Die, Monster, Die!

Loosely based around H.P. Lovecraft's 'The Colour Out Of Space', 'Die, Monster, Die!' finds American 'Stephen Reinhart' (Nick Adams - 'Rebel Without a Cause', 'Invasion of Astro-Monster') called to the home of his fiance, 'Susan' (Suzan Farmer - 'Dracula: Prince of Darkness'), in the village of Arkham, where, shunned by all the villagers, yokels and doctors alike, her father 'Nahum' (Boris Karloff) is conducting experiments using a meteor that has landed in the grounds.  Unortunately Nahum's experiments are having catastrophic effects mutating plants, animals and, inevitably, people.

The film is a bit of a mish mash of Hammer horror gothic pretentions - the faded grandeur of Hammer's own Oakley Court, mist wreathed graveyards and skeletons hanging from chains in cobwebby cellars - with Lovecraftian science fiction but Karloff is a reliable figure around which the story revolves, his deluded experiments as he attempts to revive the family's fortunes and banish memories of his diabolic father providing a sympathetic - if underdeveloped - core but Adams' brash personality - and ill fitting clothes - make him an unlikable lead, especially when cold-cocking Susan's mutated mother (Freda Jackson - 'The Brides of Dracula') with a candelabra.  

It is however a fairly pacey romp that never really takes a breath and is often quite pretty to look at and, provided you don't think too hard about the plot, makes for a fun, and all too rare, Lovecraft adaptation.

..........................................................................................

If you enjoy what we do here on Wyrd Britain and would like to help us continue then we would very much welcome a donation towards keeping the blog going - paypal.me/wyrdbritain

Affiliate links are provided for your convenience and to help mitigate running costs.

Curse of the Crimson Altar

Investigating the disappearance of his brother, Peter, antiques dealer Robert Manning (Mark Eden) travels to Craxted Lodge in the town of Greymarsh Peter's last known whereabouts and coincidentally the town their family had previously called home back in ye olde days.  Upon arrival he makes the acquaintance of the master of the house Morley (Christopher Lee) and his niece Eve (Virginia Wetherell) - who has a seeming penchant for throwing bacchanalian parties before dinner has even been served - and learns of their ancestor Lavinia (a body-painted and horned headdress adorned Barbara Steele) who had been burned at the stake as a witch - no prizes for guessing whose family had lit the fire - and local historian Professor John Marsh (Boris Karloff)

Lee is as effortlessly suave as ever but is essentially phoning in a part that he could play in his sleep and Eden, who had a long career including several roles in Wyrd Britain friendly TV shows but who is most well remembered in this country for his villainous stint in the soap opera Coronation Street (there's even a real world plaque marking the spot where his character died), just isn't lead material.  Steele has essentially nothing to do beyond wearing that amazing looking costume and a very frail Karloff, just a year on from his late career highlight in Michael Reeves' 'The Sorcerers') and in one of his final roles gives a typically solid performance and there's even a quick, amusing and surprisingly meta joke at his expense.

Made by Tigon British Film Productions ('The Blood on Satan's Claw' & 'Witchfinder General'), directed by Vernon Sewell ('The Blood Beast Terror') from a script by Doctor Who alumni Mervyn Haisman and Henry Lincoln ('The Abominable Snowmen', 'The Web of Fear' & 'The Dominators') based loosely on H.P. Lovercraft's 'The Dreams in the Witch House' it's always going to be an enticing prospect but the end result is all a little flat and disjointed and Sewell never quite manages to inject the movie with any zest but it does have its charms.

Buy it here - UK / US.

..........................................................................................

If you enjoy what we do here on Wyrd Britain and would like to help us continue then we would very much welcome a donation towards keeping the blog going - paypal.me/wyrdbritain

Affiliate links are provided for your convenience and to help mitigate running costs.

The Sorcerers

Starring Boris Karloff, Catherine Lacey, Elizabeth Ercy and Ian Ogilvy 'The Sorcerers' is the story of disgraced hypnotist Dr Marcus Monserrat (Karloff) who, over a characteristically sad looking Wimpy hamburger, somehow convinces bored hipster Mike Roscoe (Ogilvy) to allow himself to be strapped into the machine he's invented. Said machine looks to be straight out of 'The Prisoner' (UK / US) and after some suitably psychedelic lighting effects and an electronic squall worthy of the Radiophonic greats it allows Monserrat and his wife Estelle (Lacey) to control Roscoe's mind and perceive everything he does.  It's not long though before the flood of emotions and experiences overwhelm Estelle and her darker nature comes to the fore.

Karloff is always a powerful presence and Ogilvy a reliable leading man but the movie belongs to Catherine Lacey's powerful performance as her addict's craving for new experiences degenerates into murderous madness.

Of the three movies director Michael Reeves made in his short career the third, 'The Witchfinder General' (UK / US), is undoubtedly his most widely celebrated but for me, as good as that movie is, it's this his second movie made the previous year, 1967, that's his best and shows just how good he was and would've been.

Buy it here - UK / US.



..........................................................................................

If you enjoy what we do here on Wyrd Britain and would like to help us continue then we would very much welcome a donation towards keeping the blog going - paypal.me/wyrdbritain

Affiliate links are provided for your convenience and to help mitigate running costs.