"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"...
Review of Die, Monster, Die!
Die, Monster, Die!
(1965)
A Solid Little AIP Chiller, Although A Rather Loose H.P. Adaptation
14 December 2007