Audience Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Binding: VHS Tape
EAN: 9781564427106
Format: Color
ISBN: 1564427102
Label: Starz / Anchor Bay
Manufacturer: Starz / Anchor Bay
Number Of Items: 1
Publisher: Starz / Anchor Bay
Release Date: 1997-09-10
Running Time: 91
Studio: Starz / Anchor Bay
Theatrical Release Date: 1966-04-06

The life of the legendary Russian villain Grigori Rasputin was a natural for the Hammer's Gothic style and lurid edge, and the commanding Christopher Lee is the perfect star for the role. With his deep baritone voice and dark, deep-set eyes, Lee creates an intense figure as the diabolical healer and mesmerist with a thirst for power. The film begins with the unapologetically crude and barbaric Rasputin expelled from his monastery for his hard-drinking hedonism and violent behavior, and before long he sets his sights on the bustling city of St. Petersburg. Within no time he has seduced Sonia (Barbara Shelley), lady-in-waiting to the Queen, with his hypnotic gaze and soon insinuates himself into the Royal Family. Lee's lusty portrayal is the highlight of this modest production, which presents an all-too-brief rise to infamy and disappointingly cuts short his notorious death. But if it's not prime Hammer horror, it remains a moody chamber piece with a mesmerizing performance from Lee (one of his best for the studio) and a very different take from MGM's handsome, classy 1932 production Rasputin and the Empress starring the three Barrymores. --Sean Axmaker

Customer Rating:
Summary: Hammer Horror
Comment: Whilst this isn't a classic a Hammer film by any means, it does make for strangely compelling viewing. The film was obviously made on a very small budget, and I suspect it was filmed soon after Dracula: Prince of Darkness as the cast is very similiar and some of the same sets look the same.

Rasputin is a drinker and womaniser who has healing powers. Using these he becomes the trusted Doctor to the Zsars wife. However his motives are suspect.. Christopher Lee plays the title role (based on a real historical person and in part true) and is the best and worst thing about the film. Without Lee's screen presence this simply wouldn't have worked. However in places I found his performance a little over the top (dare I say even a little hammy).

In the UK on region 2 this is available as part of "The Hammer Collection" boxed set of 21 films. If you're a fan of Hammer films it would make sense to buy it in that set if you can get it at the right price. Having seen the film once or twice before I bougght the DVD I knew what to expect from this. Overall it is an entertaining film but I don't think it will hold up to repeated viewings.

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Customer Rating:
Summary: More vintage Hammer
Comment: By no means is this Hammer's greatest picture, but it is nevertheless a vintage piece of grand guignol from Britain's most famous horror studio.

Christopher Lee turns in one of his finest performances as the monk who uses his hypnotic and shamanistic skills to manipulate his way into the royal household in pre-revolutionary Russia. The concern isn't so much with historical accuracy -- most of the plot is fictional, although some details are based loosely on the "true" story -- as with suspense and terror.

Hammer afficionados will delight in spotting how the sets were ingeniously revamped from Dracula, Prince of Darkness, made only weeks previously (1965) with the same cast.

Bonus commentary with cast members Christopher Lee, Barbara Shelley, Francis Matthews and Suzan Farmer is riveting, and there's a World of Hammer episode (basically twenty-five minutes of Hammer clips) thrown in for good measure.

A good buy.

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Customer Rating:
Summary: Christopher Lee Excels As Rasputin
Comment: Hammer Studios rarely ventured outside their great work in the horror genre so when they occasionally did diversify the results often proved quite interesting. While "Rasputin: The Mad Monk", could never be viewed as an accurate historical account of the rise to power of Rasputin at the Rusian Court, it still makes enjoyable viewing as a piece of fiction based on historical details. Christopher Lee, still best known for his brilliant work as Count Dracula was born to play Rasputin and his performance is the thing that really inpresses in this film effort. With his height, deep commanding voice and amazingly similiar appearance to the real Rasputin , Christopher Lee is the ideal casting choice. It is just a pity he was not matched with a screenplay that told the real facts of Rasputin and his ultimately tragic influence on the Russian Royal family. The best way to view "Rasputin: The Mad Monk", is as a piece of enjoyable historical fiction centred around Lee's strong central performance.

The lack of historical fact in "Rasputin: The Mad Monk", really of course can't be placed solely at the feet of Hammer productions as when this film was produced in 1966 the real assassin of Rasputin, Prince Felix Yusupov was still alive. Having already won a number of famous law suits against film Production over portraying the events leading up to Rasputin's murder Hammer productions had to tread carefully about how they depicted them. Made almost back to back with Hammer's earlier effort "Dracula, Prince of Darkness", this film utilised many of the same cast members and sets such as Dracula's Castle from the earlier film which here became the mansion where Rasputin is eventually assassinated. The story begins with one of Rasputin's reputed miracle cures, whereby his hypnotic powers cure the sick wife of a village tavern owner. Rasputin however is overly fond of both the bottle and women and before long after a nasty run in with some of the village locals seeking revenge over a young girl he has seduced in a hayloft Rasputin is expelled from his Monastery. He travels to St. Petersburg and soon has many of the women of the capital seeking out his questionable charms. One in particular who finds a deep attraction to Rasputin is Sonia (Barbara Shelley), who happens to be the lady in waiting to the Tsarina Alexandra (Renee Asherson). Made aware of his great healing powers the frantic Tsarina asks Sonia to get Rasputin to come to the palace to heal her sick son the Tsarevitch Alexis (Robert Duncan) who has suffered a fall. Through the drawing out of the illness via his touch the Tsarevitch is cured which earns Rasputin the total devotion of the Tsarina. Rasputin's ruthless and opportunistic streak comes out and before long he is enjoying the rich bounty of his power over the Tsarina getting himself set up in a large mansion with servants. He begins interfering in government appointments and ruthlessly discards those that are no longer of any use to him. Sonia eventually falls into that category and when Rasputin rejects her he ruthlessly drives her into killing herself. An uproar against Rasputin's malignant influence now breaks out and a group of nobles centered around Sonia's brother Peter (Dinsdale Landen), decide to take action to rid Russia of Rasputin's influence forever. Enlisting the aid of Rasputin's former assistant but now avowed enemy Dr. Zargo (Richard Pasco), they lure Rasputin to Peter's home with the promise that he will have the chance to meet up with Vanessa (Suzan Farmer), another pretty lady in waiting. The men poison both the wine and sweets however all does not go well and the poison is slow to work. It is only after Rasputin in a murderous rage comes after the men that a fight takes place and Rasputin is pushed out an upstairs window to his death on the frozen ice below.

Adhering to historical fact as stated of course is not this films strong point. However within the confines of this largely fictional story there are a number of excellent performances. Christopher Lee of course makes perfect casting as Rasputin and frequent costar Barbara Shelley gives a great performance in the role of the love struck and ultimately tragic Sonia who in real Russian history is undoubtedly a combination of a few individuals. While the film makes no reference to the rumblings of the Russian Revolution and Rasputin's mysterious ability to stop the attacks of hemophilia suffered by the Tsarevitch the story does manage to sustain the interest. Director Don Sharp who guided Christopher Lee through the best of the Fu Manchu series of films keeps the action moving along at a fast rate. Good scenes are those of Rasputin's early times as a drunken trouble maker in the village and in his interactions with the Tsarina where he proves he can make or break ministers and other servants of the Russian State through his influence. Rasputin's complex real life character which veered from extreme piety through to total debauchery is well explored in the script and Christopher Lee makes full use of these contradictions in his playing. Visually "Rasputin: The Mad Monk", has the solid look of a Hammer production of this time. Perhaps the early scenes in the village do show a more well scrubbed population than would have been found in a Siberian village at the turn of the 19th Century. The court scenes are suitably lavish if not really Russian looking, however the essential "English", atmosphere so inherent in most Hammer productions is most appropriate here given the real Tsarina's "English", influence at the last Romanov court.

Rasputin of course in real life was neither totally mad or indeed even a monk. He makes however a fascinating subject for a film biography and he was played superbly again by Tom Baker in the classic "Nicholas and Alexandra", in 1971. Christopher Lee however more than holds his own in the Rasputin acting stakes here. Historically accurate? Not at all, but a capable portrayal of the man who became one of the most intriguing individuals in modern Russian history it at times most certainly is. For the great Christopher Lee's performance alone this film is well worth viewing.

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Customer Rating:
Summary: Rasputin movie review...from a true follower
Comment: This movie is very well put together, with many facts and so forth...yet the one negative is the assassination scene. It is NOTHING like the REAL assassination poor ole' Grigory Rasputin had to face...in this movie...he's just poisened and thrown out a window...THE END. In real life, much more had to take place to take down the "Saint Who Sinned".

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Customer Rating:
Summary: Rasputin, the clever manipulator
Comment: An attractive film by Hammer and a wonderfully powerful performance by Christopher Lee. Lee, an actor who always appears to put his "all" into his characters, doubly delights fans in this version of the Rasputin story. Rasputin is portrayed as an evil, manipulative, slick opportunist who delights in an over abundance of booze (just call him old pickle head!), sex (he can't have just one), and generally irresponsible behavior. He is deliciously amoral and "pig-like." It is a bit odd that everyone in this part of the world sports a British dialect, but no matter -- it's fun!

I do believe this demonstrates the great range of Christopher Lee -- an actor who has never been given ample credit for his tremendous acting talent and distinguished demeanor. A must see for all fans of Christopher Lee and the Hammer films.

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