Der Mönch mit der Peitsche

The best way I can think to describe this movie is: suppose a group of German film makers snuck onto the deserted set of a Man From U.N.C.L.E. episode and made a movie there.

The only thing this movie has going for it is the sets. A fireplace where the mantle in front rises up to reveal a hidden doorway, a villain's lair with giant water tank holding large turtles, alligators (or maybe crocodiles) snapping at and eating anything tossed to them and a swimming pool with below surface level viewing windows.

Maybe this thing made sense in it's original language.

The German "krimis" were kind of a forerunner of the Italian gialli, but they are less famous today because being made mostly in the late 50's and 60's they don't have the graphic violence and sex of the gialli, and they don't feature any name directors like Bava, Argento, Fulci, Lenzi or Sergio Martino. They do have a lot of name actors, most notably Klaus Kinski and Christopher Lee, but also Marisa "Diabolik" Mell, future Jess Franco producer Adrian Hoven, and future giallo starlets Uschi Glass and Karin Baal. Even more so than the gialli, the krimis were connected to English mystery writer and Edgar Wallace, and like his very colorful and entertaining novels they manage to combine mass-murder mysteries, bizarro horror/science fiction plots, and underworld intrigue into fascinating, if often overcooked,stew.

This is the best of the krimis I've seen (with the possible exception of "Dead Eyes of London"). The delightfully ludicrous plot has a mad scientist who has invented a poisonous spray which he conceals in Bibles in order to kill people who open them. In order to deliver booby-trapped Bibles for some reason he needs the help of convicts who he sneaks out out of a nearby prison. As the title suggests the victims are all girls at a nearby college--a very strange college, I might add, where all the students look like voluptuous European fashion models and all the male professors (perhaps understandably)are lecherous perverts trying to get a leg over. Then there's the monk (did I mention the monk?) in a red robe going around breaking various people's necks with a bullwhip.

Obviously, the plot is ridiculous, but it's also a whole lot of fun. And wait until the final revelation where the identity of the hooded monk is revealed and the preposterous motive for the murders is given --like the Italian gialli "Seven Bloodstained Orchids", also based on a Wallace novel, the villain is willing to kill a ridiculous number of innocent people and go through ludicrous Rube Goldburg machinations just to get at his one intended victim. Still, this is a very enjoyable movie if you can suspend your disbelief (you might need a crane).

Another garish "color krimi" from director Alfred Vohrer who splits the action between a girl's school and a men's prison this time. Bumbling Scotland Yard Commissioner Sir John and his flirtatious secretary are back from CREATURE WITH THE BLUE HAND (along with the annoying MANNIX- style soundtrack during the "action" sequences) but the Inspector's been replaced by a smarmy, gum-chewing dick up to his ass in dead bodies.

It's impossible to figure out whodunnit in these Edgar Wallace "inheritence thrillers" since surprise revelations come fast and furious at the end when all the suspects are gathered together a la Agatha Christie. There's usually a Mabuse-like mastermind behind it all and all you have to do is pick out the one least likely to be the madman and there you are. Here, the killer's known as "The Red Monk" and runs around in a red Ku Klux Klan sheet with a pointy hood offing his victims with a bull whip. That's not the only murder weapon, of course, and I quite liked a bible that, when opened, shoots poison gas in a girl's face. Sir John makes mention of a previous adventure, "the case of the sinister monk", which I haven't seen. I must say, however, that this one did have at least a modicum of stye but Germany must have lagged behind the "mod revolution" already in full sway by 1967; there's go go boots and bubble hairdo's, yes, but the mini-skirts are almost knee-length and the girls wear two-piece swimsuits instead of bikinis. Everyone else is strictly squaresville.

Good acting, but Fuchsberger could have swallowed the gum. Contentwise and the titel is similar to The Sinister Monk, but it's more excitin and better written.

I'm still new to the Krimi genre and the only one I've seen prior to seeing this one was the earlier and somewhat disappointing 'The Dead Eyes of London', which didn't exactly inspire a great hope for the rest of the genre in me. If I'd seen this one first, however, the feeling would have been different as while The College Girl Murders is a bizarre and rather wacky attempt at a crime flick; it's great fun to watch and it's really hard to hate a film that throws so many weird and wonderful ideas into the script and manages to pull it off with style. The film begins in a lab where a crazy scientist has invented a new and highly toxic poison that kills its victim and makes it look like they died from a heart attack. This poison is used by a mysterious criminal mastermind who breaks common criminals out of jail to carry out his murders using this poison (and then has them put back in jail). As the title suggests, it's a nearby college full of girls that provides most of the victims. There's also a mysterious monk dressed in a red robe who marauds around breaking necks with a bullwhip.

Of course, with a plot like that; this is not exactly a serious affair and the director clearly knows that as there is a very tongue-in-cheek vibe to the film, which does bode well with the plot. The fact that there are so many different sides to the plot does unfortunately mean that everything does not run smoothly; although this isn't a big problem as things are kept ticking over nicely throughout the film and there's always enough going on to keep the audience interested. The atmosphere is superb and the colour scheme on display is great too look at. Of course, the film is based on an Edgar Wallace novel and clearly the man has a great imagination; the locations used are also superb and while a killer's lair decked out with a host of wild and exotic animals might not serve any relevance to the plot, it does help to give the film that extra 'something'. You cant expect a conclusion that fully makes sense after all the stuff that goes on in this film; but the reason for the murders sort of makes sense and is a satisfying way for the film to climax. Overall, College Girl Murders is an excellent little mystery flick and one that comes highly recommended!