Friday, November 11, 2016

Blood Orgy of the She-Devils, Exotic Dancers for Satan

In the opening credits of 1973's "Blood Orgy of the She-Devils," we learn that the dancer costumes were furnished by Eros.  Eros?  I wonder how that went down.  I can imagine sitting at the reception desk of Eros headquarters and Ted V. Mikels (the director) strolls in.  I'd greet him by saying hello and asking how I could help him.  He responds, I need a dozen costumes for a satanic dance team for "Blood Orgy of the She-Devils."  Would I respond by saying, "Let me show you what we have on this rack," or would I say "Can you be more specific?"  Perhaps the inspiration for the Solid Gold Dancers, our satanic dancers are the highlight of this film.
Mara (Lila Zaborin) is a satanic witch, and she is good at it.  She surrounds herself with a beautiful satanic dance team, and her servant Toruque (William Bagdad).  The sultry Lorraine (Leslie McRay) is one of her naive disciples/dancers.  Usually clad in mini-skirts, exotic dance costumes, or white go-go boots, Lorraine lures her main squeeze Mark (Tom Pace) to a few of Mara's black masses/seances. A skeptic, Mark is blown away and tells Professor Helsford (Victor Izay) about Mara.  Oh yes, Mara is approached by assassins who pay her very well to off the Rhodesian ambassador to the U.N. Yep, our plot is getting ambitious.
Mara drowns the ambassador using voodoo and then offs the two assassins, as they attempted to kill her.  Okay, so who among us haven't collaborated in the assassination of diplomatic schmucks? Fast forward.  Helsford is worried Mara is the real deal and seeks to protect Mark and Lorraine.  As another black mass is scheduled, Mara has something very special planned for someone...but who? As Lorraine joins her dance team by donning an alluring, and revealing black costume, sure to be loved by any of Satan's disciples, Helsford gathers a dream team of clergy and paranormal scientists.  What does Helsford have planned for Mara, and can he save the nubile Lorraine and Mark?
Ted V. Mikels is an exploitation film legend. He probably kept Eros in the black through the mid- 1970s.  Fans of the Solid Gold Dancers will love "Blood Orgy of the She-Devils."  True, the film lacks in certain areas, but as far as guilty pleasures, it does deliver.  After all, would you rather see a protagonist clad in a frumpy business suit or white go-go boots and a miniskirt? This dance extravaganza is available on YouTube.  

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