Mystery Case Files: The Black Veil Complete Blind Playthrough. (still to this day, in fact!). The work of one man, Eric Barone, who most of you simply know as ConcernedApe. I love my computer.heck, I even built it with the parts of my own selection. However, I can't easily lug the case around, let alone a monitor AND peripherals!
Katmiss24 May 2001
Daniel Haller's 'Die, Monster, Die!' is a solid gothic horror film, about ten times better than what you would expect from American International Pictures. It has a confusing story, but two exceptional performances save this from being grade z schlock. The two lead performances are by Boris Karloff, as the scientist who has bad things happen to him and Nick Adams, as an American visiting his girlfriends' home. Despite his arthritis confining him to a wheelchair, Karloff manages to give a strong performance as the scientist who stumbles onto something big and lives to regret it. Adams' role could have been thankless, but he adds an aura of mystery and intrigue a lesser actor wouldn't have. This is a great-looking film. Haller was art director for Roger Corman and he has inherited Corman's gift for making the most of the small budget. This looks as if it could have cost a million dollars or more instead of a few hundred thousand. The widescreen Colorscope photography is among the best I've seen and deserved an Oscar nod. As for the story, it is confusing, but it all becomes clear if you pay attention and watch it more than once. I'm not sure people would want to do that, but this is the kind of film that deserves it. Its' odd and poetic feel make it spellbinding. Worth more than one look. ***1/2 out of 4 stars
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Boris gives us his all
evilskip6 June 2001
AIP decided to try cashing in on Lovecraft rather than Poe this time around.What we get is an above average movie that is hampered by its budget. Nick Adams plays Stephen Reinhart who arrives in the small english town of Arkham.When he tries various means to travel to the Witley estate he is rebuffed by the townsfolk and has to walk.We're treated to some decent matte shots of a desolate countryside. Arriving at the estate the young man is met by Nahum Witley (Boris Karloff).He is pointedly told to leave.Sticking to his guns Steve informs the man that he was invited by Mrs Witley.Of course Susan (Witley's daughter) rushes down to clear up some confusion. Here we learn that there are some weird goings on involving everyone at the house. A maid has disappeared,weird screams are heard at night and Mrs Witley hides behind curtains.A real miasma lurks in this house. Nahum has a strange secret in the basement that seems to be killing everyone who comes in contact with it. Rather than go further into the plot which is really basic there are a few things that lift this above your standard haunted (for lack of a better word) house story.This movie just reeks with atmosphere.It is very opressive and claustrophobic.The sets are wonderful and nicely done on the cheap.Boris Karloff gives his usual wonderful performance. Nick Adams actually holds his own here. On the downside the special effects are very limited due to the budget. A minor quibble.Patrick Magee shows up for a role that will leave you scratching your head wondering what that was all about. Definitely worth a look if you catch it on AMC or find the dvd cheaply.
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Flat chiller for fans only
djensen131 August 2008
This production has everything an old chiller ought to have: an American in England, a spooky old mansion, locals frightened of the spooky old mansion, a pretty girl who knows not the evil which surrounds her, creepy old people with a creepier family history, monsters, pseudoscience, the occult, and more. It all ends up being both too much and not enough, altho Boris Karloff is certainly acting his heart out. The scripting is clumsy: the elements are too traditional and elementary, everyone knows something they refuse to tell for no particular reason, the heavies are homicidal for no logical reason, the hero is afraid of nothing yet makes no effort to pursue attackers.... Worse, the directing is flat and the leads have little charisma or chemistry. It's occasionally effective, but mostly boring, which is death to the chiller genre. I want to say 'Die, movie, die!' but it's just not that offensive.
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A Good Sci-Fi Horror Movie
claudio_carvalho27 May 2012
The American Stephen Reinhart (Nick Adams) arrives by train in Arkham, a small town in the countryside of England. He tries to travel to the real estate of a man called Witley by taxi or bicycle, but the locals are frightened by the name and refuse to help him. Stephen has to walk to the property and he is badly received by Nahum Witley (Boris Karloff), who is on the wheelchair. Stephen informs that he had been invited by his fiancée, Susan Witley (Suzan Farmer), who welcomes him when she sees Stephen. The young man is summoned by Susan's mother, Letitia Witley (Freda Jackson), who is very ill, to have a private conversation with her, and she asks Stephen to leave the real estate as soon as possible with Susan. Further he learns that the maid Helga has disappeared and the butler Merwyn (Terence de Marney) is also very ill. Stephen notes that there are weird things happening in the house, with a woman in black wandering in the garden and screams during the night. He snoops around and finds the Nahum is using the radiation of a meteorite in the greenhouse to turn the wasteland into a place of beauty with giant plants. However the side effect of the radiation has killed Merwyn and affected the health and turned Helga and Letitia into monsters. Now Nahum wants to destroy the stone with tragic consequences. 'Die, Monster, Die!' is a good sci-fi horror movie with Boris Karloff. The creepy story has a promising beginning but when the mystery is disclosed, it is a little disappointing. I was expecting that Corbin Witley was behind the dark events but the plots changes to science fiction and becomes silly. My vote is seven. Title (Brazil): 'Morte Para Um Monstro' ('Death for a Monster')
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Creaky Lovecraftian fun
paulnewman20016 October 2004
A creakily atmospheric chiller from the American International stable, 1965's Die, Monster, Die! is a loose adaptation of HP Lovecraft's The Colours Out Of Space and boasts a great exploitation title and Boris Karloff, although it's now more likely to offer fun than frights. A young heroic type arrives in a remote village looking for his fiancé but finds her family shunned by the hostile locals, and with good reason her mad scientist father Nahum Witley (Karloff) has recovered a strange meteorite which turns plants into giants and several members of his household into grotesquely scarred mutants. Clunky acting and a faintly ludicrous script aside, there's a lot to enjoy, from the gloomy sets and portentous dialogue to one of wheelchair-bound Karloff's last meaty roles and a delicious mood of corruption well sustained by director Daniel Haller (formerly art director on some of AI's finest Vincent Price vehicles).
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Die, Monster, Die! (1965) **1/2
JoeKarlosi18 March 2007
American scientist Stephen Reinhart (Nick Adams) travels to England for a visit with his fiancée (Suzan Farmer). Arriving in the small village of Arkham he is met with jeers from the local villagers who refuse to direct him to her home at the Witley Estate. Unable even to rent a bicycle from a superstitious shop keeper, Reinhart has no choice but to tackle the long journey on foot. Once at the Witley mansion, he takes note of dead trees which turn to ashes at the slightest touch, and the dreary wasteland which surrounds the area. When nobody answers the door, Stephen takes the liberty of entering on his own and runs into the wheelchair-bound Nahum Witley (Boris Karloff). The old man orders his unwanted visitor to leave, but Reinhart explains that he is there at the request of Mrs. Witley (Freda Jackson). When Reinhart greets Mrs. Witley he is concerned to find her hidden in bed behind a gauze veil, avoiding the light. She has contracted some type of strange illness, yet her husband refuses to take her to the town doctor. The Witleys' butler subsequently collapses and dies from sickness himself, and Reinhart witnesses the aged Mr. Witley burying him on the grounds in secret. Gaining entry into a locked greenhouse, our hero is alarmed to find giant mutated vegetables and even abnormal creatures thriving on small chunks of what appears to have come from some larger glowing rock. Stephen ultimately confronts Mr. Witley and learns that a green meteorite crashed to these grounds many years before, and that the old man has been nurturing it in the basement, believing that it was actually enhancing their lives when in reality, its radiation has been grossly mutating all living things in the vicinity. Adapted from the H.P. Lovecraft tale 'The Colour Out of Space,' this movie (also known as MONSTER OF TERROR and THE HOUSE AT THE END OF THE WORLD) winds up missing the mark on many levels. Directed by Roger Corman's former production designer, the film's Gothic look is very attractive and some sequences are imaginatively shot; unfortunately much of the time we feel ourselves waiting for more things to happen with a tedious script that seems to be lacking something. It's got potential, yet there seems to be far too much loitering about, with many scenes of snooping around and investigating strange occurrences. Still, it's always fun to watch the arrogant-sounding Nick Adams and its a treat to see Boris Karloff still acting in his later years. **1/2 out of ****
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OK attempt to get Lovecraft on the screen
preppy-325 November 2008
H.P. Lovecraft's stories are almost impossible to film. The way he describes places and things just can't be done. This movie and 'The Dunwich Horror' have come closest to getting him on the screen. American Stephen Reinhart (Nick Adams) goes to England to visit his fiancée Susan Wiley (Suzan Farmer). He finds her living in a huge mansion with her angry wheelchair bound father (Boris Karloff) and a mother (Freda Jackson) who is mysteriously ill. And then there are strange cries in the night... It's well-made, has a suitably creepy setting and a pretty good script but it just doesn't completely work. A low budget really hurts especially when we see the supposedly horrific creatures in the greenhouse (they look like what they are--plastic puppets). The makeup on the 'infected' people is sub par too. And Adams (a good actor) always appears drugged or annoyed. But the other actors are all great--especially Karloff who is just fantastic. It's worth watching just for him. I was honestly never bored and there were a few times that I actually jumped. It doesn't succeed but it's not a bad attempt. I give it a 7--mostly for Karloff.
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The first half of the film is very good--the last half ruin it.
MartinHafer28 November 2008
Nick Adams arrives in a town in rural England to visit a young lady he met in college. However, when he tries to get a ride or rent a vehicle to take him to her manor home, the villagers are downright nasty--refusing to help him as well as inexplicably saying nothing about why they are so angry. Eventually, he just walks to her home. However, once there, the welcome is just as chilled and her father (Boris Karloff) treats him like a leper--telling him to go. However, it soon becomes apparent that the girl and her mother want Nick to stay and finally Boris reluctantly agrees to let him stay one night. This is a movie in search of a decent ending. During the first half of the film, the audience is highly entertained in a tale of possible madness or Satanism and the mood is terrific--eerie and with a strong sense of foreboding. However, despite a wonderful buildup, the ending is a major disappointment and can't help but sink this movie to the 'barely watchable' level. The deep and dark secret just seemed rather dull and uninteresting. It's worth seeing if you are a Boris Karloff fan, but otherwise it's pretty skipable.
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'It looks like a zoo in hell!'
classicsoncall27 October 2009
Warning: Spoilers
Well here's one bet I would have lost - Boris Karloff and Nick Adams in the same movie! I would have watched this one for Karloff alone, but throw Adams into the mix, and this one had me stay up way past my bedtime, even with work the next day. And I get up early. I only wish I could be more positive about the result. The story takes an interesting premise, and turns it into a laughably pretentious exercise in Gothic pseudo-horror. Not only that, but it takes an agonizingly long time to get to the punch line. I swear, never have I seen a movie where one of the principals (Adams) spends the bulk of his time just walking around. Through corridors, up and down stairs, into rooms and out of rooms, sometimes alone and sometimes with a companion. Every once in a while Stephen Reinhart breaks into a trot, and like the Energizer bunny, he just keeps on going. You know, I had to chuckle as I considered Nick Adams' character in one of my favorite classic TV Westerns, that of Johnny Yuma in 'The Rebel'. Not an episode would go by where Johnny wouldn't get into a fistfight over some grievance or another, usually with some villain much bigger than himself. So I'm watching as his girlfriend Susan (Suzan Farmer) gets attacked by the grabby vine plant, and Reinhart tries to punch out the vegetation! One of the many surreal moments in this picture. Which all comes down to beg the question - why was anyone making a movie this inane as late as 1965? There isn't much of a recommendation here except to catch Boris Karloff in a wind down to an illustrious career, along with that unusual casting decision to pair him up with Adams. Even in a wheel chair, Karloff had a regal bearing to his look, and if he had to play a role in a debilitated condition, at least he made it look professional.
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Average AIP nonsense.
david-69724 September 2004
Originally filmed under the more atmospheric title 'The House At The End Of The World', sadly both the American ('Die, Monster, Die!') and British ('Monster Of Terror') titles reflect the quality of the movie. An adaptation of H P Lovecraft's 'The Colour Out Of Space' it feels more like a Poe adaptation, with its old dark mansion, subterranean corridors and air of family secrets. Unsurprisingly first-time director Haller was Corman's production designer/art director on the Poe series and the end result is a good-looking movie ruined by a poor script. Karloff is wasted as is the cast, which is a shame as it is a fine one. Freda Jackson, Suzan Farmer and Patrick Magee are genre veterans who have given (or would go on to give) fine horror performances in other movies, here they are just thrown away in small cameo roles or, in Farmer's case, a stiff, disconnected leading role. Haller would go on to make the far better Lovecraft adaptation, 'The Dunwich Horror', which, while flawed, is well worth checking out.
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The (misleading) title is better than the movie
gridoon4 December 2005
If there is one thing I don't like in horror films (well, it's more than one, but never mind) it's those long, dialogue-free scenes of people-investigating-strange-noises-in-dark-rooms. 'Die, Monster, Die!' has more than its share of such scenes, and this results in a draggy pace: the movie runs only 80 minutes but seems much longer than that. However, there are some good things to be said about it: the prologue is funny ('He wants to go to the Witley house. Ha ha ha ha!'), the mansion where most of the action takes place is a marvelously old-fashioned and atmospheric set, and the special effects are pretty good - perhaps even ahead of their time. Of course, Boris Karloff fans will want to see him in any film, and despite his health problems at the time he was still an inimitable actor, but in this film he wasn't given enough juicy dialogue to chew on. For me, the standout in the cast is the sweet Suzan Farmer as Karloff's daughter. (**)
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Fun and nostalgia with Boris!
Coventry2 March 2005
Warning: Spoilers
Everything you could possibly look for in a campy 60's horror movie: 'Die, Monster, Die' delivers it! The film opens with an American student arriving in an isolated British village and, when asking to get to the Witley mansion, all the friendly villagers suddenly turn pale with fear. Call me old-fashioned, but a story that starts like this can't be bad. 'Die, Monster, Die' is an the adaptation of an H.P. Lovecraft story with quite an ambitious premise and a terrific (as usual) acting performance given by Boris Karloff. This is the directorial debut of the obviously talented Daniel Haller who previously served under Roger Corman as an art director in his legendary Edgar Allan Poe cycle. Haller clearly loved what he learned there, as he now also stuffs his own film with mysterious fogs, dark vaults, bats on strings and a constant use of ominous sound effects. the story continues with Karloff as the slightly insane landlord who desperately attempts to clear the foul name of his ancestors. In a nearby meadow he found a radioactive stone that causes vegetables to grow enormous sizes and living organisms to mutate! Although our father Witley keeps on denying it, his family descends further into misery due to this stone. The scenery is great, Karloff is at his most deranged and the make up effects are quite gore for the time. Convincing too, as the 'melting face' sequence is a bit unsettling. 'Die, Monster, Die' is highly recommended entertainment, particularly meant for admirers of the almighty Boris Karloff. I'm more and more discovering his last cinema-achievements and - so far - every single one I encountered is worthy to be called 'a classic'. Some absolute favorites include 'The Sorcerers','Curse of the Crimson Altar','The Raven' and 'Corridors of Blood'. This 'Die, Monster, Die' surely is a worthy addition to this list. PS: keep an eye open for Patrick Magee! This great but shamefully underrated actor makes a small but neat appearance as the town's doctor.
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Will anyone ever do Lovecraft right?
Just caught it on AMC, and my question is, after 30 years of valiant (and not-so-valiant attempts) will anyone ever be able to do a real Lovecraft movie? The main problem seems to be that most of the Lovecraft stories are just vignettes, heavy on narration, light on action. (The Night Gallery episode 'Pickman's Model' probably comes closest to the format) While ReAnimator is terrific, it relies heavily on humor, which is mostly absent from Lovecraft's prose. The main problem with Die Monster Die is that coming from the Corman Camp, it tries to hard to Poe-ify the source material and it becomes just another crazy-old-man-hiding-a-secret-in-the-old-dark-house story. Karloff gives a good performance, but you can see how badly his health was affecting him by the time this was filmed. All in all, it could be worse. (see '87's The Curse, and its non-sequels for evidence)
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A monster movie without a monster
JasparLamarCrabb11 March 2008
Warning: Spoilers
The oddball teaming of Nick Adams (the poor man's James Dean...or is it Richard Chamberlain?) and Boris Karloff (making one of his frequent late life cheapies) is the only reason to watch this OK mix of a haunted house/mad scientist/sci-fi film. Karloff and his prim daughter live in a mansion in the English country and are visited by American Adams. He soon discovers that the maid, the butler and even Karloff's wife have been overexposed to a radioactive meteorite. The whole thing starts and ends in a very rapid 79 minutes. Karloff is Karloff and Adams gives it his all. Suzan Farmer plays Karloff's daughter and, in a cameo, a pre-CLOCKWORK ORANGE Patrick Magee plays a doctor. Not awful.
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Harsh Title!
AaronCapenBanner4 October 2013
Nick Adams stars as a young man who arrives at an isolated village in search of Witley mansion, where he wants to surprise his fiancée Susan(played by Suzan Farmer) The locals are most uncooperative to him, so he sets out alone to the estate, only to be shocked by the state of decay he finds, both inside and outside. Susan is glad to see him, but her wheelchair-bound scientist father(played by Boris Karloff) is not. Both of them soon discover the terrible Witley secret involving a radiation emitting meteorite that has had a devastating effect on the family... Based on the H.P. Lovecraft story 'The Color Out Of Space', the film is atmospherically directed by Daniel Haller, but otherwise a misfire, becoming much too silly and absurd, ruining the second half of the film, after a reasonable set-up. A waste of Boris Karloff, who does the best he can.
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Did AIP Have Brain Flatulence?
Bob-4518 October 2003
'Die, Monster, Die!' is one of AIP's best produced, best photographed films. Why? The story makes almost no sense and continuity at some points is in shambles. Nick Adams comes to England to see Suzan Farmer, who is the daughter of Boris Karloff and Frida Jackson. When Adams gets off the train and asks for directions, he is treated very rudely by the townsfolk. Although Adams is never given directions to Karloff's he sets off from the village to find the house. Adams passes a large burned-out forest and a deep pit. He proceeds to Karloff's house, where he is watched by a woman all dressed in black and wearing a black veil. When Adams arrives at the house, he finds the gate locked from the OUTSIDE. Further, when he tries to enter through a hole in the gate, he nearly steps on a beartrap. Now, since none of the villagers ever come to the house, why did Karloff feel it necessary to set a beartrap to keep people out and put a lock on the gate that would be nearly impossible for someone inside to unlock? Despite all the mysterious goings on, Farmer appears totally oblivious. What has she been doing in the month she's been home? Trust me, it gets worse from here. The time period is never clear from this movie. Adams is dressed in the kind of trenchcoat made popular by Alan Ladd at the end of WWII. Also, certain dialogue in the movie indicates it has been but a few years since the death of Karloff's father(!); and, on the father's headstone, the year of death is 1942. However, Farmer looks (quite impressively, I might add) like a 1960s English 'bird'. There are lots of cheap, unnecessary thrills in this movie, which just get in the way of the story. Not to mention, Karloff gets around amazingly fast in that wheelchair. The special effects and gore are largely first rate. The question is, why couldn't AIP have spent the money they used on this one on 'The Dunwich Horror'. That's a fairly decent story absolutely ruined by incredibly poor special effects. It is possible to enjoy 'Die, Monster, Die.' Just don't think about it too much.
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A good slice of low budget Gothic
The_Void14 September 2006
Die Monster Die may not be a major highlight for any of its major players, but even so; this film represents an assured slice of Gothic horror and I can't find much to complain about. The film is based on the Lovecraft tale 'The Colour out of Space', and follows the common Lovecraft themes of mutated life forms and mysterious central characters. The film begins to build intrigue immediately as a young British man arrives in town with the intention of visiting his fiancé's estate. None of the locals are too happy about his presence; especially when he tells them where he is going. This immediately gets the audience on the edge of their seats as the desire to find out just what has been going on at the mysterious mansion sets in. Director Daniel Haller continues to build the suspense when our central character gets to the mansion and we are introduced to Nahum Witley; a wheelchair bound father that is also none too happy about the man's presence. From there, the film builds a scintillating Gothic atmosphere, and the locked greenhouse quickly becomes the focus of our attention... The only other film I've seen from director Daniel Haller (who worked with Roger Corman on his classic Poe Anthology) was The Dunwich Horror, which squandered its Lovecraft story thanks to some frankly boring plotting and an ending which succeeded in explaining next to nothing. Needless to say, this earlier film doesn't suffer from the same problem as there are bags of tension and intrigue, and the director doesn't hold back when it comes to letting the audience know the secret behind the central character's cagey nature. The special effects are good considering the time in which the film was made and the obvious budget constraints, and the sequence in which we finally get to see what is inside the greenhouse is a definite highlight. The film is most famous thanks to a lead performance from the great Boris Karloff, who might not massively impress in the acting stakes this time; but still manages an assured horrific performance. The ending is exciting and plays out well, and unlike The Dunwich Horror; succeeds in explaining the mystery. Overall, while this is only a modest success, it's certainly well worth seeing!
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' I had hope this element would have ushered in a new beginning for man '
thinker169125 October 2009
It was in the 1940's when mankind first discovered the Atomic bomb and many of the scientists working on it, hoped it would usher in a new world for mankind. In point of fact it did. The discovery brought forth the knowledge, the world could more easily destroy itself much easier than before, In the movies, like this horrific film called ' Die Monster, Die ' the new element called Uranium, did in fact bring a new beginning, it was called The Atomic age and the new element was global fear. In this story, an America has journeyed to England to visit his fiancé. One there, he is surprised to learn the town's people are terrified of the Witley family and wants nothing to do with them. Nevertheless, Stephen Reinhart (Nick Adams) seeks to discover the reason for the fear and is introduced to Mahum Witley (Boris Karloff), his fiancé Susan, Letitia (Freda Jackson) and their man servant, Merwyn (Terence de Marney). The family has an established, though terrifying history, but none so deadly as a monstrous secret glowing in their basement which is destined to infest the world. The movie is a horror of the sixties and has become a cult horror film. A fun monster movie to be sure and with the presence of the great Karloff, certain to be a classic. ****
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Karloff Could Still Carry a Film!
bsmith555230 October 2006
Warning: Spoilers
'Die, Monster, Die' was made late in Boris Karloff's career and life. By this time he was pretty much confined to a wheelchair due to advanced arthritis. However, the old pro was still able to carry the picture and deliver an excellent performance even from his wheelchair. Steven Reinhart (Nick Adams) arrives in a small English village in search of 'The Witley Place' and his sweetheart Susan Witley (Suzan Farmer). The townsfolk refuse to help him because of their fear of the goings on there. Reinhart is forced to walk there ans arrives at a large gloomy mansion with a burned out patch of ground thereon. Gaining entrance to the house, Reinhart is confronted by the sinister owner of the house Nahum Witley (Karloff) a scientist who tries to discourage Reinhart from remaining. However, he is reunited with Susan who takes him to meet her mother Letitia (Freda Jackson) who is suffering from an undisclosed illness. She begs Steven to take Susan away from the house. Reinhart hears strange sounds within the house and wonders what mysteries are within. Suddenly Witley's man servant Merwyn (Terrence DeMarney) dies suddenly and Steven watches that evening as Witley buries the man. Murwyn's room shows strange signs. A strange figure also lurks in the darkness outside the home. Then Letitia suddenly goes mad and attacks the young lovers only to die disintegrating before their eyes. What is the cause of all of this? Will the young lovers escape? The film was directed by Daniel Haller a protégé of Roger Corman. Perhaps this can explain why the picture has the look and feel of Corman's Edgar Allan Poe adaptations. The set pieces are excellent and the atmosphere as chilling as in any of those films. The story though, plays like many of Corman's films where the hero comes in search of his lover only to find a sinister presence in a large spooky house. While certainly not his best film by far, Boris Karloff nevertheless still proved that at an advanced age and wheel chair bound, that he could still carry a film.
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A Solid Little AIP Chiller, Although A Rather Loose H.P. Adaptation
ferbs5414 December 2007
'The Colour Out of Space' has long been one of my favorite H.P. Lovecraft stories, so I was curious to see how the 1965 film version had turned out. Very well indeed, I'm happy to report. In this solid little AIP chiller, Nick Adams, an American, comes to Arkham, England to visit his college girlfriend. Her father, played by Boris Karloff, presides over a house that the local villagers shun, and once there, Adams realizes that some strange things are going on, to put it mildly. As the synopsis up top has already given away, a meteorite has lately resulted in all manner of plant and animal mutations, and Boris' servant and wife are starting to come down with symptoms... This is a rather loose adaptation of the Lovecraft story at best, but, handsomely mounted as it is, with impeccable acting by the entire cast and with solid direction by the man who was once art director for AIP's Poe cycle, succeeds on its own terms. There are several moments that will make the viewer jump, and the thing that Boris eventually turns into is like nothing I've ever seen on screen before. The decision to place Arkham in England, rather than the Massachusetts foothills--not to mention Boris' character's name being changed from Nahum Gardner to Nahum Witley--may offend Lovecraft purists, myself included, but this is a minor issue. 'Die, Monster, Die!' remains an excellent minor horror entry, and loads of fun. You won't be bored, that's for sure. Now, when is some fine filmmaker going to tackle Lovecraft's 'The Shadow Over Innsmouth'...
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Tired AIP chiller...
An ageing Boris Karloff turning into another unpleasant something in a competent but stolid entry from director Danial Haller, trying to do for H.P. Lovecraft what Roger Corman did for E.A. Poe. Haller was Corman's art director on the latter's much admired Poe chillers for the same studio, American International Pictures. His set-designs on impossibly low budgets were inspired, especially for The Pit and the Pendulum and The Raven. When Corman came to England to shoot the last, and best, of his series (Masque of the Red Death and Tomb of Ligeia) Haller followed and made his directorial debut with this. He had another shot at Lovecraftian terror in 1970 with The Dunwich Horror, but AIP's moment had already passed.
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Die Monster Die!Warning: Spoilers
A meteorite, wealthy wheelchair bound recluse Karloff has hidden in a pit in the cellar, causes his hired help and wife to become mutated fiends before ultimately perishing. It's up to newly arrived American Nick Adams & his fiancé(..and daughter of Karloff)Suzan Farmer to stop him before he causes future fatal harm. The town nearby won't even speak the name of Karloff's lineage as Adams pursues the past and why no one will discuss the infamous family's history. A secret is being held and no one will has the guts to foretell it. The very answer may lie in the locked greenhouse Adams has seen glowing and Karloff's wife Jackson who keeps her identity hidden behind a veiled bed. Stylish and atmospheric to a point, but it also suffers from a rather unsatisfying plot and the pace(I found it rather dull at times, a rarity when watching any film starring Karloff)can lull you to sleep. The idea, I felt, had potential(a radioactive, glowing green meteorite that offers harm to anyone who stays around it too long with mutated people who begin to resemble creatures out of control and willing to harm anyone in the vicinity), but nothing really ever happens much. Maybe it's a lack of direction, even if the film looks great(the foggy, ominous walk from Karloff's spooky manor to town offers much and the darkened portions of Karloff's manor at night worked rather well)in delivering a stronger story. The cast seemed to be on life-support..maybe it's because the material they have to work with is rather lackluster. I thought Karloff was watchable with some moments where he evokes the old sinister days when he could stare a cold chill through your bones..but, sadly, those are few and far between. Adams doesn't have a prayer in his role. He mostly looks bewildered and bored. Suzan Farmer is nice to look at it, but she seems to only be in the film as a frightened female constantly in peril. Freda Jackson's voice is effective, although we never see her much. Patrick Magee is wasted in his role as an alcoholic doctor the town has abandoned. I just wish the film has pursued the town's disregard for Karloff's family more. There's some juicy history regarding Karloff's past relatives that get disregarded with only a few winks from the screenplay. There's so much potential in the story that just gets swept under the rug. The conclusion, when Karloff gets immersed in green slime which turns him into a walking radioactive killer is laughable. A real disappointment.
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'Don't meddle with the dark forces
Doylenf9 January 2007
Handsomely photographed, nicely atmospheric thriller gets off to a good start with NICK ADAMS arriving at a creepy mansion...a nice Gothic atmosphere with plenty of fog rolling in. A gruff greeting from reclusive BORIS KARLOFF (who wants Adams to leave immediately) gives rise to the suspicion that all is not well in the handsome mansion--that someone is hiding a dreadful secret. It seems that Karloff has discovered a glowing meteor which gives him strange powers. The invalid mother of the woman Adams has come to see warns him to get away from the house as soon as he can. 'You must think this house is obsessed with mystery,' she tells him. And for awhile, she's right. So is the viewer, even though she tries to unravel some of the mystery to Adams before mutation overcomes her. It's a strange mixture of science fiction and horror--of Adams' strictly American accent and the British accents of the rest of the cast. Karloff may be in a wheelchair, but he's still capable of giving a very strong performance as keeper of the secrets who is not careful enough in evoking the dark powers. Something seems to be smothering everyone in the mansion--so much so that the message seems to be 'Don't meddle with the dark forces...He who tampers there will be destroyed.' Intriguing tale is slow to unravel, but nicely handled and given first class treatment of handsome interiors. There's a definite Roger Corman influence in all the horror and mutation aspects. In the end, the greenhouse holds the key to the mystery with a heavy dose of science fiction regarding radiation and the green glow. Summing up: An interesting Gothic treat for fans of horror and/or science fiction, given good production values but a story that's often a strain on credibility.
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Go Little Glow Worm
BaronBl00d16 July 2005
H. P. Lovecraft is often said to be the successor to Edgar Allan Poe. He is definitely a great horror story writer, but unlike much of Poe's work - his is not nearly as easy to bring to the screen. Lovecraft, of course, has been in vogue in horror cinema for the last couple decades. Some of the work like Re-Animator has been quite good. But much has been decidedly sub-par and incoherent. Die, Monster, Die is one of the earlier pieces of Lovecraft to be screened. AIP cashed in on Poe's works and soon needed more material to film. They turned to Lovecraft. The Haunted Palace was one of these Lovecraftian tales(guised under a Poe title) and this film was another(based on Lovecraft's wonderful tale 'The Colour Out of Space'). In this film we have a young American looking for the Witley house outside the town of Arkham in England. He is greeted with fear and no one helps him at all. Eventually he finds the house to meet the young lady of the house with whom he went to school with in America. Trouble abounds; however, as the father of the house does not want him there, a patch of woods nearby is dead and will not support any kind of life at all, the mother of the house looks like she has something akin to leprosy, and bear traps encircle the molding and decaying ancestral home of the Witleys. While there, a dark secret is unleashed dealing with some strange connections with necromancy(or something like it) and a huge projectile from space. Well, this movie directed by Daniel Haller has some unfortunate flaws that prohibit it from becoming anything more than a second-rate horror film and a less than satisfying AIP film. The direction suffers from some stagnation and lack of creativity, the writing from logic, and the acting from the likes of an annoying Nick Adams and an unbelievable Suzan Farmer as the daughter. Boris Karloff, wheelchair bound throughout the film and in his eighties, does indeed add some life to this otherwise pedestrian offering. Karloff still could act! Not much else to look for in the cast with Freda Jackson in nice but small role and the ever-wonderful Patrick Magee in a throwaway role as a town doctor. Adams has virtually no depth and walked stiltlessly in every scene. Farmer was much worse as here she is living in a house with all these terrible problems and she goes about business as if nothing is wrong. Why? The story is not overly faithful to the Lovecraft tale and ultimately leaves too many unanswered questions,or vague, unbelievable answers, at film's close. I think a little more could have been achieved with the talents involved
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