My Demon Lover Synopsis: Denny has yet again been left by her thug boyfriend Chip. It seems as if she is doomed to be stuck with awful guys, this time she has to choose between nerdy Charles and the strange Kaz, who turns into a monster when sexually aroused.
When Denny, a hopeless romantic, is dumped by her ne’er-do-well boyfriend, she meets Kaz, a homeless street musician. He and Denny fall in love, but Kaz is hiding something – he’s been cursed and will turn into a monster anytime he becomes sexually aroused. If that’s not problematic enough, Kaz is afraid he may be The Mangler – the nickname given to someone, or something, attacking women around the city.
I had never heard of My Demon Lover before, but it was recommended to me, so I thought I’d watch it! It seemed to be perfect for October, especially as I am a sucker for human falls for monster love stories. I will be honest with you: My Demon Lover is some hardcore 80s cheese. I always try to keep the era of a movie in mind when I’m watching it because, let’s face it, some older movies are extremely problematic by today’s standards. Sometimes, it’s easy to forgive certain jokes or situations if the movie is good overall. Sometimes! This is not really one of those times.
My Demon Lover is nonsensical and silly. Kaz is cursed to become a monster if he becomes sexually aroused, yet he walks up and down the street, groping and chasing after women. If that was part of the curse, I missed it! At first, Scott Valentine plays Kaz as a manic horndog. After Kaz meets Denny, he calms down a bit as he’s staying in her apartment, so the continual groping and assault probably won’t fly. Obviously, there’s a message here that men turn into monsters when they’re turned on, so in order to avoid that, they’ve got to get to know women for who they are rather than the desire to get into their pants! Am I reading too deeply into this? Probably.
The nicest way to describe Denny (Michelle Little) is… naive. I’m not sure of her motivation to take in a homeless guy who stole her food and stalked her afterward, but apparently, she has terrible taste in men. Like I said, this movie doesn’t make a lot of sense. The “plot” of this movie is that Kaz and Denny get caught up in the search for The Mangler, a similar monster attacking women in the city with its eye set on Denny. The only way to defeat the big bad is for Kaz to get horny! I’m serious.
Anyway, the writing is terrible, and the acting is subpar, but it is funny, even when it’s not trying to be. The special effects makeup was a bright spot in the movie. Kaz turns into a different monster every time he gets turned on, and they’re honestly all pretty cool-looking. I love practical effects. They add something extra to movies that even the best CGI lacks. My Demon Lover also has some humorous gross-out moments, but it’s just not enough to save the movie as a whole. I didn’t buy into the blossoming romance between Kaz and Denny, and they lacked the proper chemistry to disregard all of the movie’s other flaws.
If you want some outdated 80s cheese, definitely check out My Demon Lover! Check out Lisa Frankenstein or Your Monster if you’re looking for a quality human/monster romance.
Watched: 10/28/2024
Notable Song: Let Go by Intimate Strangers
