Rasputin: The Mad Monk (Blu-Ray & DVD Combo) [ NON-USA FORMAT, Blu-Ray, Reg.B Import - United Kingdom ]

I'm a Hammer Head, and couldn't find this film streaming anywhere. It's consistently on everyone's "Must-See" list of Hammer Horror Films, so I decided to just order the Blu Ray and my purchase was well worth it. The picture quality is great, although there are a couple of times some wide, panning shots are warped. I don't know if that's the original CinemaScope photography or the transfer. But the picture quality is superb, and is only surpassed by Lee's acting. Fantastic movie, entertaining start-to-finish. I'm glad I bought it.

I had not seen Rasputin, the mad monk since our a original release to cinemas. Inremembeted liking it quote a bit, so I bought a copy on Blu-ray. Outstanding movie! It was not only even better than I remembered, this was one of Sir Christopher Lee's strongest performances. Together with a superb supporting cast, excellent transfer, and many interesting extras, I would recommend this Blu-ray to any fan of Lee, Hammer Films, horror/suspense, or history.

Scream Factory finally releases "Rasputin The Mad Monk" on Blu-ray, a definite HD upgrade from the old Anchor Bay DVD of this Hammer film from 1966, porting over those extras and including new ones including a historians commentary track, making of featurette, and a look at the novel adaptations based on various Hammer films.Christopher Lee stars in an excellent lead performance, dominating the film from start to finish, and is the best thing about it. Well filmed, with a good supporting cast, though takes factual liberties with the real life Russian historical events it is based on.Hopefully, Scream and/or Shout Factory will release the remaining films from those Anchor Bay collections like "Prehistoric Women" (1967) and "Four Sided Triangle" (1953) .

I tell you,Hammer was really good at telling these dramatic horror stories. I like it where it was always mostly about the stories and the suspense drive of it than jump scares and such you now see today in horror movies

Guess what? I bought this vhs tape. Saw the DVD price said "2 rych 4 mi blud" ($21.00: i'm not makin Starbucks money here, kidz!) Guess what else? The cover makes him look like Bangladesh era George Harrision (it's not about The Beatle) but it's not about George "Cheer Down" Harrison, it's about this guy who helps this chick and then DEMANDS that her father (an inn keepr) supply him with a woman to rape! That's what I got out of it. Was I watching it? This is a great Sickle horror movie, not quite on the level of a Wrench Horror Production. Actually better than a Mallet Horror Production. Actually better than a wrench. Anyway, one of my favorite Chris Li movies. It's actually really handsomely photographed (i've only seen the movie as a series of set photographs) and definitely better than Kiss of The Vampire, which is a terrible movie or anyway it has a terrible ending (most of it is pretty cool actually. That ball scene seems like it influenced Eyes Wide Shut and Batman Returns, probably not) . It's a five star movie, legit. Very good

Good classic movie. They don't make em like this anymore...Christopher Lee is top notch as Grigori Rasputin. Great pace to the film. Really nice transfer quality with this Blu Ray. If you're interested in or haven't seen Rasputin - The Mad Monk from 1966. Pick this Shout Factory gem up. You won't be disappointed.

My book club read The Kitchen Boy by Robert Alexander. Rasputin is a key character in it. I've never heard of him and he IS fascinating as is the book. WOW!

It was not historically accurate the villain could’ve been anybody but it’s worth watching the time piece and for the great acting by Christopher Lee

Poor sound. Good blu ray picture

Bought this because it has subtitles and my DVD from years ago doesn't. I watched the BLURAY and found the quality to be very good but not exactly mind blowing. This just may be because the sets are just a bit drab and the best coloured costume is Lee's shirt!! I thought my memory told me I really liked this film, and some of it I do. Lee is born to play Rasputin and he grabs the opportunity with enthusiasm. Shelley has probably one of her best roles and looks fantastic (when did she not?). However, I felt the rest of the cast a bit underwhelming and bland, except for Richard Pascoe who has a decent part and, like Lee, enjoys himself. The sets looked cheap and I never got the feeling we were in tzarist russia and it's court. Forget historical accuracy. This is just a "Hammer" romp, no Michael Ripper but still full of the usual suspects. Well worth a look, just not one of Hammer's best, though certainly one of Lee's.. There are two different ratio versions on the BLURAY, and to this untrained eye....I couldn't tell the difference. Just thought I would mention! Good subtitles and extras not seen by me.

"Rasputin the mad monk" is another glorious effort from Don Sharp, who in my view was carrying the torch left abandoned by Terry Fisher after "Phantom of the Opera". All the movies made by Sharp for Hammer were great artistic successes, starting with "Kiss of the Vampire", which rejuvenated the Hammer Horror genre, swiftly followed by "The Devil-Ship pirates", one of the best pirate movies of Hammer at the time, followed again by this "Rasputin", a grand-scale epic that is a thousand times better than the film it was shot back-to-back with: Dracula, Prince of Darkness.The BluRay offers the opportunity of watching the unique 2:55:1 version of the film, and I would recommend watching it in this format to appreciate the scope of the effort, one of the most brilliant-looking Hammer films at the time.Credit for the success of the film, apart from Sharp's precise direction (this would be his last effort for Hammer), have to go to two people: the first one is Bernard Robinson, legendary Hammer set designer. The sets on "Rasputin" are gob-smacking, lavish, ample and feel like they were much more expensive than they really were.The second of course if Christopher Lee, making quite an incredible character study, and resurrecting Rasputin in front of our eyes.To be fair the cast (largely similar to "Prince of Darkness") is much more exciting in this movie: Francis Matthews shows a neat evolution from loyalist to conspirator, Barbara Shelley is very erotically-charged, and Richard Pasco is simple genius.Overall this is a great film, served by a very beautiful BluRay. I personally did not feel the sound was a problem. The documentaries are fascinating as always, while the commentary is still dominated by Lee but stays pleasant.An absolute triumph.

Yes, I agree with the previous customer regarding the poor audio for this otherwise fine release of Rasputin The Mad Monk by Studio Canal. The picture quality is great, certainly the best I've ever seen for this awesome Hammer Film, but the audio, well it gets NO stars, which reduces my rating of the overall package to three stars. It sounds like they did nothing to the audio in the remastering process! It sounds bland, two much treble and no bass. Of course this is most noticable with the musical soundtrack. What can be done to improve the audio is limited with these 1960's films, but this one falls way short of the work that went into Canal's blu ray releases of Dracula Prince of Darkness and Plague of the Zombies. From the very opening of the 20th Century Fox fanfare, this one sounded like something was very wrong. It, of course, sounds worse playing through a full theater system.I can't believe Canel carelessly released it this way. There are even very noisy parts [like an old 78 rpm record] noticable here and there throughout the disc; and in writing this review I haven't yet listened to the audio commentaries or other extras. As for a replacement release--well I hope so. I've never been involved in having to request one. By the way this audio problem exists, to a lesser extent, on their same day release of The Mummy's Shroud.

Great effort by Hammer films to make a historical film. Made back to back with DRACULA PRINCE OF DARKNESS, using the same sets and acting talents of the primary actors ( Christopher Lee, Suzan Farmer, Barbara Shelley and Francis Matthews). The commanding presense of Lee who plays Rasputin captures the animal-like qualities (lustful and savagely cunning )of the mad mystic.Barbara Shelley is the tragic figure in the thrall of the Svengali-like Rasputin. Using her ruthlessly as a means of gaining control over the Tsar's family. It's not a great film but it is hugely watchable