By Keri O’Shea
With a title like Blood Orgy of the She Devils, a film is setting itself up for a time of it, I think we’d all agree. Yes, it’s bound to get one’s attention, but it also then has to live up to a hell of a lot; any lack of blood, orgies or she-devils is bound to get out, bound to damage the film’s reputation. Well, I’ll say this for B movie maestro Ted V. Mikels – he always did his level best to live up to his titles. He didn’t quite reach their potential in more than a few ways, sure, due to a vast list of factors which haunted many other low budget filmmakers of the time: financial encumbrances, limited time, limited SFX know-how – but Herr Mikels always had a bloody good go, and what’s more, when a film’s (wonderfully lurid) opening credits mention someone responsible for ‘dance costumes’, you’re no sort of person if you don’t get a little enthused.
And dance they do, at Sorceress Mara’s Finishing School for Young Nubile Witches (it isn’t actually called that, but it could easily have been). Mara (Lila Zaborin) is a woman of dark desires who runs a sort of occult academy from her grandiose mansion. Alongside her manservant Toruqe, she welcomes hot young acolytes who come along to learn about their past lives, attempt spells, go to seances, and occasionally dance around a bit before performing human sacrifice. Essentially, Mara’s beliefs encapsulate many of the beliefs which had become more commonplace in ‘Age of Aquarius’ thinking: they’re a hodgepodge of the newly-invented Wicca, Eastern tradition, spiritualism, divination, ghosts – with even a dash of demonology thrown in. Something for everyone, right?
We get a sample of Mara’s incredible powers when one day, she’s approached by a diplomat, Barth, who asks her to perform black magic on his behalf. She begrudgingly obliges his wish to target the Rhodesian ambassador (?!) but, when she successfully offs the man by drowning an effigy of him, making the real man fall to his demise on the deep-pile carpet, Barth and his assistant decide that such a powerful woman must be herself destroyed. Ungrateful twats!
You’d think though, wouldn’t you, that this would proceed to be the main plot line of the film. You’d be wrong. In fact, this is the only real attempt at introducing a plot line, and it rather peters out as soon as it’s established. We do encounter a potential acolyte in the form of Lorraine (Leslie McRae) who is just about to join in with the goings-on at the house; Lorraine wants to believe, and her boyfriend Mark (Tom Pace) wants to keep on the right side of Lorraine, probably for carnal reasons, so he’s on board too. They talk about their thoughts and experiences of the woman known as Mara with their professor friend Dr Helsford (Victor Izay), who is something of an expert on the occult. In fact, the lion’s share of the film is hereby comprised of a potted history of European and American witchcraft via their conversations, with plentiful examples of cobbled-together rituals back at the house, and past-life regressions which typically show young women in their past lives being persecuted for witchcraft.
So – what looks to be a major plot line turns out not to be, and stops. We then get three other significant characters, who spend most of the time talking (although there is a final push towards more action – and then some – before the end credits roll). However, the general blend of earnestness and zaniness (though, perhaps surprisingly, no real T&A) means I just can’t get mad at Bloody Orgy of the She Devils. Essentially, and this may just be me, but I never felt bored, and that’s something I so often feel when I watch a lot of modern horror movies – bored. Like another of Mikels’ films which I reviewed recently, made in the same year no less (The Doll Squad) it just felt impossible to laugh at the film because everyone was doing their level best to make it a good one. Even if you can say they failed, then it’s not because the folk involved were phoning anything in or doing things – egad – ironically. Lila Zaborin in particular really gives her all here.
Sure, Blood Orgy of the She Devils is unlikely to change your life, but I’m glad it’s out there – and kudos to 88 Films for taking a chance on it. It forms a fun comment on the spiritual trends and beliefs of the day, it’s a diverting little curio and, like many of these era films, it’s a wonderful time capsule of 70s decor, cosmetics, hairstyles, clothing and so on too – and I just love that. 88 Films have compiled a decent release of the film here; it’s as good as it’s ever going to look, essentially, with just a few of those colour dips and crackles which filmmakers so desperately try to emulate these days, but it’s all part of the overall atmosphere. You can also enjoy an audio commentary, a selection of trailers (including the film’s original trailer) and – joy! – viewing notes and a gallery.
Blood Orgy of the She Devils is available now from 88 Films.