Die, Monster, Die! (1965) User Reviews

A SOLID GOTHIC HORROR FILM

[KatMiss · 7/10 · 24 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

A Good Sci-Fi Horror Movie

[claudio_carvalho · 7/10 · 27 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")

Boris gives us his all

[evilskip · 6/10 · 6 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.

OK attempt to get Lovecraft on the screen

[preppy-3 · 7/10 · 25 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.

Die, Monster, Die! (1965) **1/2

[JoeKarlosi · 6/10 · 18 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 ****

Creaky Lovecraftian fun

[paulnewman2001 · 5/10 · 6 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).

Mutants in the Petunias

[davidcarniglia · 6/10 · 23 June 2018]

A very watchable mash-up of sci-fi and horror. That spaceage bugaboo, radiation, gets tossed in rather artfully via a meteorite in Karloff's backyard. The suspension of disbelief is cloaked in both supernatural garb, as Karloff's Whitley initially assumes that the stuff was sent from 'the other side', and the pseudo-science of the Whitley clan's 'research.'

Die, Monster, Die! is a sort of updated Frankenstein. Karloff, as Dr. Frankenstein, messes with the forbidden fruits of science, to produce, in this case, not just one monster, but enough for the insect, animal, and (sort-of) human worlds as well. Some of the grotesque combinations are hideous; I agree with those who point out that the special effects are well done. The snail-like thing in the potting shed is completely creepy; the mutated Karloff, with the green glow and mummy-like face, works as both demon and alien.

The sets also work well. The house itself, in good gothic fashion, functions as a major character. The dungeon/laboratory is especially haunting; with those expressionist murals on the walls that seem to writhe in the quivering candlelight. Looks a lot like the sets from The Pit and the Pendulum. I'm also reminded of Invasion of the Body Snatchers, with its exotic stuff in the greenhouse also growing nasty things.

As entertaining as Die, Monster, Die! is, I just find too many holes to rate the movie higher. You could practically ditch Nick Adams' character completely; he doesn't really add anything, except to act as Susan's savior. Even Susan's extraneous. Why does she seem clueless about what's going on in the house? She lives there after all. Except for the scenes with her mother that establish her identity, she may as well be an outsider. The plot would work better if we had the story from Karloff's point of view.

Then we could concentrate on the various mutants/monsters. As it is, they seem to just show up randomly to spook Stephen and/or Susan. We never get to see Karloff using the green stone thingie for his malicious 'experiments.' It is cool that the green stuff mutates him as he destroys it. Sort of a 'sins of the fathers' curse from beyond, or beyond space.

An ambitious film, let down somewhat by non-mutant characters who act witless, and a series of incidents thrown together (mutated?) into a plot. Still plenty of fun. 6/10.

The first half of the film is very good--the last half ruin it.

[planktonrules · 4/10 · 28 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.

Average AIP nonsense.

[david-697 · 24 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.

A Solid Little AIP Chiller, Although A Rather Loose H.P. Adaptation

[ferbs54 · 7/10 · 14 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"...

Flat chiller for fans only

[djensen1 · 4/10 · 31 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.

Fun and nostalgia with Boris!

[Coventry · 8/10 · 2 March 2005]

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.

" I had hope this element would have ushered in a new beginning for man "

[thinker1691 · 7/10 · 25 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. ****

"It looks like a zoo in hell!"

[classicsoncall · 5/10 · 27 October 2009]

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.

Fun but with a lot of flaws

[TheLittleSongbird · 6/10 · 12 September 2013]

A film based off the work of HP Lovecraft and starring Boris Karloff showed promise already, even before watching. Die, Monster, Die! doesn't quite live up to that, but despite having a lot of problems it is still a fun and decent film. Apart from Boris Karloff and to a lesser extent the lovely Suzan Farmer, the acting is clunky with Nick Adams in particular looking as if he's sleepwalking through everything. The special effects and make-up are cheap and look more silly than scary, while the script can get muddled, the pacing is a little pedestrian at times and the ending is rushed and somewhat hard to swallow. Aside from the special effects, Die, Monster, Die! is still a good-looking film, the Gothic sets are both atmospheric and handsome and it's very beautifully photographed. The lighting adds to the mood, and the costumes likewise. The music score is appropriately haunting without bogging things down, and the atmosphere and resolutely creepy and chilling. Daniel Haller's generally solid direction is to thank for that, and the story is fun and atmospheric, if let down by the last half-hour or so where things get too silly. Karloff is wonderful, one of those actors who was nearly always able to redeem a film regardless of their quality(he's the best thing about those god-awful Mexican films that he made at the end of his career), even when he's in a wheel-chair he still shows a great deal of energy and charisma. Farmer is lovely and not too bland. Overall, flawed but fun and creepy, and even if he's been and done better Karloff does not disappoint. 6/10 Bethany Cox

Will anyone ever do Lovecraft right?

[GregO-2 · 14 May 2000]

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)

A good slice of low budget Gothic

[The_Void · 7/10 · 14 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!

The (misleading) title is better than the movie

[gridoon · 5/10 · 4 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. (**)

"Die, Monster, Die!" Provides 1950's Sci-Fi and Haunted House Thrills

[ersinkdotcom · 7/10 · 30 January 2014]

I do love the old American International Pictures films from the 1960s. Many of them were directed by Roger Corman, starred Vincent Price, and were based on Edgar Allan Poe and H.P. Lovecraft stories. What did AIP do when they couldn't rely on Corman or Price to head up one of these moneymaking projects? They replaced them with other reliable talent like Boris Karloff and Set Designer / first time Director Daniel Haller.

The outcome of this pairing was 1965's strange mix of sci-fi paranoia and classic haunted house themes entitled "Die, Monster, Die!" Imagine a 1950's space invader film like "The Quartermass Xperiment" and "The Thing" colliding with the setting of "The Haunted Palace."

An American scientist (Nick Adams) is summoned to the secluded estate of his fiancée (Suzan Farmer). Her home sits on the edge of a crater in the center of a countryside devastated by what appears to be fire. Upon arriving, he is met by the woman's embittered and secretive father (Boris Karloff). After he's urged by his girlfriend's sickly mother (Freda Jackson) to take her as far away as possible, he begins investigating the mysteries surrounding the old house and its devastated grounds.

"Die, Monster, Die!" is not rated. There are some rather graphic and gory death scenes which would merit a PG rating now. They're not going to freak out anyone who's used to the realistic effects of today. However, they quite possibly could frighten children.

Although not directly related to the storyline, I found "Die, Monster, Die's" use of Biblical and religious elements fascinating. The mother talks quite openly about the sins of the father coming down on the son. She also states that one can be a man of strong faith and lose it only to become a tool of the Devil.

In hindsight, "Die, Monster, Die!" is a unique little film that isn't what it appears to be from the get-go. Screenwriter Jerry Sohl and Director Haller did their best to lead audiences in one direction before banging them over the head in the climax of the movie with a twist on the haunted house genre. It suffers a little from pacing, but one could almost explain that away to the era it was made in. People didn't demand such quick delivery in the 1960s and 1970s.

Harsh Title!

[AaronCapenBanner · 5/10 · 4 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.

Trip to Gothica

[Tweetienator · 6/10 · 2 November 2020]

Die, Monster, Die! aka Monster of Terror is a loosely adaptation of H.P. Lovecraft's story The Colour Out of Space. In my opinion, the real star in this movie is the house and its interiors, besides that we get some nice Hammer movies feel (those colors!) and last but not least maestro Boris Karloff himself. Not outstanding but a nice nostalgic trip back in time.

story of an evil house includes two cast members from "A Clockwork Orange"

[lee_eisenberg · 5/10 · 12 May 2012]

Daniel Haller had been Roger Corman's art director before making his directorial debut with "Die, Monster, Die!". It's the typical hokum that you can expect of the genre, with Boris Karloff as the patriarch in an English estate hiding a deadly secret. One particularly ridiculous scene is when Nick Adams's character says of himself and his fiancée "We were in science class together," since no one calls it science class in college. Yep, it's one of the many absurd but enjoyable horror flicks from the '60s, this time based on an H.P. Lovecraft story. Not any kind of masterpiece, but still fun. Suzan Farmer is a real fox!

Am I the only one who thinks that Nick Adams's character looks like Tintin?

PS: the cast members from "A Clockwork Orange" are Patrick Magee (Dr. Henderson here, Mr. Alexander in the latter) and Paul Farrell (Jason here, the homeless man in the latter).

A pleasingly moody 60's Gothic horror chiller

[Woodyanders · 8/10 · 14 October 2009]

Hot-headed American Stephen Reinhart (a fine performance by Nick Adams) goes to a remote house located in rural England to visit his sweet fiancé Susan Witley (winningly played by the adorable Suzan Farmer). Susan's cranky, crippled reclusive scientist father Nahum Witley (a splendid portrayal by the great Boris Karloff) demands that Stephen leave right away. Stephen decides to stay and finds out that Nahum has discovered a glowing radioactive meteor which causes plants to grow to enormous size and people to mutate into hideously misshapen beasts. Director Daniel Haller, working from a compelling script by Jerry Sohl that's based on H.P. Lovecraft's classic short story "The Colour Out of Space," relates the story at a slow, yet steady pace, does an expert job of creating and sustaining a supremely creepy and mysterious atmosphere which becomes more increasingly eerie and gloomy as the narrative unfolds towards its lively and exciting fiery conclusion, and delivers a wealth of stunning visuals (Haller's use of pervasive sinister mist is especially inspired and effective). Kudos are also in order for the sound acting from the tip-top cast: Karloff and Adams are both excellent in the lead roles, Freda Jackson likewise excels as Nahum's ailing wife Letitia, and Patrick Magee has a regrettably small, yet nifty minor part as bitter retired physician Dr. Henderson. Paul Beeson's sumptuous widescreen cinematography boasts richly saturated color and lots of evocatively uncanny shots of the dismal fog-shrouded countryside. Don Banks' shivery score hits the shuddery spot. The mutant beings are genuinely scary and grotesque. But it's this film's strong sense of pure skin-crawling dread and despair which makes this picture so spooky and unsettling. Well worth seeing.

Campy fun from this era of horror

[jmbovan-47-160173 · 6/10 · 1 May 2022]

Chilling thriller storyline builds to campy conclusion. Fun trope filled film that let's you know exactly when to be scared (and laugh). Good fun Saturday afternoon flick.