KnotMissPriceless Why so much hype?

VeteranLight I don't have all the words right now but this film is a work of art.

Tayloriona Although I seem to have had higher expectations than I thought, the movie is super entertaining.

Bumpy Chip It’s not bad or unwatchable but despite the amplitude of the spectacle, the end result is underwhelming.

soulexpress Andy Milligan was a Staten Island-based DIY filmmaker whose product was uniformly Z-grade. His was always the last film shown on a triple bill at one of the seedy grindhouses that once dotted the American landscape. "Guru, the Mad Monk" is typical Milligan fare. Clocking in at barely an hour, it has the slapped-together look of a group of friends attempting cosplay and deciding to film it.It's 1480 and the oddly-named Father Guru (Neil Flanigan), a Catholic monk with two distinct personalities (one gentle, the other violent), oversees the Lost Souls Church on the remote island of Mortavia. This is where the rest of Europe sends its prisoners for execution or punishment--poked-out eyes or severed hands and feet (courtesy of department-store mannequins).Assisting Father Guru is Igor, a surprisingly articulate one-eyed hunchback, and Mother Olga (Jaqueline Webb), the head nun, who also happens to be a vampire. When Olga's not tripping over her lines without asking for retakes, she bares fangs from a Staten Island novelty store.The excrement hits the fan when when young Carl (Paul Lieber), who is in charge of the prisoners, decides to leave Father Guru's employ with his lovely fiancée, Najda (Judith Israel). This sets into motion a series of increasingly violent events that climaxes with Father Guru dead, swinging by his neck from the rope of a church bell.Other noteworthy items:During the opening credit sequence, the film's title is spelled out with alphabet refrigerator magnets.One of the prisoners is clearly dressed in 20th-century corduroy pants.Father Guru's tool kit includes a pair of 20th-century scissors, as well as a modern-day claw hammer.The actors repeatedly slip back into their native New York accents.In one scene, two characters converse while a motorcycle sits not ten feet away.

Rainey Dawn This is a B-film period piece that is much better that it's given credit for. I don't understand harsh criticism against this movie - it's not the greatest film of it's type but it's much better than it's rating and criticism.We have Father Guru - a monk that is, well, mad. He seems to have a split personality and has lost all of his faith. He relies on Olga, a vampire witch, and Igor, a hunchback that resembles Quasimodo, to help him with most all things - especially in exploiting the church and a God he no longer believes in.This costumes and sets are great - it's wonderful. The acting is not all that bad - better than I expected. Directing & cinematography is fine. The story is interesting.Give this one a try if you like vampires, witches, madmen, hunchbacks, monks and medieval themed films.7/10

tavm I just went on Google Video to watch this, one of a double feature presented on Torgo's Drive-In (the other feature being I Drink Your Blood which I have yet to see). At 56 minutes, I found this Andy Milligan-directed horror movie fascinating with the constant pounding score and Dragnet-like stilted dialogue abounding throughout. Having said that, I actually found the story pretty entertaining and I found myself partially caring for the sympathetic characters. Many of the gore scenes, while very amateurish, were also fun to watch in a can-you-believe-their-doing-this way. And having a hunchback that sometimes speaks clearly was also a hoot! So on that note, I'm recommending Guru, the Mad Monk to bad movie buffs everywhere. P.S. On Torgo's Drive-In, this movie was preceded by some ads for the concession stand and previews of Carnival of Blood, The Thing with Two Heads, and Teenage Mother. Oh, and the print I saw had the synchronization off by several seconds.

Michael_Elliott Guru the Mad Monk (1970) BOMB (out of 4) Another film from the infamous Andy Milligan. Guru is the monk at a local prison where prisoners are beaten, executed and so on. Blah, blah, blah. The entire film runs 56-minutes and I was wanting to hit the FF button each and every single minute. The film is horribly made with horrible acting, horrible directing and everything else is equally horrible. Milligan has the reputation of being one of the worst directors ever and I'd certainly have to agree with that. The movies has no pacing and really doesn't have anything going for it.