DIE, MONSTER, DIE! [SECOND LOOK]

Boris Karloff

DIE, MONSTER, DIE! (aka Monster of Terror/1965). Director: Daniel Haller.

Stephen Reinhardt (Nick Adams) comes to the town of Arkham to see his fiancee, Susan Witley (Suzan Farmer), and discovers that she and her parents, who live on a large, foreboding estate, are shunned by the unfriendly townspeople.  Nahum Witley (Boris Karloff) rolls around in a wheelchair scowling, even though he is capable of walking. His wife, Letitia (Freda Jackson) stays in bed where she hides her face and urges Stephen to take her daughter by the hand and get her the hell out of there ... Did, Monster, Die! is the first adaptation of H. P. Lovecraft's masterful novella The Colour Out of Space, and they essentially make a mess of it. The story has been transplanted from a New England farmhouse, and all that really remains is the meteor that fell to Earth and turned the heath into a no-man's land while simultaneously mutating plants, animals and people, including most of the Witley family. The special effects are uneven, the widescreen cinematography [Paul Beeson] is good, and Karloff gives his customary solid performance in material that is beneath him. Adams [Pillow Talk] plays it in such a gruff manner that you expect him to come out with "dese" and "dem" any minute, and Farmer [Dracula Prince of Darkness] , who was introduced in the picture even though she had many earlier credits, makes little impression. Director Haller, who was originally an art director, handles a few scenes with some suspense and excitement, but the picture on a whole is kind of shoddy and unconvincing. There is a glowing greenhouse, some peculiar-looking animals in cages, and a killer plant that tries to squeeze Susan to death. Later adaptations of the story include The Curse and The Colour Out of Space.

NOTE: I have already reviewed this film once on Great Old Movies, but watched it again after re-reading the Lovecraft story that inspired it; I didn't like the film any better. The original review is here.

Verdict: Lovecraft deserves much better. **.