I Drink Your Blood 1971
Directed by
David E. Durston
Made by
Jerry Gross Productions
I Drink Your Blood Plot Summary
Read the complete plot summary and ending explained for I Drink Your Blood (1971). From turning points to emotional moments, uncover what really happened and why it matters.
Horace Bones, Bhaskar Roy Chowdhury, the leader of a Manson-like cult of hippies, conducts a Satanic ritual in the woods. Local girl Sylvia, Arlene Farber, who has befriended cult member Andy, secretly observes the preparations. Sylvia is noticed by the cult and flees, but she is quickly captured and assaulted by several of the cultists. She staggers out of the trees the next morning, battered and deeply shaken. Her younger brother Pete, Riley Mills, and Mildred, who runs the local bakery, find Sylvia and take her back to their grandfather, Doc Banner. Mildred seeks help from her boyfriend, Roger Davis, John Damon, the leader of a construction crew working on a nearby dam. With the town’s closure looming and most of it deserted, the cult’s van breaks down, forcing the group to stay in town and make use of vacant buildings wherever they can.
When Banner learns of the attack on Sylvia, he confronts the cult, only to be assaulted and drugged with LSD. Horace initially intends to kill Banner, but Pete and cult member Sue-Lin, Jadin Wong, intervene, and Banner is released. Enraged by the assault, Pete grabs a shotgun and goes out looking for vengeance, but he encounters and kills a rabid dog instead. In a grim turn, Pete collects some of the dog’s blood and injects it into meat pies at Mildred’s bakery, then sells the pies to the cultists. After they eat the contaminated pies, the infected begin to show signs of illness and slip into escalating violence.
One cult member panics and flees into the night. She is picked up by construction workers sent by Roger to look into the situation. She takes part in a party, has sex with some group members, and then begins to show signs of infection. Molly, Rhonda Fultz, and Carrie, Lynn Lowry, also escape with the group. Two construction workers investigate the house the cultists occupy, and Horace kills them.
Andy and Sylvia, who have managed to make their peace, are found at the Banner house by Pete, who admits what he has done. Banner reports a potential rabies outbreak and is joined by Dr. Oakes, David E. Durston, the town doctor. Banner, Oakes, and Roger soon realize that the entire construction crew is infected, and the mob closes in as the infected stumble toward a water-filled quarry, where fear overruns aggression and the attackers retreat.
Molly and Carrie reappear, taken in by a concerned homeowner, but Carrie quickly exhibits signs of rabies and attacks the resident. Andy helps Sylvia and Pete escape after Banner is found dead in the barn, impaled on a pitchfork. They encounter Molly, who chooses to end her life after learning she is rabid. Horace encounters Sue-Lin, who escapes by suicide via immolation, and Rollo, George Patterson, battles Horace, allowing Andy, Sylvia, and Pete to flee. Rollo gains the upper hand and impales Horace with a sword.
The trio then encounters Mildred, who has barricaded herself in the bakery. When Mildred opens the barricade, Andy is killed by a rabid construction worker. Sylvia and Pete retreat with Mildred to the basement, where they fend off a rabid townsfolk who enters and is killed by Mildred. The group leaves the bakery in Mildred’s car, but they are soon overwhelmed by crowds of rabid cultists and residents. Oakes arrives with reinforcements and guns down the infected. Mildred, Sylvia, and Pete emerge from the car shaken but otherwise unharmed, reflecting the quiet after a night of terror and the fragile line between civilization and chaos.
I Drink Your Blood Timeline
Follow the complete movie timeline of I Drink Your Blood (1971) with every major event in chronological order. Great for understanding complex plots and story progression.
Satanic ritual in the woods
Horace Bones leads a Satanic ritual deep in the forest with his hippie cult. Sylvia secretly observes from the shadows, hoping to understand the group's beliefs. She is spotted by the cult and flees, but is captured and raped by several members before nightfall.
Sylvia found and taken to Doc Banner
The next morning, Sylvia is found battered and traumatized by her younger brother Pete and Mildred. They take her to Doc Banner for medical help and support. The assault shocks the town and foreshadows the violence to come.
Cult survivors stranded in town; pie dealings
The cult's van breaks down, leaving them stranded in a town largely deserted for demolition. Mildred's bakery becomes a hinge point, and Pete's partner Roger Davis helps house them in vacant buildings. The cultists are allowed to stay and can buy pies from Mildred, delaying any immediate dispersal.
Banner confronts the cult; forced LSD
Banner confronts the cult over Sylvia's assault, hoping to restore order. The cult assaults him and forces him to take LSD against his will. Pete and cult member Sue-Lin intervene, and Banner is released unharmed.
Pete contaminates pies with rabies blood
Seeking revenge, Pete shoots a rabid dog and uses its blood to contaminate meat pies at Mildred's bakery. He then sells the pies to the cult members, starting a dangerous outbreak. The infection begins to spread quietly among the group.
Infection spreads among cultists
As the contaminated pies take effect, the cult members exhibit violent, feverish behavior. A panicked cultist runs into the night and is picked up by Roger's construction crew, who engage with her and inadvertently spread the infection. Molly and Carrie also slip away with other members, deepening the crisis.
Molly and Carrie sheltered by a homeowner
Molly and Carrie emerge from the woods and are taken in by a concerned homeowner. Carrie soon begins showing signs of infection and attacks the homeowner with a knife, escalating the danger for anyone who tries to help. The town buckles under the escalating rabies outbreak.
Horace kills two construction workers
Two construction workers investigating the cultists' house are killed by Horace, signaling the complete breakdown of order. The violence mirrors the rapid spread of the disease and drains any remaining trust from the townspeople. Fear and aggression become the new currency in the town.
Pete reveals his actions to Andy and Sylvia
Andy and Sylvia, who have begun to reconcile, are confronted at the Banner house by Pete. Pete reveals what he did with the dog blood and the pies, shocking them and changing their perception of what is happening in town. The revelation compounds the moral weight of the outbreak.
Rabies outbreak confirmed; Dr. Oakes arrives
Banner reports a possible rabies epidemic and is joined by Dr. Oakes, the town doctor. Banner, Oakes, and Roger conclude that the entire construction crew is infected and begin coordinating a response. The town braces for a faster, more dangerous spread.
Mob pursuit to the quarry
The mob closes in on Banner, Oakes, and Roger as they attempt to flee to safety. Their escape leads them toward a water-filled quarry, a perilous terrain that terrifies both sides. Oakes arrives with reinforcements and begins gunfire to contain the infected.
Final confrontation and escape from the bakery
Molly and Carrie emerge from the woods and are taken in by a homeowner, but Carrie quickly shows infection and attacks him. Andy is killed by a rabid worker while the trio tries to escape in Mildred's car. They retreat to the bakery basement as rabid townsfolk close in, and Oakes arrives to gun down the infected; Mildred, Sylvia, and Pete survive.
Horace's downfall by Rollo and Sue-Lin's end
Horace encounters Sue-Lin as the loyalty factions clash; she ends her own life by immolation to avoid capture. Rollo then confronts Horace and gains the upper hand, impaling Horace with a sword. The internal power struggle inside the cult collapses as the town's survivors push toward escape.
I Drink Your Blood Characters
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Sylvia (Arlene Farber)
A local girl who befriends Andy; she witnesses the cult ritual and is traumatized by the assault. Her drive to protect herself and those she loves anchors the group as the town spirals into chaos.
Andy (Tyde Kierney)
A member of Horace Bones' cult who befriends Sylvia. He becomes a bridge between the cult and the town, caught between loyalty to the group and the consequences of their actions.
Pete Banner (Riley Mills)
A younger local who seeks revenge after the assault but becomes entangled in the outbreak. He initiates a dangerous plan, killing a rabid dog and introducing contaminated blood into pies, accelerating the infection.
Mildred Nash (Elizabeth Marner-Brooks)
The bakery owner who provides shelter and supplies for the town. She becomes a protective figure, standing against the outbreak and aiding the protagonists as danger mounts.
Doc Banner (Richard Bowler)
The town doctor and Sylvia’s grandfather who tries to alert authorities and manage the rabies scare. He fights to prevent panic and protect his community, ultimately meeting a violent end.
Roger Davis (John Damon)
Leader of a construction crew working on the nearby dam; he coordinates responses to the outbreak and collaborates with the town to contain the spread.
Horace Bones (Bhaskar Roy Chowdhury)
The cult’s leader, a charismatic and violent figure who wields fear and ritual to manipulate followers. His confrontations with others drive much of the town’s chaos.
Dr. Oakes (David E. Durston)
The town doctor who joins Banner in recognizing the outbreak and devising a response. He represents the rational response amid fear and superstition.
Rollo (George Patterson)
A loyalist within Horace Bones’ circle, Rollo fights to defend the cult's cause and clashes with the town's protectors. His actions heighten the danger before a final confrontation.
Molly (Rhonda Fultz)
A cult member who escapes into the night, then succumbs to rabies after infection spreads. Her fate underscores the outbreak’s cost on individuals.
Carrie (Lynn Lowry)
Another cult member who flees and later shows signs of infection, illustrating how the contagion disrupts the cycle of violence.
Sue-Lin (Jadin Wong)
A loyalist who meets a dramatic end, engaging in a fatal confrontation and ending with a suicide by immolation to avoid capture.
Rabid Guy (Bruno Damon)
One of the infected who spreads chaos after being exposed to the contaminated pies. His actions contribute to the town’s sense of imminent danger.
Rabid Guy (Mike Gentry)
Another infected individual whose rampage adds to the widespread fear and destruction as the outbreak escalates.
Shelley (Alex Mann)
A cult member who participates in the events surrounding the ritual and its fallout, contributing to the group’s dynamics and the ensuing violence.
I Drink Your Blood Settings
Learn where and when I Drink Your Blood (1971) takes place. Explore the film’s settings, era, and how they shape the narrative.
Time period
late 1960s
The events unfold in a late 1960s setting marked by counterculture, LSD, and anti-establishment tensions. A Manson-like hippie cult embodies the era’s anxieties about authority and conformity. The town’s struggle with the cult and the ensuing outbreak mirrors broader social fractures of the time.
Location
Set in a quiet town on the edge of demolition for a nearby dam. The woods provide the cult’s ritual space, while the bakery and barn anchor daily life and later become shelters and battle fronts. The construction site and a water-filled quarry become stages for confrontations as isolation and fear tighten their grip on the community.
I Drink Your Blood Themes
Discover the main themes in I Drink Your Blood (1971). Analyze the deeper meanings, emotional layers, and social commentary behind the film.
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Infection
A gruesome contagion drives the plot as a rabies outbreak spreads through infected townspeople and tainted pies. The fear escalates into mob mentality and chaos. The outbreak exposes how quickly social order can fracture when panic overrides reason. Science, ritual, and superstition clash as the tragedy unfolds.
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Cult Influence
The Horace Bones cult wields fear and manipulation to bend the town to its will. Sylvia’s assault becomes a catalyst for escalating violence and chaos. The film examines how charisma, ritual, and groupthink can corrupt ordinary people and institutions. Trust dissolves as loyalties fracture under pressure.
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Siege and Survival
As the infection spreads, the community barricades itself and fights to survive the mounting threat. Revenge, responsibility, and stubborn endurance drive characters toward a violent, uncertain escape. The climactic confrontations at the bakery and the quarry test the town’s resolve and reveal the high cost of fear-driven actions.
I Drink Your Blood Spoiler-Free Summary
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In a remote valley where pine‑clad hills cradle a sleepy town, an unsettling undercurrent flickers beneath everyday normalcy. The community lives in a fragile quiet, its streets lit by the soft glow of a solitary bakery and the distant hum of a dam construction site. Yet beyond the tree line a band of free‑spirited, ritual‑obsessed hippies has gathered, their gatherings tinged with a dark, almost sacrilegious edge that threatens to bleed into the town’s placid rhythm. The film leans heavily into a raw, blood‑soaked aesthetic, letting the natural scenery clash with a looming sense of primal menace.
At the heart of this tension is Pete, a young man whose ordinary life has been shattered by tragedy. His sister Sylvia and their beloved grandfather, Doc Banner, have already fallen prey to the cult’s unsettling influence, leaving Pete driven by a fierce need for retribution. Around him, the town’s modest network of allies begins to take shape: Mildred, the warm‑hearted baker whose shop serves as a communal hub, and Roger Davis, the pragmatic foreman overseeing the dam project, both represent the stubborn resilience of ordinary folk when darkness descends.
As the cult’s presence begins to seep further into everyday life, the quiet town becomes a pressure cooker of fear and uncertainty. Pete finds himself caught between the yearning for vengeance and the unsettling reality of a community on the brink of chaos. The atmosphere is thick with a foreboding blend of 1970s counter‑culture mystique and unrelenting horror, promising a clash where the line between civilization and savagery is tested in the most visceral way.
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