The Devil's Plaything (1973) Synopsis

Two young women, Helga Borich [Marie Forså] and Monika Tarnek [Ulrike Butz], one or both of whom may be a direct descendent of Baroness Dania Varga who was burned as a vampire and witch in the 17th century, have arrived at Castle Varga. They are met by the housekeeper, Fraulein Wanda Krock [Nadia Henkowa], and several of her staff, all of whom are dressed in long, matronly, black dresses. After getting settled in their rooms, Helga, Monika, and Monika's girlfriend are taken to see a portrait of the Baroness, who is a dead-ringer for Monika. As a storm brews outside, two travelers -- Dr Julia Malenko [Anke Syring], an anthropologist studying the local superstitions, and her brother Peter [Nico Wolf] -- knock on the castle door. They are having car trouble and need shelter for the night. During the night, the guests are awakened by the sound of chanting and bongo drums, which seems to bring out the libido in everyone within earshot. Julia begins to suspect that something is wrong and makes her brother wear a cross made out of garlic cloves. Julia is wearing one just like it.The next morning, Julia recounts the story about Baroness Dania being burned as a vampire witch during the 17th century. Legend has is that, because she died without being staked, her spirit is waiting around to take over a body and return to life. As the day proceeds, Peter and Helga appear to be falling in love, much to the displeasure of Julia, who harbors incestuous feelings for her brother. That night, as the chanting and bongos begin again, Helga can barely stand the libido rising in her body. Meanwhile, Wanda is thinking that Julia knows too much. When Wanda attempts to mesmerize Julia, however, Julia lifts her garlic cross and breaks Wanda's spell. That night, the chanting and bongos again affect Helga, but this time Wanda tells Helga that she must get Peter's cross in order to make "the throbbing" stop.The next morning, Julia warns Peter that there is something going on at the castle that she doesn't quite understand but that it could lead to their destruction if they don't leave, but Peter doesn't want to go unless Helga goes with him. When Helga calls him to her room and pleads with him to help her because her body, soul, and mind are being destroyed, Peter removes the garlic cross from around his neck and places it on Helga. When Wanda sees the cross around Helga's neck, she grabs a poker, lifts the necklace over Helga's head, tosses it in the fire, and smiles. Now there is nothing standing in her way. She admits to Julia, who is beginning to figure it out (having written a book about the Vargas), that Wanda and her black sisters, are actually priestesses of Baroness Dania and that they are planning for a mating between one of the sisters and a male descendent of Dania's line, an event that can only happen once every nine years during a particular phase of the moon -- the night of the Vampire. Wanda also tells Julia that she and her brother are descendents of the traitor Donnashova[sp?] who fingered Baroness Dania. Fortunately, one of her priestesses scooped up her ashes, and they have been been keeping Dania "alive" for these past 300 years.Now Julia is really concerned. She tries to talk with Monika, but Monika is "asleep" and Julia cannot awaken her, so Julia goes looking for her brother. As the sun sets, Monika wakes up and orders her friend, who is now her renfield, to bathe and dress her. When prepared, Monika and her renfield head for the dungeon where the priestesses, along with Peter and Helga, are ready to perform the ceremony. Wanda kisses Monika, which apparently passes Dania's spirit into Monika's body. Monika/Dania indicates that she wants to drink Helga's blood. Meanwhile, Julia is still searching for her brother when she is attacked by bats who manage to rip off her clothes. Fortunately, Julia is able to hold on to her cross, and she uses it to chase away the bats.The next morning, Peter returns to his bedroom to find Julia asleep in his bed. Julia tells him that she believes the vampire was reawakened last night. Peter chastizes her for believing those "old wives' tales". After breakfast, Peter, Helga, and Julia go for a walk, during which Julia finally convinces Peter to leave with her. They spend the day traipsing through the forest, but by nightfall they find themselves back at the castle, where they are greeted by Monika/Dania, who plans to drink Julia's blood and watch her die on a stake. It's not going to be easy because that garlic cross Julia wears is pretty powerful, so she sends Peter to seduce Julia and make her take off the cross. However, Julia notices that Peter is not wearing his cross and concludes that Peter is acting under the Baroness's power. Julia uses her cross to ward him off.Plan two is to make Peter strangle Julia, but Julia manages to ward him off again. Later, Julia goes looking for Peter who, by now, is in the dungeon making love to and having his blood drunk by Monika/Dania. Julia is chased back to her room by two of the priestesses. A few hours later, Peter comes to Julia's room with no memory of where he's been or what he's been doing. She puts him to bed and places her garlic cross around his neck. When the priestesses begin to chant, Julia is unprotected and succumbs to their mesmerism. Fortunately, Peter is able to hold Julia back with the cross and prevent her from going to them.Plan three is to send Helga to Peter with the message that, if the Baroness can't have Julia, she'll take Helga instead. When Helga runs off to join the Baroness, Peter grabs Julia and they follow Helga. She leads them to an altar in the forest, where a stake has been erected. As Helga nears the stake, Julia shouts, "No!" Monika/Dania releases Helga and turns to Julia, biting her neck and drinking her blood. In her weakened state, Julia stumbles near the altar. As Monika/Dania keeps drinking, Julia breaks off the tip of the stake. She falls to the ground, the Baroness zooms down on her, and Julia impales her on the stake."At last, they are free," Julia says, as she watches the priestesses walk off in shock, "and the Baroness, at long last, is at rest." [Original Synopsis by bj_kuehl.]

Two young women, Helga Borich [Marie Forså] and Monika Tarnek [Ulrike Butz], one or both of whom may be a direct descendent of Baroness Dania Varga who was burned as a vampire and witch in the 17th century, have arrived at Castle Varga. They are met by the housekeeper, Fraulein Wanda Krock [Nadia Henkowa], and several of her staff, all of whom are dressed in long, matronly, black dresses. After getting settled in their rooms, Helga, Monika, and Monika's girlfriend are taken to see a portrait of the Baroness, who is a dead-ringer for Monika. As a storm brews outside, two travelers -- Dr Julia Malenko [Anke Syring], an anthropologist studying the local superstitions, and her brother Peter [Nico Wolf] -- knock on the castle door. They are having car trouble and need shelter for the night. During the night, the guests are awakened by the sound of chanting and bongo drums, which seems to bring out the libido in everyone within earshot. Julia begins to suspect that something is wrong and makes her brother wear a cross made out of garlic cloves. Julia is wearing one just like it.The next morning, Julia recounts the story about Baroness Dania being burned as a vampire witch during the 17th century. Legend has is that, because she died without being staked, her spirit is waiting around to take over a body and return to life. As the day proceeds, Peter and Helga appear to be falling in love, much to the displeasure of Julia, who harbors incestuous feelings for her brother. That night, as the chanting and bongos begin again, Helga can barely stand the libido rising in her body. Meanwhile, Wanda is thinking that Julia knows too much. When Wanda attempts to mesmerize Julia, however, Julia lifts her garlic cross and breaks Wanda's spell. That night, the chanting and bongos again affect Helga, but this time Wanda tells Helga that she must get Peter's cross in order to make "the throbbing" stop.The next morning, Julia warns Peter that there is something going on at the castle that she doesn't quite understand but that it could lead to their destruction if they don't leave, but Peter doesn't want to go unless Helga goes with him. When Helga calls him to her room and pleads with him to help her because her body, soul, and mind are being destroyed, Peter removes the garlic cross from around his neck and places it on Helga. When Wanda sees the cross around Helga's neck, she grabs a poker, lifts the necklace over Helga's head, tosses it in the fire, and smiles. Now there is nothing standing in her way. She admits to Julia, who is beginning to figure it out (having written a book about the Vargas), that Wanda and her black sisters, are actually priestesses of Baroness Dania and that they are planning for a mating between one of the sisters and a male descendent of Dania's line, an event that can only happen once every nine years during a particular phase of the moon -- the night of the Vampire. Wanda also tells Julia that she and her brother are descendents of the traitor Donnashova[sp?] who fingered Baroness Dania. Fortunately, one of her priestesses scooped up her ashes, and they have been been keeping Dania "alive" for these past 300 years.Now Julia is really concerned. She tries to talk with Monika, but Monika is "asleep" and Julia cannot awaken her, so Julia goes looking for her brother. As the sun sets, Monika wakes up and orders her friend, who is now her renfield, to bathe and dress her. When prepared, Monika and her renfield head for the dungeon where the priestesses, along with Peter and Helga, are ready to perform the ceremony. Wanda kisses Monika, which apparently passes Dania's spirit into Monika's body. Monika/Dania indicates that she wants to drink Helga's blood. Meanwhile, Julia is still searching for her brother when she is attacked by bats who manage to rip off her clothes. Fortunately, Julia is able to hold on to her cross, and she uses it to chase away the bats.The next morning, Peter returns to his bedroom to find Julia asleep in his bed. Julia tells him that she believes the vampire was reawakened last night. Peter chastizes her for believing those "old wives' tales". After breakfast, Peter, Helga, and Julia go for a walk, during which Julia finally convinces Peter to leave with her. They spend the day traipsing through the forest, but by nightfall they find themselves back at the castle, where they are greeted by Monika/Dania, who plans to drink Julia's blood and watch her die on a stake. It's not going to be easy because that garlic cross Julia wears is pretty powerful, so she sends Peter to seduce Julia and make her take off the cross. However, Julia notices that Peter is not wearing his cross and concludes that Peter is acting under the Baroness's power. Julia uses her cross to ward him off.Plan two is to make Peter strangle Julia, but Julia manages to ward him off again. Later, Julia goes looking for Peter who, by now, is in the dungeon making love to and having his blood drunk by Monika/Dania. Julia is chased back to her room by two of the priestesses. A few hours later, Peter comes to Julia's room with no memory of where he's been or what he's been doing. She puts him to bed and places her garlic cross around his neck. When the priestesses begin to chant, Julia is unprotected and succumbs to their mesmerism. Fortunately, Peter is able to hold Julia back with the cross and prevent her from going to them.Plan three is to send Helga to Peter with the message that, if the Baroness can't have Julia, she'll take Helga instead. When Helga runs off to join the Baroness, Peter grabs Julia and they follow Helga. She leads them to an altar in the forest, where a stake has been erected. As Helga nears the stake, Julia shouts, "No!" Monika/Dania releases Helga and turns to Julia, biting her neck and drinking her blood. In her weakened state, Julia stumbles near the altar. As Monika/Dania keeps drinking, Julia breaks off the tip of the stake. She falls to the ground, the Baroness zooms down on her, and Julia impales her on the stake."At last, they are free," Julia says, as she watches the priestesses walk off in shock, "and the Baroness, at long last, is at rest." [Original Synopsis by bj_kuehl.]

Published Time: 2021-09-27 20:27:04