The Sinful Nuns of St. Valentine
Though ostensibly inspired byThe Devils of Loudon, the true  story of a convent suspected of breeding devil-worshipping acolytes, this purely exploitative example of "nunsploitation" tosses in elements of Edgar Allan Poe, the lurid sex and sadism of Italian exploitation horror, and even a bent variation onRomeo and Juliet. During the Inquisition Era, an innocent boy accused of heresy seeks refuge in the convent where his girlfriend has been sent by her intolerant father. The Abbess, who pretends to assist the young man, is an insatiable sadist who tortures her charges (usually half-naked) and accuses the innocent girlfriend of murder after the brutal death of her cellmate. This unsavory helping of kink delivers all it promises (nudity! whippings! lesbian sex between acolytes!) with ham-fisted bluntness and then sinks into a hypocritical happy ending in which the Grand Inquisitor himself becomes the paternalistic hero! Neither campy nor stylishly fun, this is for die-hard fans only. Included are trailers for this and three other Italian exploitation films and an extended introduction by British horror hostess Eileen Daly (which was actually recorded for a different film!), a black-leather Elvira with a whip and a penchant for kink that may not be to the tastes of all audiences.-Sean Axmaker