Il plenilunio delle vergini

It's a European horror movie from the '70s and has what you'd expect it would: a fairly predictable premise that alters the standard scenario a bit, slow pacing that adds to the tension, creepy supporting characters, and some vague reason for adding sexual content. This movie is not very interesting except as an example of a period piece that is heavily stylized.

Italian Gothic Horror films from the 60s and 70s are usually as elegant, eerie and rewarding as Horror can get. While Luigi Batzella's "Il Plenilunio Delle Vergini" aka. "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. However, the sexy Contessa has some unholy secrets... 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 film starts out extremely cheesy, but it gradually gets better and more entertaining. Italian directors have always had a particular talent to make their films visually elegant, even when the budget was low, and this film is no exception. "The Devi's Wedding Night" is beautifully shot in nice locations full of elegant and macabre set-pieces. 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. The rest of the female cast members are also beautiful to look at, and all have exhibitionist tendencies. 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 some of 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 absoulute must-see, but it certainly is highly recommended to my fellow fans of low-budget European Gothic Horror..

Unlike the only other reviewer of this title, I thought this was quite terrific. 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? It didn't matter to me at all.

The copy I saw was from tape, so the quality wasn't great. Never mind though, seeing it was better than missing out.

As for the previously mentioned "lesbian" sequences, they're tame, and along the lines of the classic Hammer film "The Vampire Lovers".

So, if you're a Hammer fan who doesn't mind a slight Euro influence on the ambiance, then this is a film you simply must seek out. I think it's terrific and would buy a remastered edition in a heart beat.

Il Plenlunio delle vergini (THE DEVIL'S WEDDING NIGHT) is probably only interesting as a late example of Italian Gothic horror. By 1973 most Italian horror films were following in the footsteps of Alfred Hitchcock and Argento's giallos (eg. THE BIRD WITH THE CRYSTAL PLUMMAGE, 1970), including those of the original gothic filmmakers, Riccardo Freda (THE IGUANA WITH THE TONGUE OF FIRE, 1971) and Mario Bava (HATCHET FOR THE HONEYMOON, 1970 and BAY OF BLOOD, 1971). Also of interest to cult and horror film buffs, the film was photographed by Italy's (probably inferior) equivalent of Jess Franco, Joe D'Amato. Other than that, this film has little to recommend for it. 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. They don't make 'em like this anymore, and we should be thankful for it.

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.