Rating summary

Movie		1.0
Video		2.0
Audio		3.0
Extras		3.5
Overall		2.5

Debbie Does Demons Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Brian Orndorf May 30, 2023

Writer/director Donald Farmer has been making movies for quite some time (including “Red Lips,” “Catnado,” and “Chainsaw Cheerleader”), but practice doesn’t always make perfect. He’s a filmmaker aiming to deliver no-budget exploitation fare, and he successfully achieves his goal with “Debbie Does Demons,” but actual creative effort isn’t present here. Instead of polish and pace, the endeavor is a low-tech exercise in horror comedy, with amateur actors and dire technical achievements working together to make a screen mess for Farmer, who seems to be delighted with the results. I doubt most viewers will share his enthusiasm, with the backyard production a difficult sit, as the helmer doesn’t have any grasp of storytelling or editing, while padding is an unofficial star of the effort, finding Farmer clawing his way to a 74-minute-long run time.

Long ago, Carmilla (Jessa Flux) terrorized the land with her command of dark magic, eluding capture and termination by transferring her spirit into the Witchfinder, allowing her to continue with her evil ways. Today, Lauren (Morrigan Thompson) is hooked on the television show “Debbie Does Demons,” with the host (Angel Nichole Bradford) sharing the story of Carmilla and her fondness for destroying lives. Lauren recognizes the witch as a long lost relative, hoping to inspire bloodline response with a night of Ouija board playtime with friends Jan (Dixie Gers), Adam (Adam Freeman), and Ashley (Roni Jonah). The gang manages to bring Carmilla back to life, summoning a being ready to restart her reign of terror, working to transform humans into demons. Lauren manages to escape, looking for help from ex-boyfriend Claude (Ford Windstar), who connects her to Debbie, giving the horror show host a chance at television glory as she seeks to make contact with Carmilla.

We meet Carmilla right away in “Debbie Does Demons,” with the witch offering a warning to viewers concerning her threat to humanity. There’s some history as well, with Debbie’s show covering Carmilla’s past for an episode, giving Farmer a chance to detail the menace and her interaction with the Witchfinder, a burly man out to stop evil from taking over the land. Instead of heroism, his soul is overwhelmed by the witch, permitting her an opportunity to rise again. It’s a period moment in a graveyard with modern buildings in the background and 20th century dates on headstones, but Farmer isn’t a stickler for details, which becomes abundantly clear as the story unfolds. He’s merely after B-movie shenanigans, launching “Debbie Does Demons” with some identification of Carmilla’s wrath and Debbie’s T.V. presence, with the diminutive monster hunter joined by a particularly lecherous cameraman.

Watching the show is Lauren, who’s inspired to contact Carmilla, urging friends into joining her for a night of Ouija board tinkering. The plan is to contact the witch, but a full summoning arrives instead, with Carmilla pulled back into the world, ready to turn everyone into demon slaves. Naturally, this is achieved by slowly kissing her victims, which is one of many sexploitation additions to the material, which also finds Carmilla running around topless for most of the picture, and Farmer treats viewers to a real time shower for the new arrival. Because being summoned is dirty work.

“Debbie Does Demons” wanders everywhere, generally ignoring a story to embrace ludicrousness. Other victims are claimed by the witch, spitting goo as they succumb to Carmilla’s influence and monstrous arms. And the central villain also makes time to have sex with a creature, forcing Flux to writhe in ecstasy as a hand puppet thrusts on top of her. It’s all one big goof, but it’s an incredibly dull goof, and Farmer doesn’t have enough footage to complete the feature, offering random sequences from other movies to help beef up the run time, pulling “Debbie Does Demons” away from whatever plot it presents to deal with a pigman’s head being sawed off, and there’s time inside a convent populated with vampire nuns. Also irksome are the performances, with everyone stumbling through dialogue (mistakes are left in the final cut) and a few visibly attempt to stifle their laughter. And Farmer doesn’t even pay attention to his own screenwriting, as a scene later in the picture finds Claude trying to explain who Debbie is Lauren, who was clearly a superfan of the host early in the film.

Debbie Does Demons Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The AVC encoded image (1.78:1 aspect ratio) presentation for "Debbie Does Demons" presents a distinctly HD-shot feature, with the production utilizing a variety of commercial grade cameras and footage from other movies to complete the endeavor. Detail is soft, and blockiness is present. Colors are more active, embracing horror hues with the defined presence of greens and reds. Skin tones are natural. Compression issues are common, with mild banding present throughout much of the film.

Debbie Does Demons Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The 2.0 DTS-HD MA mix offers crisp musical offerings, which support the comedy and horror moods of the feature. Dialogue exchanges are intelligible, but they do battle background sounds at times, and technical limitations are easily noticed. Sound effects are blunt.

Debbie Does Demons Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Intro (8:31, HD) is a welcome to the Blu-ray experience from writer/director Gary Farmer, who records this video with his phone while sitting in his car at night, struggling to keep his face in the frame. Farmer discusses his desire to make a "Witchfinder" film, ending up with his own effort in "Debbie Does Demons." Performances and their bigness are praised, and story points are recalled.

• "Jessa Does Demons" (12:28, HD) is an interview with actress Jessa Flux, who details the labor of playing an 18th century witch, considering herself to be one. Acting challenges are shared, and co-stars are assessed. Flux's relationship with writer/director Donald Farmer is analyzed, accepting co-scripting duties on their next collaboration, "Maniac Cheerleaders."

• Interview (9:40, HD) is a conversation with actress Angel Bradford, who shares her involvement in "Debbie Does Demons," previously working with writer/director Donald Farmer, and she shares an assessment of his on-set presence. Memories of the T.V. show set are offered, and characterization is analyzed, with Debbie a stretch for the more introverted performer. Costuming demands, hair color, dialogue, and personal favorite horror films are also explored.

• "Demonic Design" (1:50) is a photo gallery of special effects work.

• And Two Teaser Trailers (:57, HD) and a Trailer (1:20, HD) are included.

Debbie Does Demons Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Little is expected of "Debbie Does Demons" (which lists a whopping 90 producers), as Farmer isn't the go-to guy for quality filmmaking. He churns out homegrown product for the home video/streaming circuit, hoping to lure in viewers who typically enjoy trashy distractions. There's nothing wrong with silliness, especially when there's no production money to be spent, but "Debbie Does Demons" is a taxing viewing experience, without enjoyable technical achievements or at least a semi-professional cast to help power the effort when Farmer gives up trying to do anything substantial with it. There are distractions here to help digest the nothingness of the endeavor, but nudity and absurdity can't save the viewing experience. This thing barely qualifies as a movie at times, with the helmer more concerned with completing the picture than perfecting it.