Samuel Pepys, amateur scientist and Navy Secretary, has lost his wife, Elizabeth, to the London plague of 1666. Margaret Cavendish’s anti-plague julep is a sure remedy for this scourge, but it requires generous amounts of Sam’s blood. The plan is to employ Robert Boyle’s pump to drain the poor Navy Secretary dry — after Sam’s carnality has been brought to a boil by the blandishments of Aphra Behn and others. Elizabeth Pepys, looking much the zombie, rides to the rescue of her beleaguered husband and a flurry of neck biting ensues, ending in a relaxing evening at the famed Hell Fire Club.

Directed by James Fitzmaurice (UK)