By Melissa Antoinette Garza
One of my favorite movies growing up was a little known gem called MY DEMON LOVER (1987). It isn’t Academy Award material, although more often than not, I prefer movies that are not considered the crème of the crop. Cult films with strange plots and weird characters appeal to me more than movies designed to win critical acclaim.
Don’t get me wrong. I appreciate the depth and insight of films the caliber of CITIZEN KANE (1941) and 12 ANGRY MEN (1957), but on a lazy day I much prefer to watch cheesy fun that just leaves me smiling throughout.
MY DEMON LOVER follows FAMILY TIES star Scott Valentine who portrays Kaz. When Kaz was a young teenager, he was caught making out with a gypsy’s granddaughter. The gypsy cursed Kaz by making it so he turns into a demon anytime he begins to get amorous. He soon meets Denny (Michele Little) who just got out of an abusive relationship with a man who though he dumped her refuses to go away easily.
When 
Kaz gets rid of her boyfriend and carries her into the house, they quickly form a friendship. It soon turns romantic and Denny can’t understand why Kaz keeps pulling away. He finally agrees to reveal himself to her and they start to get intimate when he turns into a demon. At first, Denny is a little taken aback but her feelings for Kaz wins out and she tells him she doesn’t care whether he’s one or not.
Meanwhile, some women around town are being brutalized by a killer labeled The Mangler. Denny’s best friend Sonya (Gina Gallego) is on the hunt for him as he attacked her sister. When she sees Kaz’s eyes turn red, she thinks she has found the culprit and sets out to murder him. Meanwhile, the real killer is on the hunt for Denny.
This is a movie that would never be made today. In the beginning, many of Kaz’s flirtations could be construed as sexual assaults which Denny falls for. He forces a kiss and gropes her despite protests. He admits to being obnoxious but the nature of his prowl is never looked at in any light other than comedic.
Still, this movie stands the test of time and is a cute romance once you get beyond the whole mild rape-esque quality of the main character. It’s Lost Boys Lite or a tad darker than the Buffy the Vampire Slayer movie (much better than the show, by the way – the show never had Paul Reubens).
Scott Valentine is definitely an actor I would loved to see in more movies. I thought he was great in Deadtime Stories, To Sleep with a Vampire, and Till the End of the Night. He is such a unique, underutilized performer.
Gina Gallego is also a personal favorite of mine. When I was a child and my cousin Traci and I would play pretend, we’d always fight over who got to use the name Santana because she was our favorite actress on the soap opera Santa Barbara.
This is one movie that needs a DVD release. Meanwhile, you can most certainly travel to horror conventions and find patrons who will provide a VHS to DVD transfer for a small fee. That’s where I got my copy and I can attest it is worth the travel.
Scared Stiff Rating 7.5/10
