DIE
MONSTER DIE (1965)Director: Daniel Haller
MGM
DIE
MONSTER DIE (1965)American scientist Stephen Reinhart (Nick Adams) travels to England for a visit with his fiancée. Arriving in the small village of Arkham he is met with jeers from the local villagers who refuse to direct him to the Witley Estate which he seeks. Unable 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, Reinhart takes note of the dead trees, which turn to ashes at the slightest touch, and the dreary wasteland which surrounds the area. When nobody answers the door, Reinhart 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), and for the purpose of seeing their daughter Susan (Suzan Farmer).
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 illness, yet her husband refuses to take her to the town doctor. When Reinhart attempts to visit the physician (Patrick Magee) on his own, he is asked to leave immediately and is met with the same harsh indifference regarding the Witleys and their legend.
Back at the mansion, the Witley butler collapses and dies from sickness, and Reinhart witnesses Mr. Witley burying him on the grounds in secret. Gaining entry into a locked greenhouse, Reinhart is alarmed to find giant mutated vegetables and even abnormal creatures thriving on small chunks of what appears to be a meteorite. The radiation has been affecting all living things in the vacinity, and ultimately Mrs. Witley emerges as a mutated creature who attacks Stephen and Susan, only to expire and dissolve seconds later.
Having no more of these mysteries, Reinhart 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. It turns out to be old Witley himself who seeks to destroy the meteorite, unwisely grabbing an axe and attempting to drive it into the glowing rock, only contaminating himself in the process. He becomes a vicious, crystal-skinned monster that illuminates as he runs amuck throughout the castle, chasing after the hero. Boris Karloff's old Frankenstein monster snarl can be heard briefly as the mutation breaks down a door. The movie ends in flames, as Stephen and Susan manage to get away and go on with their life together.
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. 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.
MGM continues to satisfy fans by releasing these "Midnight Movies" on disc. This film is featured in its widescreen form, 16x9 enhanced. The colors are nice and the picture is fairly sharp and free of grain. The source material leaves a bit to be desired, with dirt and specks evident on occasion, but who can complain? The audio is good, with English and French options in mono. There are also French and Spanish subtitles provided.
A trailer is also included, but it doesn't have any lettering on it anywhere and there is no on-screen narration. (Joe Lozowsky)