Demon Lover Diary (1980) / Seventeen (1983) | Region-Free (Blu-Ray)

Includes both documentaries on a single Blu-ray.

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Title: Demon Lover Diary (1980)

Genre: Documentary

Plot Synopsis:
This documentary chronicles filmmakers Joel DeMott, Jeff Kreines, and Mark Rance as they travel to Michigan to assist in the production of a low-budget horror film titled “The Demon Lover.” The film provides an unfiltered look into the chaotic and often contentious process of independent filmmaking, highlighting the interpersonal dynamics, challenges, and cultural clashes encountered during the shoot.

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Cast and Crew:

• Director: Joel DeMott
• Producers: Joel DeMott, Jeff Kreines
• Cast:
  • Joel DeMott as Herself
  • Jeff Kreines as Himself
  • Mark Rance as Himself
  • Donald G. Jackson as Himself
  • Jerry Younkins as Himself

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YouTube Trailer:
Demon Lover Diary | Trailer

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IMDb Link:
Demon Lover Diary (1980)

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Reviews from Letterboxd:

1. Review by Orlok – ★★★★☆
   “An insightful, hilarious, and slightly terrifying documentary precursor to ‘American Movie.’ This looks into the minds of a bunch of psycho filmmakers, including the maniac Donald G. Jackson (‘Roller Blade’), as they make ‘The Demon Lover.’ If you are into filmmaking or the horror genre, this is required viewing. ‘They’re shooting at us!!'”
2. Review by Chris – ★★★½☆
   “I would have liked a little more footage of the actual ‘Demon Lover’ film, but the behind-the-scenes shenanigans were mostly compelling. I love how Joel DeMott was completely extraneous to the production and seemed snarky/suspicious from day one—the movie had plenty of problems on its own, but having a passive-aggressive documentarian around to record your failings probably didn’t lighten the mood much.”
3. Review by Matt Lynch – ★★★☆☆
   “Watch along with the masterpiece, ‘The Demon Lover,’ to see all the hard work and incompetence that went into making that masterpiece. In the filmmaker’s defense though, it had to be a drag having these documentarians on your team when they think the movie is such a joke. It almost makes it forgivable that the filmmakers chased them off the set firing Ted Nugent’s guns.”

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Meta Description:
“Demon Lover Diary” (1980) is a documentary directed by Joel DeMott that offers a candid behind-the-scenes look at the tumultuous production of a low-budget horror film, capturing the challenges and interpersonal conflicts inherent in independent filmmaking.

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Title: Seventeen (1983)

Genre: Documentary

Plot Synopsis:
This cinéma vérité documentary follows a group of high school seniors in Muncie, Indiana, as they navigate their final year. The film captures their experiences with racial tensions, teenage pregnancy, substance abuse, and the challenges of growing up in working-class America. Through candid footage, it offers an unfiltered look into the lives of these teenagers, highlighting the complexities and struggles they face both in and out of school.

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Cast and Crew:

• Directors: Joel DeMott, Jeff Kreines
• Featured Individuals:
  • Lynn Massie
  • John Valdez
  • Shawn Nelson
  • Shelly Wainscott
  • Kevis Nealy

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YouTube Trailer:
Seventeen | Trailer

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IMDb Link:
Seventeen (1983)

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Reviews from Letterboxd:

1. Fandor – ★★★★★
   “The stuff that Seventeen captures on film is too amazing to even convey in this review. It is stuff that can’t even fully be appreciated on a single viewing.”
2. fecund-2 – ★★★★★
   “This documentary follows a high schooler in Muncie, Indiana. The situations and conversations are amazing; the subjects had either total trust or complete ignorance of the documenters. Teen pregnancy, racism & cross burning, automobile fatality, drugs, heavy drinking & all-night parties all touch the life of our protagonist & her circle.”
3. sol- – ★★★☆☆
   “Being seventeen in the small US town of Muncie proves tough for an opinionated female high school student in this Frederick Wiseman style observational documentary. The film opens in a home economics classroom run by a teacher with poor behaviour management, and as the film then moves to the principal and another classroom in which a teacher complains about his students completing an assignment incorrectly, the documentary initially exposes how little school actually prepares kids for the real world – an agenda furthered by the revelation of a student pregnancy, which does not faze anyone except the home economics teacher who wants the baby’s parents to get married.”

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Meta Description:
“Seventeen” (1983) is a documentary directed by Joel DeMott and Jeff Kreines that provides an unfiltered look into the lives of high school seniors in Muncie, Indiana, as they confront issues like racial tension, teenage pregnancy, and substance abuse in working-class America.