DIE!
DIE! MY DARLING! ($25) is one in the series of gothic horror
melodramas starring "over the hill" leading ladies, which came
into vogue during mid-1960s, with such films as WHATEVER HAPPENED TO
BABY JANE and HUSH… HUSH, SWEET CHARLOTTE. However, what
makes this particular outing unique is the fact that DIE! DIE! MY
DARLING! was produced by in England by Hammer and features a slightly
tongue-in-cheek screenplay by Richard Matheson (who was responsible for
some of the best AIP horror outings). The screenplay has a definite cat
and mouse psychological quality, plus Matheson has littered it with enough
excesses that make it virtually impossible for audiences to take the
proceedings too seriously.
DIE!
DIE! MY DARLING! stars a wonderfully over-the-top Tallulah Bankhead as
Mrs. Trefoile, who receives a visit from her deceased son’s former
fiancée Pat Carroll (Stefanie Powers). Upon her arrival in Mrs. Trefoile’s
home, Pat is at first bemused by her hostesses "holier than
thou" attitude, but quickly becomes horrified by the elderly woman’s
devotion to her departed son and religious fanaticism, which has left her
mentally unhinged. Soon Pat finds herself a prisoner in Mrs. Trefoile’s
home and fighting for her life against the madwoman’s desire to purify
her, so she can be reunited with her virginal son in the afterlife. The
cast of DIE! DIE! MY DARLING! also includes Peter Vaughan, Maurice
Kaufmann, Yootha Joyce and Donald Sutherland, who definitely isn’t in
one of his more memorable roles.
Columbia
TriStar Home Entertainment has made DIE! DIE! MY DARLING! available
on DVD in a 1.85:1 wide screen presentation that has been enhanced for
playback on 16:9 displays. Considering the film’s age, and the fact DIE!
DIE! MY DARLING! has not undergone any form of extensive restoration,
the transfer looks pretty terrific. The image is fairly sharp and the
level of detail is good for a modestly budgeted film from 1965. Colors
generally offer nice saturation; although there are a few spots that do
appear a bit drab. There are no signs of chroma noise or smearing,
although flesh tones tend to have the uniformity best associated with a
makeup man’s kit. Blacks appear reasonably accurate and shadow detail is
decent during the day for night sequences. The film element used for the
transfer does exhibit a few blemishes, but nothing too bothersome. Digital
compression artifacts tend to be very well camouflaged.
DIE!
DIE! MY DARLING! comes with a respectable sounding Dolby Digital
monaural soundtrack. As one has to expect from nearly forty-year-old
recordings, the fidelity isn’t particularly outstanding. The musical
score has a playful quality that makes it worth amplifying, but it sounds
a bit reedy, without any significant top or bottom end. Sound effects are
a bit hollow sounding, especially gunshots, which lack the kind of oomph
that make them particularly intimidating. Dialogue is always intelligible
and Ms. Bankhead’s unmistakable voice never loses any of its distinct
throaty character. No other language tracks are encoded onto the DVD,
although English subtitles are provided. The basic interactive menus allow
one access to the standard scene selection and set up features, as well as
bonus trailers for the William Castle films HOMICIDAL and MR.
SARDONICUS, plus a TV spot for STRAIT-JACKET.
DIE!
DIE! MY DARLING! is a gothic horror melodrama with a definite campy
bent, thanks to Tallulah Bankhead’s over-the-top portrayal. Columbia has
done a good job with the DVD, offering a good-looking presentation that is
certain to keep fans happy. Following on the heels of DIE! DIE! MY
DARLING!, let’s hope that Columbia will continue to release other
Hammer titles in their catalog starting with THE GORGON.
DIE!
DIE! MY DARLING! ($25) is one in the series of gothic horror
melodramas starring "over the hill" leading ladies, which came
into vogue during mid-1960s, with such films as WHATEVER HAPPENED TO
BABY JANE and HUSH… HUSH, SWEET CHARLOTTE. However, what
makes this particular outing unique is the fact that DIE! DIE! MY
DARLING! was produced by in England by Hammer and features a slightly
tongue-in-cheek screenplay by Richard Matheson (who was responsible for
some of the best AIP horror outings). The screenplay has a definite cat
and mouse psychological quality, plus Matheson has littered it with enough
excesses that make it virtually impossible for audiences to take the
proceedings too seriously.
DIE!
DIE! MY DARLING! stars a wonderfully over-the-top Tallulah Bankhead as
Mrs. Trefoile, who receives a visit from her deceased son’s former
fiancée Pat Carroll (Stefanie Powers). Upon her arrival in Mrs. Trefoile’s
home, Pat is at first bemused by her hostesses "holier than
thou" attitude, but quickly becomes horrified by the elderly woman’s
devotion to her departed son and religious fanaticism, which has left her
mentally unhinged. Soon Pat finds herself a prisoner in Mrs. Trefoile’s
home and fighting for her life against the madwoman’s desire to purify
her, so she can be reunited with her virginal son in the afterlife. The
cast of DIE! DIE! MY DARLING! also includes Peter Vaughan, Maurice
Kaufmann, Yootha Joyce and Donald Sutherland, who definitely isn’t in
one of his more memorable roles.
Columbia
TriStar Home Entertainment has made DIE! DIE! MY DARLING! available
on DVD in a 1.85:1 wide screen presentation that has been enhanced for
playback on 16:9 displays. Considering the film’s age, and the fact DIE!
DIE! MY DARLING! has not undergone any form of extensive restoration,
the transfer looks pretty terrific. The image is fairly sharp and the
level of detail is good for a modestly budgeted film from 1965. Colors
generally offer nice saturation; although there are a few spots that do
appear a bit drab. There are no signs of chroma noise or smearing,
although flesh tones tend to have the uniformity best associated with a
makeup man’s kit. Blacks appear reasonably accurate and shadow detail is
decent during the day for night sequences. The film element used for the
transfer does exhibit a few blemishes, but nothing too bothersome. Digital
compression artifacts tend to be very well camouflaged.
DIE!
DIE! MY DARLING! comes with a respectable sounding Dolby Digital
monaural soundtrack. As one has to expect from nearly forty-year-old
recordings, the fidelity isn’t particularly outstanding. The musical
score has a playful quality that makes it worth amplifying, but it sounds
a bit reedy, without any significant top or bottom end. Sound effects are
a bit hollow sounding, especially gunshots, which lack the kind of oomph
that make them particularly intimidating. Dialogue is always intelligible
and Ms. Bankhead’s unmistakable voice never loses any of its distinct
throaty character. No other language tracks are encoded onto the DVD,
although English subtitles are provided. The basic interactive menus allow
one access to the standard scene selection and set up features, as well as
bonus trailers for the William Castle films HOMICIDAL and MR.
SARDONICUS, plus a TV spot for STRAIT-JACKET.
DIE!
DIE! MY DARLING! is a gothic horror melodrama with a definite campy
bent, thanks to Tallulah Bankhead’s over-the-top portrayal. Columbia has
done a good job with the DVD, offering a good-looking presentation that is
certain to keep fans happy. Following on the heels of DIE! DIE! MY
DARLING!, let’s hope that Columbia will continue to release other
Hammer titles in their catalog starting with THE GORGON.
