Plot
Los Angeles woman Donna hosts a séance. [2] Overseeing the séance is Count Yorga, a Bulgarian mystic and hypnotist who has recently moved to the states from Europe. Yorga dated Donna's mother weeks before her death and insisted that she be buried rather than cremated per her wishes. Donna cannot recall seeing him at the funeral.
After the party is over, Donna's friends Erica and Paul drive Yorga home. Their van later gets stuck in the mud, although Paul insists that the road was dry a minute before. They resign themselves to spending the night in their van. Yorga, revealed to be a vampire, knocks out Paul and bites Erica. The following day, the couple reaches Los Angeles, unable to recall what happened.
Their doctor friend, Jim Hayes, inspects the wounds on Erica, who has lost blood. Later, Paul and Donna's boyfriend Michael try to call Erica's phone, to no avail. At her home, they find everything in disarray, with a hysterical Erica eating her kitten. She first threatens with violence and then attempts to seduce Paul before coming to her senses and breaking down.
They restrain her and call Hayes, who begins an emergency transfusion. Afraid, Erica begs Paul to forgive her and to kill her.
At his basement, which has been converted into a throne room, Yorga awakens his two vampiric brides, one of whom is Donna's mother, and commands them to have sex. That night, Yorga visits Erica. Promising her immortality, he seduces Erica, drains her of her blood, and takes her body to his manor. Upon finding Erica missing, Paul enters Yorga's mansion to rescue her. Yorga chokes him to death and has his servant Brudah break his back.
Michael alerts Hayes that Paul has gone to the mansion. Hayes' girlfriend suggests involving the police, citing a similar case of a baby being found in the woods, drained of its blood. Hayes calls the police but is rejected as a prankster following a recent rash of such calls. Hayes, Michael, and Donna visit the mansion to inquire about Paul's whereabouts and keep Yorga active until sunrise. While Hayes distracts Yorga, Brudah rebuffs Michael's attempts to explore the mansion. Yorga eventually becomes insistent that his guests must leave.
After leaving, Hayes and Michael plan to kill Yorga in the daytime. Michael and Donna rest while Hayes studies vampire lore until he, too, falls asleep.
Yorga awakens Donna telepathically and has her sabotage Michael's alarm clock before having her come to the mansion. There, Brudah rapes her. Michael awakens and finds Donna gone. It is nearly evening when he calls to awaken Hayes. Despite knowing how dangerous their chances are, they grab stakes and makeshift crosses before heading to the mansion as night falls. The two split up, and Yorga confronts Hayes. He leads Hayes into his basement where Hayes finds Erica's corpse among the dormant brides. He then attacks Yorga with a cross and stake, while yelling out for Michael. Yorga silently commands his brides to awake and attack Hayes.
As Yorga reunites Donna with her mother, Michael finds Paul's mutilated body. Brudah attacks Michael, who mortally stabs him. In the basement, Michael finds Hayes. Before dying of his wounds, Hayes reveals where Donna is. The now-vampirized Erica and another bride attack Micheal. As he fends them off, Erica pauses, giving him a chance to stake her. However, Michael cannot bring himself to kill her and leaves.
Michael confronts Yorga and Donna's mother. Yorga pushes her into Michael's stake and flees. Michael goes after Yorga and eventually kills him with a stake. Donna mourns her mother a second time before Michael collects her.
While starting to leave, they are confronted by Erica and the remaining bride. They chase Michael and Donna until repelled by Michael's cross. Michael forces the vampires into a cellar, locking them in, but drops his cross. Believing the danger is over, he turns to Donna. But she lunges at Michael, fully transformed into a vampire and kills him.
