than stellar film. VHS distributors in the 80's released films in larger than normal boxes, most of the time covered in lurid artwork. This cover always stuck with me.

Lucifer Valentines Vomit Gore Trilogy

I first caught wind of Lucifer Valentine(LV666) years ago from a friend of mine. He told me about this fucked up movie that he had seen and how it was "really something special." The best he could do to explain it to me was "it's sort of like a porno, but not really...it's just really fucked up and you have to see it." I tried to seek out "Slaughtered Vomit Dolls", but could not locate a copy anywhere. The only bits i had seen were what LV666 had posted online and I was starting to worry that I would not get to see this film. At that time LV666's films were not being distributed by anyone other than himself, so getting your hands on a copy was next to impossible for awhile. (The original Kingdom of hell releases are highly sought after by collectors now, as these were actually produced by LV666 himself.) I'd all but given up on ever watching Slaughtered Vomit Dolls when one day a bootlegged copy of it found it's way into my player. It was like nothing I had ever seen. It wasn't quite a horror film, but it is. It's not quite a porno, but it feels like it is. While watching LV666's movies, you are never quite sure where reality ends and fantasy begins...you are in his world, and it is a disturbing world indeed. LV666's movies are difficult to explain to someone who has not seen them. Imagine if it were possible to showcase all of the hurt,fear, and pain from someones existence,not just the physical hurt and fear, but the emotional and spiritual as well, all at once. Imagine if you were auditing someones existence as they were being pulled into hell. That is about as close to explaining the trilogy as i can come. If you have never seen them, i would strongly suggest doing so. The films leave you feeling as though you are watching something that you should not be. I felt as if i was 10 years old again, digging through my dads stash of porno magazines, praying no one would catch me. You REALLY feel these films. Some viewers will be turned away almost instantly by the lack of traditional camera work. LV666 utilizes some interesting camera work throughout the trilogy.  It allows us to see the world though the liquor and tear slicked eyes of his subjects. It is like we are watching the characters downfall and descent into hell...through their own eyes.This probably doesn't make alot of sense to you right now, and that's understandable. Like i said, LV666's films are like nothing you have ever seen. Explaining them doesn't do the trilogy any kind of justice.

I could try and explain this, but you still wouldn't get it.

One of my favorite scenes from the Vomit gore trilogy.

 

An amazing use of color contrast and a pivotal point in the story.

Come back tomorrow for my in-depth review of the new Vomit Gore Trilogy 4 DVD box set.

They always smile...

Even when they want to cry.

Big girls don't cry...

The one that goes all the way...

Cannibal Holocaust. If you have never seen this movie,you need to.

Watch your mouth...

"...you Irish cocksucker"

I swear man...I didn't kill anybody...

"...I just wanted to beat my meat."