La noche de Walpurgis
The corpse of Waldemar Daninsky [Paul Naschy] bears the mark of the werewolf (a
pentagram on his chest), so two disbelieving coroners remove the silver
bullets to prove to themselves that there are no such things as
werewolves. Of course, the werewolf is immediately revived and kills
the two coroners on his way out the door.Back in Paris, college students Elvira [Gaby Fuchs] and Genevieve [Barbara Capell] are completing
their "final thesis." They've tracked down the tomb of the a 15th century
Countess Wandessa d'Arville de Nadasdy, a supposed witch and vampire. The
Countess's tomb is said to lie near a small village somewhere in northern
France, so the girls load up their car and go in search of the place.
Short on gas, daylight, and directions, however, they accept an invitation
to stay at the rustic (meaning 'no lights, no phone, no motorcar')
countryhouse of writer Waldemar Daninsky. Over a dinner of cold cuts and
wine, Waldemar reveals that he's writing a book about the history of
gothic churches and monuments, but he falls silent when Elvira mentions
her search for Wandessa.The girls retire for the night, but Elvira is awakened from her sleep
when Waldemar's sister Elizabeth [Yelena Samarina] steals into the room, feels her up,
attempts to strangle her, and warns her to leave before the night of the
full moon. The next morning, Waldemar explains to Elvira that Elizabeth
lost her mental stability after the death of their father but that she is
harmless. Meanwhile, Genevieve explores the manor and comes across a shack
with blood on the walls and shackles hanging from the ceiling. Then
Genevieve is attacked by Elizabeth, but Waldemar explains that the
shackles are used to hang game, so the girls decide to remain. In private,
Waldemar warns Elizabeth to leave the girls alone because they are his
"last hope."Armed with papers, documents, and maps, Elvira, Genevieve, and
Waldemar go in search of Wandessa's tomb. They find and open it
uneventfully but Genevieve cuts her arm when she pulls the silver Mayenza
cross from the chest of Wandessa's cadaver, and some of Genevieve's blood
drips on Wandessa's lips. Later that evening, of course, Wandessa [Patty Shepard] rises
from her coffin and calls Genevieve to join her in the garden where she
wets her whistle on Genevieve's blood and returns later for a nightcap on
Elizabeth. Genevieve, now a vampire, pops in for a bite on Elvira, but
Waldemar chases her away with the Mayenza cross. With Genevieve and
Elizabeth out of the way, Elvira confesses her love for Waldemar
(forgetting Marcel, her policeman boyfriend back in Paris), and the two
vow to fight Wandessa together, although Waldemar must first take "certain
precautions" to ensure Elvira's safety because tonight is a full moon.
Waldemar wants Elvira to take the cross and spend the night in the
village, safely locked in a lodge there.Elvira goes to the village. The full moon rises. Waldemar turns into
a werewolf and kills a camper. The next morning, Elvira finds Waldemar
wandering about in tattered clothes, so he tells her how he became a
werewolf while exploring Tibet and how Elizabeth would chain him to a wall
during full moons. Only being stabbed in the heart with the Mayenza cross
by someone who loves him will release him from the curse. But first things
first. First, they have to destroy Wandessa. While Waldemar is out hunting
for her hiding place, Genevieve sates her thirst on Elvira. Waldemar
doesn't find Wandessa, but he does run into Genevieve and destroys her,
which releases Elvira and heals the bite marks on her neck. Because it's
another full moon tonight, Elvira places Waldemar in shackles, but he
escapes just in time to save Elvira from being assaulted by Pierre [José Marco], the
handyman.The next morning, while Elvira is in bed with Waldemar, her Parisien
lover Marcel [Andres Resino] drives into town. He starts asking around about Elvira's
whereabouts and hears strange stories about Waldemar Daninsky, black
magic, vampires, and young girls dying. Marcel finally gets a lead from
Pierre's old girlfriend and decides to pay Waldemar a visit. When Marcel
shows up at Waldemar's house, Elvira greets him with a less than exuberant
kiss, and Marcel realizes that something is going on between Elvira and
Waldemar. Marcel threatens to launch a fullscale investigation into the
rumors surrounding Waldemar, so Waldemar talks Elvira into leaving with
Marcel.Tonight is Walpurgisnacht, the night when Satan rules the earth and
Wandessa will have all her powers. Thinking Elvira safe, Waldemar steps up
his search for Wandessa. However, Wandessa is holding Marcel and Elvira in
her lair while she prepares to make Elvira a blood sacrifice to her Lord
and Master, Satan. Just as Wandessa is about to plunge the knife into
Elvira, however, Waldemar wanders in and rescues Elvira. But the full moon
is on the rise, and Waldemar transforms into a werewolf. As Elvira and
Marcel watch, vampire and werewolf battle it out. The werewolf ultimately
reduces the vampire to a bony shroud crawling with waxworms. Elvira
suddenly grabs the Mayenza cross and, with all the love in her heart,
plunges it into the werewolf's heart. The werewolf turns back
into Waldemar, and Elvira and Marcel leave the tomb with their arms around
each other. [Original Synopsis by bj_kuehl]
gothic