It's hard to see any effort in the film. There's no comedy to speak of, no real drama and, worst of all.

The acting is good, and the firecracker script has some excellent ideas.

One of the best movies of the year! Incredible from the beginning to the end.

The story, direction, characters, and writing/dialogue is akin to taking a tranquilizer shot to the neck, but everything else was so well done.

Stefanie Powers of later 'Hart to Hart' fame co-stars here as Patricia Carroll, whose previous husband had perished in a traffic accident. Now involved with a man named Alan Glentower (Maurice Kaufmann), she goes to visit her late husbands' mother, Mrs. Trefoile (Tallulah Bankhead, in her last on-screen feature film role). She thinks that the visit will be brief, but the crazed old lady is a strict religious fanatic devoted to her routines, and she keeps Pat prisoner, convinced that the girls' wanton ways led her husband astray, and that she needs to save both their souls.Directed by Silvio Narizzano, this Hammer production seems to promise more entertainment than its alternate title "Die! Die! My Darling!" might have one think. Scripted by Richard Matheson, from the novel by Anne Blaisdell, it's a decent story & film but not a great one, at least if one has seen stories (or characters like Mrs. Trefoile) before. It does have one curious, because if one is not familiar with the material, it may have them wondering where it's going to go, or what plot twists might be revealed. Ultimately, however, it sets off no real fireworks.The main asset is a quintet of solid performances. Powers is good as a fairly tough cookie who's not about to feel guilty for the way she lives her life. The wonderfully named Yootha Joyce is compelling as the housekeeper Anna, and the great English character actor Peter Vaughan is amusing as the leery-eyed Harry. "Fanatic" is also noteworthy for offering an okay showcase to a young Donald Sutherland, as the mentally impaired houseboy Joseph. But the real reason to watch this one is to see another great example of a veteran actress making the most of a meaty role in a genre film, as people saw so often during this era. Ms. Bankhead does seem determined to go out in a blaze of glory, tearing down the scenery and then putting it back up just so she can tear it down again.Hammer delivers mild doses of sex appeal (with a lot of opportunities to admire Powers' gorgeous gams) and a little bit of gore, which had always given them an edge when they did their Gothic horrors.Other than Bankhead, there's nothing truly special here, but fans of her and Hammer will still want to give it a look.Seven out of 10.

The basic plot of "Fanatic" (a.k.a. "Die! Die! My Darling!") - a person being held captive in a mansion by some kind of fanatic - probably wasn't even new back in 1965. I've certainly seen plenty of newer versions of this plot. But I didn't mind seeing this plot again in this film, because in this case it is professionally made. The script is well written, with no character coming across as especially stupid (well, except for Donald Sutherland's character, but you know what I mean.) And the cast compliments the well written characters; Tallulah Bankhead is creepy and comes across as a believable threat, Stefanie Powers shows determination and smarts, and Peter Vaughan is a real creep. Although you can guess what eventually happens, it's a credit to Silvio Narizzano's direction that keeps things lively and suspenseful, with no dead spots. The only flaw with the movie is the odd pale makeup put on Sutherland - what's up with that?

Welcome to the Tallulah universe! What a force, what presence, what skill! Right now I can't think of any other actor that has captivated me more than Ms. Bankhead. And I can say that about practically every film she has made. She so completely dominates the screen there is precious little space for anyone else.Now a few words about the film. Other than the at times silly soundtrack there's not much to fault here. It's a solid thriller with its share of surprises and gotcha moments. All the elements are tied together very well. For instance we learn why the caretaker couple, Harry and Anna, stay with their obviously deranged employer (the inheritance). I particularly liked Mrs. Trefoile's retort when Pat offered Anna tons of money to let her go. It's precious, so precious I won't give it away here.This is my third viewing and I must admit to having new-found respect for Stefanie Powers. She more than ably acquitted herself in the face of that on-screen hurricane that is Tallulah Bankhead. Perhaps she was inspired in the presence of excellence.

Die Die My Darling is one of the lesser known Hammer thrillers; and it's also a rather good one. The film does have numerous problems and it's far from being a masterpiece; but it's entertaining enough and features a great leading performance from the great Tallulah Bankhead in a role that is about as far away from her real life hellraising persona as you can get! The film's alternative title is 'Fanatic' and while much less catchy than 'Die Die My Darling', is actually a more apt title and this is another film that focuses on an insane religious fanatic. The film focuses on a young woman who goes to visit the mother of her fiancée; who tragically died in a car accident. It soon becomes apparent that the mother, a woman by the name of Mrs. Trefoile, is a devout Catholic who disapproves of just about everything except God and the church etc. It soon starts to become apparent that the aging woman has a screw loose; and when she discovers that the young lady was never going to actually marry her son, she becomes angry and imprisons her in the house...There's only so much that can really be done with a plot like this; but the film does hit all the right notes. It's at least interesting throughout, and the two central characters are fleshed out well enough to help the plot along. Tallulah Bankhead does manage to be completely believable in her role and she makes a great villain! Stefanie Powers acts in her shadow, but the young actress does well and provides a likable protagonist for the audience to get behind. The main idea in the film is the idea of someone letting their beliefs lead to extreme actions, and Tallulah Bankhead ensures that her character is believable in the way that happens. There's plenty going on in the film and while there are a few plot holes; we are at least always reminded why the protagonist has found herself in the compromising position that she is in. It's not hard to guess where the film is going and there are no big surprises at the end; but it's an entertaining enough ride getting there and Die Die My Darling is a Hammer film that is well worth a look.