Il plenilunio delle vergini
Tags: gothic

Plot synopsis:
Karl Schiller [Mark Damon] thinks he may have located Wagner's Ring of Nibelungen
at Castle Dracula in the Carpathian mountains and plans to go looking for
it. Karl's seedy twin brother Franz [also Mark Damon] reminds him that Transylvania is the
land of vampires, but Karl laughs off such superstitious ideas. Besides,
he's got an amulet that will protect him, so he sets off for Transylvania.
However, Franz whips up a swift horse, swipes Karl's amulet, and beats him
to the castle. Franz stops first in the village nearest the castle and
learns from the innkeeper's daughter Tanya [Francesca Romana Davila] that tomorrow night is the
Night of the Virgin Moon, and legend says that every 50 years on the full
moon following Midsummer, five virgins will be chosen from the village and
called to the castle. What happens to them is not known, but they
disappear during the night and are never seen again. After deflowering
Tanya for her own protection, Franz rides on to Castle Dracula where he
meets the occupants--the Contessa Dominga de Vries [Sara Bay] and her zombielike
lesbian housekeeper Lara [Esmerelda Barros]. Unfortunately for Franz, he left the amulet of
protection back at the inn. The Contessa, being a vampire, easily seduces
Franz and turns him into one, too.Along comes Karl, riding his not-so-swift horse. When he shows up at
the castle and identifies himself, the Countess informs him that Franz was
there but left abruptly without a word of thanks, and she doesn't know
where he went. Karl is invited to stay the night, but when he finds
himself locked in his bedroom, he climbs out of the window and goes poking
around the castle. He winds up in the crypt where he is attacked by a
bald-headed vampire [Ciro Papas] and finds his brother sealed in a coffin. Karl
releases Franz and carries him back upstairs, but Franz has no memory of
how he got into the crypt.Meanwhile, Tanya has found the amulet under the pillow in the room
where Franz spent the night, and she decides to bring it to the castle
herself. She sees Karl in the window and, thinking him to be Franz, she
tells him that she has brought his amulet. By the time Karl can get from
his room down to the courtyard, Tanya has disappeared but he does find the
amulet laying on the cobblestones.This being the Night of the Virgin Moon, the Countess is busy
preparing for the ceremony. First, she puts on the Ring of Nibelungen and
uses it to summon the five virgins to the castle. Once there, they are
stripped naked by Lara and prepared to be sacrificed at a Black Mass.
Meanwhile, Franz has come to realize that he is possessed by Dracula, and
the Countess informs him that they are to be married at the Black Mass.
Karl tries to talk Franz out of it, but to no avail. While Lara stabs each
of the virgins in their necks, Franz and Karl fight with each other.
Suddenly, Franz is summoned to take his place at the wedding. The Countess
gives him a knife and orders him to use it on Tanya. Instead, he turns on
Lara and stabs her in the stomach. The Countess sees Franz's reflection in
a mirror and realizes that it is Karl, not Franz, so she points the Ring
of Nibelungen at him and sics her five hooded disciples on him. Karl grabs
an axe and chops off their heads one by one. He is then set upon by the
bald-headed vampire, but Karl grabs a bayonet and stabs the vampire.Tanya has freed herself and gotten away, but she is headed off by the
Countess who uses the Ring to entrance Tanya. The Countess then changes
into a giant bat. Shortly thereafter, Karl comes running, and the Countess
turns the Ring on him, but Karl pulls out his amulet, causing the Countess
to scream in fear. He then wields his axe and cuts off her hand, the one
with the Ring on her finger. Only one more thing to do -- stake Franz and
bury his body along with the amulet -- and Karl is free to ride off with
Tanya. Unfortunately, Tanya has been turned into a vampire, and she bites
Karl. In the final scene, Franz's hand rises from his grave and clutches
the amulet. [Original Synopsis by bj_kuehl.]

Review: Two brothers searching in Transylvania for the legendary 'Ring of Nibelungen' fall under the spell of the sexy and evil Countess De Vries(Rosalba Neri)who uses the ring to attract the local virgins to her foreboding castle where they fall victim to her bloody rituals.This soft core piece of Italian erotica offers plenty of sleaze and nudity.Rosalba Neri is the convincing bloodsucker that spends much of the film in an advanced state of undress.In one memorable scene the Countess writhes around in a coffin in the pink while the faithful maid slowly pours a pitcher of fresh virgin blood over her naked body.Unfortunately the action is quite dull and there is almost no suspense.Still if you like lesbian vampire movies you can give it a look.7 out of 10..
Actually I was amazed at how good it is.My overall impression was of a film that had a Hammer vibe, with a couple twists - the twists being more blood (though there's not a tremendous amount), and more overt nudity (several topless shots).Other than that it is as good - and silly - as Hammer vampire flicks of the day.
Sure the plot is a bit daft, the whole thing turns on possession of an ancient ring, but what do you expect from a vampire film of this era?
"The Devil's Wedding Night" of 1973 is certainly no highlight of the genre, it is an enjoyable little slice of Sleaze that my fellow Eurohorror buffs should enjoy.
Even though there are some brilliant Italian Gothic Horror films made in the 70s, one might say that the sub-genre had its heyday in the 60s, when filmmakers such as the inimitable Mario Bava, Antonio Margheriti and Riccardo Freda delivered the greatest contributions to the genre.
In the 70s, the main focus of Italian Horror/Suspense cinema was on the equally brilliant and elegant Giallo-Genre; however, there were still plenty of Gothic Horror films being made, and those went with the time and were filled with the delightful sleaze that is omnipresent in 70s cult-cinema.
"The Devil's Wedding Night" is a good example for this.One has to admit that the storyline is not the film's strongest aspect, as it doesn't make a lot of sense.
In search of the legendary Ring of the Nibelungen, Karl Schiller (Mark Damon) comes to Transylvania where he inspects Castle Dracula, claiming that he does so for architectural studies.
The stunningly beautiful and sinister Contessa Dolingen De Vries (Rosalba Neri), who owns the castle, immediately seduces him.
In the meanwhile Karl's identical twin brother (also Mark Damon), has followed him to Transylvania in order to look after his safety...As stated above, the story doesn't make a lot of sense.
The ravishing Rosalba Neri (credited here as Sara Bay) who is best known for her roles in other sleazy Italian gems such as "La Figlia Di Frankenstein" ("Frankenstein's Daughter", 1971) and "La Bestia Uccide A Sangue Freddo" ("Slaughter Hotel", 1971) and who is once again more than willing to take her clothes off, fits in the role of the Vampiric Countess very well.
Apart from her beauty, Rosalba Neri also has a great screen presence and the talent to be effectively eerie.
The film includes all the essential ingredients of 70s Eurosleaze, such as gratuitous female nudity, lesbianism and lesbian Vampires, and bloody and perverted Satanic rituals.
Leading man Mark Damon was in the greatest of Gothic Horror films in the sixties, including Bava's "I Tre Volti Della Paura" ("Black Sabbath", 1963) and Roger Corman's "House of Usher" (1960).
He continued to be in the sleaziest of Gothic Horror movies in the seventies, including the visually stunning "Byleth - Il Demone Dell'Incesto" and this film.
Overall, "The Devil's Wedding Night" is no must-see, but it certainly is a fun flick to watch for a fan of low-budget Eurohorror.
But. then the housekeeper (Rosalba Neri) bathes the Countess in hot blood, and it gets a little steamier.But, the real deal in this Italian classic is Dracula's ring.
He stays at an inn at a nearby town and finds out from the attractive innkeeper's daughter that once every year during the full moon the town sends five virgin sacrifices to the mysterious inhabitants of the castle (thus the Italian title of this movie).
He meets the inhabitants of the castle-- Countess Dracula (Rosalba Neri) and her sinister lesbian servant.
. .This movie like "Death Smiles at Murder", "The Reincarnation of Isabel" and the director's more famous "Nude for Satan" was made at a time when the Italian Gothic horror films of the 1960's had pretty much completely sunk into blood-drenched and sex-fueled delirium.
The main attraction here, of course, is the numerous nude scenes by Rosalba Neri and the sequence where the five virgins are sacrificed (which, of course, involves each of them being stripped naked and stabbed to death by the lesbian servant).
A professional critic I once read describes the famous scene where blood is poured on on Neri's nude, writhing body as "pretty unappealing".
Neri was a great actress when given a chance and this could have been a memorable role for her (like the famous Erica Blanc role in the similar "The Devil's Nightmare"), but this movie is just too stupid and ham-handedly executed.
By no means a top notch Gothic horror but it is colourful and eventful, has the wondrous, Rosalba Neri and a cast of lovelies, all pretty keen to strip down.
The ever effective Mark Damon, here plays a pair of twins with some silly mission involving a big red ring, worn throughout the film, of course by the vampiric countess (Neri) in some style.
Thus, I would have to say that the odds of twin brothers Karl and Franz Schiller, in the 1978 Eurosleaze horror flick "The Devil's Wedding Night," arriving at the castle of Countess Dolingen de Vries in Transylvania on the one night in 50 years when village virgins are sacrificed is, well, 18,262 to 1.
In their quest for Wagner's legendary Ring of the Nibelungen, which gives its owner almost limitless powers, the brothers (well played, I suppose, by Mark Damon) run afoul of not only the beautiful vampiric countess, but her castleful of zombie retainers, as well.
In the role of the countess we have the perfect 10 Eurobabe Rosalba Neri (here called Sara Bay, for some reason), an actress who I only recently became enamored of after admiring her performance as the doomed nymphomaniac in 1971's "Slaughter Hotel." Rosalba, though a talented thespian (and, in this film, lesbian) and much more than just a gorgeous face, nonetheless still looks incredible here, especially when streaked with blood and rising out of a steaming vat.
Like another Italian film that I recently saw, 1960's "Mill of the Stone Women," "The Devil's Wedding Night" features a disorienting, drug-induced, psychedelic freakout sequence that comes roughly halfway in.
Director Luigi Batzella and composer Vasili Kojucharov's contributions do create a film with some creepy atmosphere, and for all you hound dogs out there, the five virgins that are called to the castle, stripped and butchered are quite a toothsome lot.
Hunky Mark effectively says he'll save her life by popping her cherry - looks like another Italian film with a feminist agenda is well underway.He gets to the castle and finds a dozy-looking maid who tells him that the sexy countess isn't around and he might as well have a trippy walk around the castle.
After finding the tombs, and hearing strange screaming,he finds the maid dead in one of the coffins, and heads back to the castle to find sexy Rosalba Neri who is definitely not an evil vampire.
Rosalba hits it off with Hunky Mark when she introduces the alive again maid, but to keep your mind off of why nothing up to this point makes any sense, Rosalba gets Hunky Mark in the sack for some filthy squeezy, then turns into a giant bat and bites him.By this time Nerd Mark arrives at the castle and doesn't believe Rosalba when she says his brother wasn't there.
Just when you think the last scene is going to repeat itself Rosalba gives Nerd Mark some drugs and while he's rolling about laughing gets the maid in the sack instead and has her pour blood all over her naked body.
Up periscope!This is all leading to the big virgin sacrificing scene where one brother has to rescue the other brother from a sexy vampire and although Luigi Betzella is associated with bottom of the barrel trash like the Beast in Heat, this is a decent film with a lot of effective scenes, and one particularly hilarious one of someone superimposed in front of a giant real bat.
I'm not the hugest vampire film fan in the world so if I like it then it must have something good going for it.There are also a huge amount of nude scenes in this one too, most of them by Rosalba Neri.
Great looking topless girls in this Euro shocker/ sex flick, about Dracula's oversized joke shop ring, with a red amulet almost as large as girl's hand, and the various people are hoping to possess it.
Film is kind of like an old Hammer Horror, with a bit more graphic sex and nudity: beautiful lesbian vampire lures young girls to castle to frolic with them, then offers them as sacrifices to the devil.
That's why Italian horror movies such as THE DEVIL'S WEDDING NIGHT focus more on sex to compliment the genre.
Il Plenlunio delle vergini (THE DEVIL'S WEDDING NIGHT) is probably only interesting as a late example of Italian Gothic horror.
The photography is a mediocre homage to NOSFERATU, the sets pale in comparison to those of earlier gothic horror films (for example, Bava's BLACK SUNDAY), the story is dull and inconsistent, the nude scenes are neither necessary nor particularly erotic, and the atmosphere is less-than-spooky when it isn't unintentional comical.
A pretty good cheesy horror movie.
Some bright red gore, the naked charms of several sexy women, including star Rosalba Neri, and a few unintentional laughs are the main attractions of this otherwise rather tedious vampiric potboiler.
Appearing opposite a bland Mark Damon, Neri plays bride of Dracula La Contessa Dolingen de Vries, who uses the fabled ring of the Nibelungen to lure virgins to her castle.
Damon plays dual roles (when he isn't really up to just the one), that of archaeologist Franz Schiller, who goes to the castle in search of the ring, and of his twin brother Karl, who follows, too late to save his sibling but not too late to end the Contessa's reign of terror.As is often the case in such Gothic Euro horror, there's an awful lot of wandering around the castle, with an obligatory storm raging overhead, all of which is fairly mundane, but at least director Luigi Batzella sees fit to punctuate the boredom with the occasional spot of sleaze: the Contessa has sex with Franz, giving the viewer a good eyeful of Neri's bod; Neri also gets naked whilst taking a blood bath, the red stuff poured all over her chest by faithful housemaid Lara (Esmeralda Barros); the Contessa and Lara have a lesbian romp; and five virgins are stripped naked before being stabbed in the neck, their blood gushing over their bare breasts.
All good stuff.Also reasonably fun: the fight between Karl and a bald hunchbacked vampire; the trippy laughing scene (I haven't a clue what that was all about); Karl hacking off the Contessa's hand; the Contessa turning into a huge bat to attack comely innkeeper's daughter Tanya (Francesca Romana Davila); and the silly surprise ending.5.5 out of 10, rounded up to 6 for the hilarious moment when the Contessa holds up the magical ring to Karl and he starts to do Tai Chi. At least that's what it looked like to me..
Mind you, this is nowhere near the incomprehensible mess that ISABEL was  but the plot also concerns vampires, sacrificial victims and lookalike protagonists (in this case, Mark Damon as twin brothers).It all starts with the search for the mythic Ring of the Nibelungens, currently residing in Transylvania(!)which, of course, is the home of Count Dracula.
When one of the Damons goes there, he finds a Countess ("Euro-Cult" starlet Rosalba Neri) living in Castle Dracula; having lost his protective amulet, he soon falls under her spell and is himself turned into a bloodsucker.
Soon after, though, his twin turns up at the castle but, being the more studious of the two, he resists Neri's advances and, thinking something's not right with the place, spends a good part of the running-time roaming its various corridors and, naturally, the crypt (virtually a given for Gothic chillers)!
As it turned out, the brothers happened to pick the time when five local virgins are to be sacrificed (presumably for the reincarnation of Dracula); the film's most erotic yet visually impressive sequence, as a matter of fact, shows the blood of a freshly-slain girl being spilled on the naked Countess  residing in one of the crypts  by her zombie-like black maid (yes, various horror myths are thrown in for no very good reason and with little real impact!).
The hero leaves the castle with a local girl he had befriended but, in a clichéd downbeat conclusion, she has been turned into a vampire (off-screen) as well  given that the driver of the coach is none other than the sinister-looking character occasionally seen prowling the castle grounds To be fair, the tone of the piece is characteristically dream-like and it all looks pretty good for the little budget the director must have had at his disposal; on the other hand, being at once insufficiently-plotted and highly derivative, it's not memorable enough to live in the memory..
The Devil's Wedding Night (1973) ** (out of 4) Archaeologist Karl Schiller (Mark Damon) is doing research on a mythical ring that was apparently once owned by Count Dracula.
Even though his twin brothers tries to talk him out of going, Karl heads off to Transylvania where he goes to a castle ran by Countess de Vries (Rosalba Neri) and her assistant Lara (Esmeralda Barros).THE DEVIL'S WEDDING NIGHT is one of the most popular EuroHorror movies out there but I'm going to guess the main reason is because of its public domain status and the fact that this film has been included in so many cheap releases that most collectors would have bought one of the various versions at some point in their life.
That's not to say that this is a completely worthless film because it isn't but at the same time it's certainly not what one would consider a "good" movie.Like most European films from this era that deals with vampires, this one here has a rich atmosphere as well as plenty of nudity, sex and of course blood.
Neri was one of the most beautiful starlets from this era and she's very effective in the film here.
Damon is also good in his two roles and Barros is effective as well.As I said, director Luigi Batzella does a very good job at building up some atmosphere and a few of the scenes are quite effective but at just 83 minutes there are still plenty of moments where the film becomes quite dull and talky.
THE DEVIL'S WEDDING NIGHT isn't a masterpiece or even a good film but fans of Neri will want to check it out..
Within its genre this movie still simply remains a good and original watch, that will most definitely please most of the Italian horror movie lovers out there.To me, this was a movie that was all about its atmosphere.
Horror-wise, this movie is also being very typical for an Italian '70's production, meaning that it's also a quite sleazy at times, in terms of its nudity and female characters.
It's not a movie with any scares in it but it's one that constantly builds- and relies on its atmosphere instead, which is something perfectly dark, Gothic and weird, in a good and original way.Something that is also really worth mentioning is its musical score by Vasili Kojucharov.
"Il plenilunio delle vergini" ("The Devil's Wedding Night" in English) is probably most readily available as part of Elvira's Movie Macabre.
In a way, these horror flicks hearken back to Italy's famous paintings showing scenes of torture and suffering.I don't know if it's possible to obtain this movie on its own.
A top-rate, exquisitely trashy and sexy Eurosleaze Gothic horror treat starring the gorgeously sleek'n'slender brunette hottie supreme Rosalba ("Slaughter Hotel") Neri as a wicked bisexual Translyvanian vampire countess who every year sacrifices five virgins in order to appease Satan and retain her immortality.
The eternally insipid Mark Damon offers twice the blandness as a studious, bookish dweeb and his more loose, fun-loving party hearty womanizing heel twin brother (guess which one falls under Neri's evil, yet irresistibly alluring spell and winds up being turned into a vampire while searching for a precious rare glowing magical red amulet that Neri possesses).
"The Devil's Wedding Night" is a perfect example of everything that bugs me about Eurohorror.
It boasts every cruddy cliché you can think of--magic rings and amulets, chanting Satanists, goofy-looking fake vampire teeth, and nudity out the wazoo--but has none of the style or atmosphere of, say, a Mario Bava film.
Mark Damon (who looks as if he'd done some hard living after starring in "House of Usher" and "Black Sabbath" a decade earlier) plays twin brothers Franz and Karl, both of whom are menaced by a beautiful but sinister countess (Rosalba Neri, who appears here as 'Sara Bay') in her gloomy castle.
If you're not picky about your horror, or if you just want to have a good laugh, I guess "The Devil's Wedding Night" is an acceptable way to pass eighty minutes of your life.