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).
