By: Frank

 

Anyone who lived through the 80's sitcom era should know (and love) Scott Valentine. Just in case your dad shot a hole through your TV during an inhalant binge, Mr. Valentine (There are those who would argue that he's deserves the title "Dr.") was  the powerhouse performer behind Malory Keaton's junk artist boyfriend character Nick on 'Family Ties.'

 

If you're lost as to whom I'm babbling about, then read on, because you've been missing a cool little Friday night killer in My Demon Lover.

 

With obnoxious panache remniscent of a young Robert Downey Jr. mixed with just the slightest sprinkling of Bobcat Goldthwait, street urchin Kaz (Valentine) makes it his business play the sax and hit on women in the streets of late 80's NYC. It's a place where assault and rape are as common as hot dog stands, and to those ends a killer dubbed 'The Mangler' is leaving a trail of women's bodies across the Big Apple and capturing headlines in the process. At the same time, the loveable but troubled Kaz is dealing with an unusual problem: he blacks out and becomes a demon whenever he gets turned on. One day he falls for Denny (Little), a naive girl whom he meets on the street. Now must try to win her love despite his disabling demon disorder and the growing possibility that he may be committing the Mangler murders during his black outs. Will he be able to win the girl despite his problem? Will he find out that he is The Mangler and end up in prison? These are the questions that will haunt your darkest recesses when you watch… My Demon Lover.

 

This is how people met before night clubs.

 

Scott Valentine should have achieved Cories-like film fame, but he remained on the fringes of Hollywood for most of his career. What happened? Was it just bad luck? Was it the fact that he had to take three years off from acting while recuperating after he was hit by a truck in 1981? At least he made his mark with one memorable family sitcom character. But if you see Valentine's career as the unpolished jewel that it is, the whole thing's enough to bring out a good cry.

 

The filmmakers called this a "romantic comedy," but in reality there's not much laugh-out-loud about. There's some chuckles and snorts along way, but the comedy mostly just serves to keep things lighthearted and hip. But the interesting story along with the cast of likeable characters redeem the movier. The romance elements are also in place, and they even teach a lesson... specifically, if you aren't having luck in love, take home the next homeless guy that harrasses you on the street and make sweet love.

 

Did I mention that he also turns into Jim Carrey?

 

Where the film hits a real home run is with its showcase of work by Oscar-winning effects artists Doug Drexler and John Caglione Jr. There's a solid dose of demons, monsters, and grossout effects in the style rarely found in this age of overused and underwhelming CGI. Yet again I'm reminded of how much both Hollywood and the independent film world should revive their romance with practical effects. They look better than CGI in many cases and they bring greater value to the screen in exchange for the additional time and cost. But evidently there's a bulk of people who actually buy the idea that effects that are made on someone's computer are cooler than ones that are physically created and shot. It's a weird world.

 

The biggest flaw of the movie is shoddy comedy writing. These actors proved that they could deliver jokes but are forced to work with lackluster material for much of the film.

 

Bottom line: fans of 80's comedy and horror will find a lot to like about My Demon Lover, but it's not a must-see. It has just enough romance to make it a good date movie for a geeky couple, like Mordicai and whichever 17-year-old girl he's lured over this week using one of his 14 MySpace accounts.

 

Known fact: women are impressed and aroused by completely random 80's movie trivia:

 

• Actor Calvert DeForest drops dead while eating in a health food restaurant in an early scene. It's a funny joke that's executed by none other than the man who played the famous Larry "Bud" Melman on early seasons of 'Late Night with David Letterman.'
  

• Actor Robert Trebor's name is a palindrome. (Also, he plays a fairly pivitol role in the film, but I don't want to give too much away.)
  

 

3/5 Shoulder pads from a woman's sports coat

 

Good in a Good way

 

 

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