The Devil's Plaything (1974)

Sadly Over-hyped

Good movie but grossly overrated

Absolutely the worst movie.

This story has more twists and turns than a second-rate soap opera.

As has been suggested by others, this is rather disappointing. I've enjoyed all the films of Joseph Sarno, that I've seen and I suppose the most attractive common denominator in the US ones is the normalcy. If not in the characters, necessarily then certainly in the way that the sexual activity is shot, there is a certain frisson for the viewer because we believe into the activity. Here with a vampire tale we are already somewhat distanced and the way this is shot (more like a witch's tale than vampire one) this has to be fantasy. So, vigorous, though the sex is and effective though it is, the one thing it lacks is believability. There are some decent scenes and much nudity but this is no great shakes as a vampire movie - we don't even get a bloody bite till over an hour in - instead there are the constant comings and goings of the coven, sorry vampire lair, and just occasional scenes of visceral action.

To be as honest as I possibly can, The Devil's Plaything (or Veil of Blood or Vampire Ecstasy or The Curse of the Black Sisters or……) is a complete bore. The movie has a good premise behind it – the resurrection of a long dead vampire through the body of a descendant through the aid and assistance of a group of women dressed in black – but the execution is horrible. There are great, long moments of screen time when literally nothing happens. Characters just stand around with nothing to do. There's no mystery, no suspense, and no plot points to care about. The acting is simply abysmal. Most of the acting involves a group of below average looking women dancing naked while staring at the camera. They do this repeatedly. And what little plot there is seems to be designed to get more of these less than attractive women naked so they can join in the dancing. While it's not as bad or pointless as the dancing or the plot in something like Orgy of the Dead, it comes close.

Sounds like a natural -- a 70s female vampire opus from 60s erotica master Joseph Sarno. His best suburban exposés of the Eisenhower/Kennedy era featured smatterings of the occult, and one would think that the loosening of standards would set his art free. Don't get your hopes up too high, though. First of all, Sarno's favoured technique is to build up tension between characters using short dialogue scenes -- but here, the thick German accents and stiff acting render the script unfathomable. And Sarno doesn't really have the intense visual style (at least not with this cinematographer) requisite of the genre, despite the authentic Bavarian castle background. Nonetheless, Sarno fans will be amused by the recycling of his favourite tropes (candles, bongo drums, ceremonial chants and dances, carnal compulsion and betrayal), and vampiric completists may be amused by his idiosyncratic and more realistic take on bloodlust conventions. Just don't expect a lost masterpiece, and be prepared to put some effort into the viewing.

Well, if you are looking for a great mind control movie, this is it. No movie has had so many gorgeous women under mind control, and naked. Marie Forsa, as the busty Helga, is under just about everytime she falls asleep and a few times when she isn't. One wishes they made more movies like this one.