Summaries

Synopsis

1930s. Lila Lee [Cheryl "Rainbeaux" Smith], the Singin' Angel of the Community Baptist Church ofTylerville (North Carolina?), is a sweet and innocent 13-year old whosegangster father Alvin [William Whitton] just shot his wife and her lover, ran down an oldlady in the street, and is now running from the law. Reverend Mueller [Richard Blackburn], whohas a hard time keeping his hands off his ward Lila, has made it clear tothe parish that the sins of her father should not be blamed on Lila, butwhen Lila gets a letter from a woman named Lemora, instructing her to cometo her sick father and forgive him his sins against her, Lila makes herway that very night to the Northpark bus station just in time to catch thebus (driven by a very creepy bus driver) to Asteroth.

Along the road to Asteroth, an isolated little town in the saltmarshes, the bus is pursued by several monstrous-looking ghouls, visiblefrom outside Lila's window. When the bus breaks down and the bus drivertries to fix it, the ghouls close in. Lila releases the brake and coastsdown the hill until she crashes into a tree. The ghouls begin to approachwhen suddenly they are attacked by vampires (aristocratic-looking withwhite faces, long black coats, and top hats). Lila passes out. When sheawakens, she finds herself imprisoned in a stonehouse and tended to by aweird old lady named Solange [Maxine Ballantyne]. [Lemora later explains that the bars weren'tto keep Lila IN but to keep other things OUT.] Lila manages to escape thestonehouse and to hide in a crawl space under a porch, where she overhearsLemora [Lesley Gilb] talking to her father. When a spider lands on her arm, Lilascreams. Lemora finds her, brings her into the house, and prepares a roomfor her. Lemora explains that Lila can see her father after the ceremonytomorrow, when she will become immune to his "disease."

When Lila explores the old Victorian house and her bedroom inparticular, she sees some very strange things. For example, the mirrorshave no mirrors. There is a plate of raw meat set on Lila's bed as youwould a bowl of candy (Lila helps herself to several pieces). She looksout the window when she hears screams and sees a young child being forcedinto the stonehouse. When she takes out her mirror from her suitcase, shenotices that Lemora casts no reflection in it. Lemora introduces Lila toher five freaky, "adopted" children, all of whom sit down for a repast ofgoblets of something that looks like blood (Lila drinks hers).

Suddenly, a crash is heard. Everyone runs to the room where the soundcame from, and Lila sees a bed that she assumes was her father's sickbed.Lemora hurriedly makes the bed, hiding the restraining straps, andexplains that her father's disease occasionally makes him delirious andthat he must have broken loose. He'll be found, she assures Lila, thentells her to get ready for her bath, during which Lemora attempts to getthe crucifix off Lila's neck, but to no avail. When Lemora leaves the roomfor a few minutes, Lila's ghoulish father breaks in and chases her untilLemora scares him off with fire and Lila flies into Lemora's arms forprotection. Lemora explains that a year ago some of her people beganturning ugly and that it is now necessary to kill them all, including herfather. Lemora then carries a tired Lila upstairs and lovingly puts her tobed.

This is just what Lemora was hoping -- that Lila would come to loveand trust her, unlike Mary Jo Spinks, another 13-year old girl who was aweakling and couldn't stand her "love". When Lila finds Mary Jo's diary,written in 1892, in which she describes something happening to her that isso horrible she must kill herself, Lila realizes that she has to get awayfrom Lemora, too. Dressed in her nightgown, Lila quietly creeps down thestairs and goes out the front door. Once in the yard, Lila peeks through awindow and sees Lemora drinking the blood from the neck of the young childthat was locked in the stonehouse. Finally coming to the realization thatLemora is a vampire, Lila screams. Lemora looks up.

The chase is on. Lila runs through the trees and is pursed by ghouls.She hides in the back of a hearse and is delivered to a group of vampiresin Asteroth who also take pursuit. Lila runs in and out of buildings, upand down stairs, past human bones and corpses, including that of Mary JoSpinks, until she takes shelter in an abandoned house. Unfortunately,Lemora is waiting for her there. Lemora offers to make Lila into her realself and promises that she won't mutate into one of those ghouls becauseof the goodness in her heart. Lila refuses. Out in the streets, the ghoulsand vampires are fighting each other, driving stakes through each others'hearts. Suddenly, Lila is attacked again by her ghoulish father. Lila pulls the stake from Lemora'sheart, and her father falls on it. Of course, removing the stake fromLemora brings her back to life. Lemora takes Lila into her arms andremoves the crucifix from around her neck.

Meanwhile, the Reverend has been looking for Lila. He passes throughAsteroth and stands in the street shouting Lila's name. For some reason,he falls asleep. When he awakens, he is lying next to Lila, who is kissinghim. He kisses her back ardently. He looks up into Lila's face and seesthat her teeth have turned to fangs just as she bends forward and biteshis neck. Lemora looks on and smiles.

Epilogue [added postproduction]: Lila is still in church, singing "Rock ofAges" to the congregation. [Original Synopsis by bj_kuehl.]