The Night of the Sorcerers 1974

In a 1910 prologue, an unnamed missionary is kidnapped by bokor to be sacrificed under a full moon. The ceremony is interrupted when soldiers open fire on the participants, but unseen in the chaos, a shedim demon takes possession of the missionary.

Years later, Jonathan Grant leads a West Africa safari to investigate a spate of elephant disappearances. The expedition includes the famed hunter Rod Carter, two blonde women, Liz Meredith and Carol Harris, and Tunika Tunika. They stumble upon the clearing where Vodoun rituals were once performed and decide to camp nearby as Carol photographs the altar for a magazine article.

That night, the former missionary, now dressed in leopard skins and bearing feline-like canines, emerges from the jungle and subdues Carol. The long-dead Bokor is resurrected, and the ceremony is recreated. Carol is whipped and decapitated as the Leopard ritual resumes.

The survivors search for Carol the next day, discovering only her camera. That night, Carol, now also dressed in leopard skins, joins the other leopard-woman in the jungle. They slip into the camp and, after the brunette among them kills Professor Grant and destroys the photographs from Carol’s camera, Liz Meredith—distraught after her friend’s disappearance and groggy from sleeping pills—finds Carol in her tent.

“Elizabeth, it’s me, your best friend Carol.”

The two blondes slip away to rejoin the other leopard-woman in the jungle. Just as Liz realizes what they plan, the leopard-women sink their fangs into her neck. In the ensuing struggle, the first leopard-woman’s choker snaps and she is decapitated, her head rolling away as blood gushes.

After another fruitless day of searching, Rod Carter and Tunika plan to depart. That night Carol is joined by the demon-possessed Elizabeth, also in leopard skins, as they abduct Tunika and carry her to the ceremonial clearing. They tear into her on the altar with their sharp nails and fangs. Rod bursts from the jungle, shoots them both, and tosses the ammunition belts into the ceremonial fire; the random shots kill the resurrected Bokor. In the confusion, he scoops up Tunika and carries her to a waiting jeep. Tunika, in a breathy Shedim voice, tells him she’s “feeling much better already.”