What a combo! Boris Karloff and HP Lovecraft. Why not? A creepy old mansion secreted deep in the foggy moors! Tentacled creatures caged in the greenhouse! Disfigured beings terrorizing the beautiful! Then the mysterious mad scientist pulling all the strings and fooling around with nature in such a way that only the horrific can be the result. Our feature today, from 1965 is "Die, Monster, Die!" This one is directed by Daniel Haller.
An American, Stephen (Nick Adams) arrives in Arkham, in England. When the townspeople find out he is headed to the Witley mansion, deep into the moors, they avoid him. Now Stephen has to trek on foot to see the woman he loves, the nubile and big...ah, well she has a big smile, Susan (Suzan Farmer). He wants to marry her and the woman of the house, Letitia Witley (Freda Jackson) has sent for him. On the stroll there, Nick notices a huge crater and every form of vegetation had burnt to a crisp. Once at the mansion, wheelchair bound Noham Witley (Karloff) meets him and orders him to leave. Well, Susan's great big... smile, helps Stephen decide to stay. Mistake. Now it is apparent that Nahum wants to keep the secrets of the mansion secret. This won't be easy. Stephen pays tribute to Letitia, who is bedridden and hidden behind a veiled curtain. Letitia begs Stephen to take Susan away.
Nahum tends to his laboratory/dungeon/cellar, where there is a big glowing green rock...pulsating. Meanwhile, all of the Witley servants either melt, burn to a crisp, go homicidally insane, or disfigure. A scientist, Stephen postulates uranium and radiation poisoning. Nahum postulates a gift from God. Now Susan and Stephen investigate the greenhouse when it begins glowing green. After Susan is nearly engulfed by a plant, a zoo from Hell is spotted, and now Susan and Stephen flee with a good idea of what is exactly going on at this estate. Nahum? He retreats to the basement and faces the horrors which have been created. Final showdowns and more revelations await.
Just what is causing the grotesque horror at the Witley estate? Can Stephen save Susan from disfigurement, spontaneous combustion, and insanity? Will the creatures in the "Zoo from Hell" get loose and begin stalking the non-mutated? These questions are ones we can all apply in our daily lives, as HP Lovecraft is becoming more and more relatable to modern audiences. For a good one, during this Halloween season, see Boris Karloff in "Die, Monster, Die!"
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