Die, Monster, Die!

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).

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")

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.

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.

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.