Instagram preview from Sphere Media
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Where to watch the show
Screening - April 10, 2025
Podcasts
alittlebitculty.com
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In this week's episode, Sarah and Nippy sit down with filmmaker Jason Lapeyre, director of the new documentary Monkey on a Stick: Murder, Madness, and the Hare Krishnas. Together, they explore the movement's descent into a shocking underworld of abuse, drug smuggling, and even murder during the 1970s and 80s.
Jason shares the heartbreaking realities of Hare Krishna boarding schools, the dangerous power dynamics within the group, and how charismatic leaders exploited followers while living in opulence. This conversation is a deep dive into the human cost of unchecked authority, religious corruption, and legal loopholes that allowed perpetrators like Keith Ham to evade justice.
alittlebitculty
youtube
This week we continue to explore corruption within the Hare Krishna movement, this time through the eyes of former member Nori Muster. From 1978 to 1988, Nori worked in the movement's PR and media department, where she was tasked with spinning headlines and managing ISKCON's public image. However, what began as a spiritual refuge soon revealed a dark underbelly of corruption, cover-ups, and even murder.
Nori recounts her time in ISKCON, her growing disillusionment, and the pivotal moments that led her to become a whistleblower. Her story sheds light on the systemic issues within the movement and offers insights into the ongoing challenges of healing from cult involvement.
A short clip from the Little Bit Culty interview: Instagram
Interview with Steve Gelberg
The Dark Side of Hare Krishna: Abuse, Mind Control & ISKCON Scandals
Dr. Steve Hassan interviews Steve Gelberg, on his writing, his years in ISKCON, and his part in Monkey on a Stick.
Film Festivals
Interview by VIFF.org (Vancouver International Film Festival)
viff.org
Windsor International Film Festival
windsorfilmfestival.com
Marfa Film Festival
cinemarfa.org
News and Reviews
Monkey on a Stick's Jason Lapeyre talks to Steve Norton
ScreenFish 1on1
Youtube
Article by Steve Norton
screenfish.net
createastir.ca
American poet Susan Kinsolving's letter review of Monkey on a Stick Documentary
I thought that the film was exceptionally well done. Really told the story clearly, felt honest and compelling. I was fascinated. Of course, I had to shield my eyes twice, Ghastly!
I was left with the sense of the piece being an important allegorical warning for our times. Then there's the ironic horror that it doesn't function as any warning at all; in fact, the Krisna cult is thriving and so is Trump's.
I thought the cinematography was also clear, not indulgent, and kept an understated visual rhythm I found the brief spiritual reflections were worthy ones, giving true observations of the human quest for understanding mortality.
So bravo. Few of us have done something this important.
Go here to read the review.
Interview with Director Jason Lapeyre, by Pat Mullen
povmagazine.com
Jason Lapeyre was on CP24 Breakfast, a Canadian morning television news show, on October 16, 2024. The movie premiered that evening at the ScotiaBank Center in downtown Toronto. cp24.com video
Interview with Jason Lapeyre, Director
Article by Elisabetta Bianchini
ca.news.yahoo.com
read the article at nationalobserver.com
Monkey on a Stick: Murder, Madness and the Hare Krishnas (Dec 17)
Jason Lapayre directs a stomach-churning expose of the criminal activity that took place in the Hare Krishna movement in America in the 1970s and 80s. Adapted from the New York Times bestselling book, this documentary tells the story of idealistic devotees who join the movement only to discover corruption, criminality and abuse of power within the International Society for Krishna Consciousness. Smuggling drugs, stockpiling weapons, exploiting female devotees, widespread child sexual abuse and murder, all happened under the systemic, long-term coverup of its spiritual leaders via control, isolation and threats. "The place was run like the Mafia," says one participant. bookandfilmglobe.com
Stranger-than-fiction documentary Monkey on a Stick: Murder, Madness & The Hare Krishnas, among other new series, films and specials.
An expose of the criminal activity that took place in the Hare Krishna movement in America in the 1970s and '80s. Adapted from the New York Times bestselling book, this documentary tells the story of devotees like Nori Muster, a young woman from Los Angeles who joins the movement to find inner peace and spiritual meaning and instead discovers a rotting heart of criminal activity taking place within ISKCON, the International Society for Krishna Consciousness. Drug smuggling, stockpiling weapons, and the subjugation and exploitation of female devotees metastasizes to widespread child sexual abuse and murder, all under the watch of ISKCON's spiritual leaders - the gurus who run the movement.
From AMC Networks' press release
vitalthrills.com
Sundance Now's new two-part documentary, Monkey On A Stick: Murder, Madness & The Hare Krishnas, airing Thursday, December 12, 2024, isn't your typical true-crime fare. It's not about a single sensational crime, but rather the systemic rot within a seemingly peaceful spiritual movement. Based on the New York Times bestseller, the series pulls back the orange robes to reveal a world of alleged drug smuggling, weapons stockpiling, exploitation, child sexual abuse, and yes, even murder. Read the review
Review by Daniel Garber, for Cultural Mining
culturalmining.com
That's all they wrote! nytimes.com
ISKCON Communications issued a statement about the Monkey on a Stick documentary New Year's Eve. You can read it here: iskconnews.org
Rebuttals, Rational Thoughts, and Rejoinders
(collection posted at this site): click here
Monkey on a Stick: A Spiritual Whirlwind
thegate.ca
reelgood.com
Review by Liam Lacey
original-cin.ca
Longtime ICSA member, Nori Muster, is in the new movie Monkey on a Stick. She started working with Director Jason Lapeyre in 2019, and it was a deep dive into ISKCON history. To prepare for the film, Jason and Nori interviewed thirty former ISKCON members, including people who were born or raised in ISKCON. The movie is based on the 1988 bestselling book, Monkey on a Stick: Murder, Madness, and the Hare Krishnas, by John Hubner and Lindsey Gruson.
NEWS BRIEF: Amazon's Prime Video streaming service has picked up Murder & Madness: The Cult Conspiracy, a 1x98' feature doc produced by Sphere Media and is set to launch it in January 2025.
Murder & Madness: The Cult Conspiracy, from director Jason Lapeyre (I Declare War), is an exposé of the criminal activity that took place in the Hare Krishna movement in America in the 1970s and '80s, adapted from the New York Times bestselling book by John Hubner and Lindsey Gruson. The deal with Prime Video was done by London-based distributor Sphere Abacus.
Unlock Realscreen article.
Sphere Abacus (SA) has sold Murder & Madness: The Cult Conspiracy (1 x 98) a feature-length documentary produced by Sphere Media to Prime Video, which is set to launch in January 2025.
Murder & Madness: The Cult Conspiracy, from award-winning director Jason Lapeyre (I Declare War), is an exposé of the criminal activity that took place in the Hare Krishna movement in America in the 1970s and '80s, adapted from the New York Times bestselling book by John Hubner and Lindsey Gruson.
Read the entire article.
sphere-abacus.com
imdb.com
deadline.com
Prabhupada disciple who was not a criminal shares his view of Monkey on a Stick
I'm not exactly sure what a cult movie about the human need to blindly follow leadership has to do with the state of the world right now, but maybe give it a watch and you can find a connection or two.
- Jason Lapeyre, director of Monkey on a Stick
The best selling cult classic Monkey on a Stick is back in print!
audiobook
e-book
Where to Watch Monkey on a Stick
In the USA you can access Monkey on a Stick as a TV series at Amazon Put the two episodes in your cart. Check-out will be about $6.50. If you want to watch free, get the free trial at Sundance or AMC+.
In Canada it is temporarily off the air on Amazon, but it will be back this spring.
The movie version and TV version will be available around the world - stay tuned.
The way I see this piece of art, the skeleton skull wearing tilak shows the collective sins of the gurus below. Ramesvara is looking up with guilt. He was one of only a few who admitted they were not very good at guru-ing. But most important, arrogant tyrants make many people suffer.
It's hard for me to believe I thought these men were gurus. But I was in my twenties, and I'm so much older now.
The poster will be for sale at the movie engagement, January 30, 2025 at the Revue Cinema in Toronto.
moviefone.com ask your neighborhood movie theater to show Monkey on a Stick!
amctheatres ask your neighborhood movie theater to show Monkey on a Stick!
AMC+
Now playing on Amazon at AMC+ Sundance.
Now playing online at Apple TV
Adapted from "Monkey on a Stick" written by John Hubner and Lindsey Gruson, "Monkey on a Stick: Murder, Madness & The Hare Krishnas" is a two-part true crime documentary series that delves deep into the Hare Krishna movement in the nation during the 1970s and 1980s. With the main focus on the systemic crimes within ISKCON, the show aims to give a voice to the former devotees and other associates of the movement through their insightful interviews.
Hansadutta / Hans Kary
Ramesvara / Robert Grant
Jayatirtha / James Immel
Kirtanananda / Keith Ham
Sulocana / Steve Bryant
Chakradhari / Charles St. Denis
Tirtha / Thomas Drescher
Randall Gorby
The movie Monkey on a Stick does not discuss Randall Gorby, but many people believe he was another New Vrindaban victim.
Read the article on Sport Skeeda
newsbreak.com
soapcentral.com
newsbreak.com
Screenshots from the Internet December 15, 2024
Visit the Futon Critic
Rachel Maddow
Editor's comment: In this segment, broadcast on MSNBC, Rachel Maddow reveals Tulsi Gabbard's background in "an obscure Hare Krishna splinter group." Tulsi's father Mike Gabbard is a longtime follower and disciple of Sai Young, also known as Siddhaswarupananda, Jagad Guru, and whose birth name is Chris Butler.
Before Sai met the Hare Krishna Founder Acharya Srila Prabhupada, I believe he was involved with the Brotherhood of Eternal Love. Chemists made the LSD and the Brotherhood distributed it. As a spiritual mission. The Brotherhood was established in California in 1966. They believed psychedelics would make the future better. At the time, it was legal to use and it was under scientific research for the government, at universities, and other places.
Sai was a guru with disciples in Hawaii. Then later when he met Srila Prabhupada, he surrendered to Prabhupada. In plain English that means he considered Prabhupada a better guru than he, so he asked to become one of his disciples.
Technically, Rachel was incorrect to call Sai an ISKCON guru. Sai left ISKCON in 1977, when Prabhupada was still living. And while Prabhupada was living, there was only one guru in ISKCON and that was him. So Sai was never a guru in ISKCON.
Although Sai withdrew to Hawaii, many of his disciples remained where they were in ISKCON. They were in Laguna Canyon temple, and later Pacific Ocean temple. Some settled in the Los Angeles temple. When I joined ISKCON I met many of them. Now, I'm not sure of the exact timeline, but around that time, drug smuggling became an income stream for ISKCON. Over the years I was a member it spread to other zones and there was more violence, murders, years after I left the organization. I don't know how things are now.
In Rachel Maddow's segment, she says Science of Identity Foundation was an offshoot of ISKCON and called him an ISKCON guru. Sai was never a guru in ISKCON because he left before the zonal guru system started. However, he was already a guru when he first encountered ISKCON. He wasn't an offshoot of ISKCON. It's more like he went back to what he was doing before.
Monkey sketches by Nori Muster
Nori's Website*
