Fanatic (1965)

Fun premise, good actors, bad writing. This film seemed to have potential at the beginning but it quickly devolves into a trite action film. Ultimately it's very boring.

It's easily one of the freshest, sharpest and most enjoyable films of this year.

It’s fine. It's literally the definition of a fine movie. You’ve seen it before, you know every beat and outcome before the characters even do. Only question is how much escapism you’re looking for.

Very good movie overall, highly recommended. Most of the negative reviews don't have any merit and are all pollitically based. Give this movie a chance at least, and it might give you a different perspective.

After Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho (1960) made cinematic waves and raked in the profits as a result, studios were eager to deliver their own take on mad-man horror cinema. Hammer's unique brand of British Gothic and literary monsters was begin to wobble as audience's tastes moved on as a result of the leaps and bounds being made in the genre in Europe and the U.S.. Robert Aldrich's What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? (1962) made a success out of bringing a once- Hollywood great, Bette Davis, out of a forced early retirement and turning her into a screen psychopath. Hammer pinched Davis for themselves in The Nanny (1965), and repeated the trick again the same year with Tallulah Bankhead in Die! Die! My Darling!, or to give it its blander, more widely-used alternative title, Fanatic.American Patricia Carroll (Stefanie Powers) arrives in London to marry her handsome beau Alan (Maurice Kaufmann). After admitting that she has been exchanging letters with the mother of her former, now-dead fiancé, she heads off on her own to pay a visit to her would-be mother-in- law when Alan disapproves. Patricia believes that she is doing a nice thing. and the old lady Mrs. Trefoile (Bankhead) seems harmless enough at first, if a little nutty. She is being guilt-tripped into staying the night, and ends up staying much longer than she had planned, as the true extent of Mrs. Trefoile's religious zealotry reveals itself. There are no mirrors in the house as vanity is a sin, lip-stick and red clothing are banned, and the food consists of unrecognisable slop. Just as Patricia is about to leave, she lets slip of her intention to re-marry, causing Mrs. Trefoile to lock the poor young lady away until she learns the evil of her ways.It may not be the most memorable entry into the fleeting 'psycho- biddy' fad, but Die! Die! My Darling! has its fair share of moments courtesy of a tight and witty script by Richard Matheson, and a fiery performance by Bankhead, in what turned out to be her final appearance (she died the following year). Powers cuts a likable but frustrating lead, as she fails time and time again to make any real attempts to escape outside of making the occasional feeble struggle. Any in the audience used to the hardened, capable heroines we tend to get nowadays will no doubt be shouting at the screen. There's a terrific supporting cast, which includes husband-and-wife servants Harry (Peter Vaughan) and Anna (Yootha Joyce), and a young Donald Sutherland as the simple-minded Joseph. You may not have the desire to see it more than once in your lifetime, but it makes for a cosy Saturday afternoon B-movie.

Silvio Narizzano died recently. I had actually never heard of him until I saw "Die! Die! My Darling!" (also called "Fanatic"). An OK story of a young woman (Stefanie Powers) held hostage by the mother (Talullah Bankhead) of her late boyfriend, it mainly caught my eye because it stars a young Donald Sutherland as the gardener. Bankhead really chews the scenery as the maniacally religious matriarch.This was by no means the best movie released by Hammer Films. Indeed, in 1965, Sutherland co-starred in another Hammer movie that I liked better: "Dr. Terror's House of Horrors". Even though this movie is nothing special, it's pretty entertaining for the brief period that it runs.Also starring Peter Vaughn (Uncle Alfie in "Death at a Funeral"), Yootha Joyce and Maurice Kaufmann.

Before she marries her handsome fiancé (and becomes "The Girl from U.N.C.L.E."), pretty Stefanie Powers (as Patricia "Pat" Carroll) decides to visit Tallulah Bankhead (as Mrs. Trefoile), the eccentric mother of an ex-lover who killed himself some years earlier. Since the death of her son "Stephen", Ms. Bankhead has been in prayerful mourning. At first, she seems simply overly gracious; but, rest assured, Bankhead's religious fanaticism is guaranteed to raise hell for Ms. Powers. Delusional, Bankhead believes "Stephen" died a virgin, and believes Powers should join him after a lifetime of virginity. Powers isn't interested.Luridly but beautifully re-titled "Die! Die! My Darling!" for American consumption, seeing this film listed in your "TV Guide" was the biggest thrill outside of "Whatever Happened to Baby Jane?" It only had one aging ungracefully movie star, but adds a pretty woman in peril. Bankhead did relatively few movies, and even fewer as she grew older. You really couldn't be sure she'd show up, and be sober enough to perform, so each Bankhead appearance is a thankful treasure. Of course, Powers misses many opportunities to escape - but, take Tallulah Bankhead's incredible staying powers into consideration. She's captivating.******* Fanatic (3/21/65) Silvio Narizzano ~ Tallulah Bankhead, Stefanie Powers, Donald Sutherland, Yootha Joyce

Although Tallulah Bankhead did a whole lot of very serious acting on stage and less so in film sad to say, she did love to caricature herself so to speak. The best role that woman ever had was as Tallulah. So I suppose it's fitting that her farewell performance be one over the top full blown Tallulah for Hammer Films in the UK.Bankhead and Stefanie Powers are the only Americans in this Hammer film that has no unearthly creatures or devil's spawn as villains. The only villains are quite human and a bit balmy as they say across the pond.Stefanie Powers who was engaged to Tallulah Bankhead's son when he died decides to pay a condolence and courtesy call on mother while over in Great Britain with her new fiancé Maurice Kaufman. She'll join him in London in a day or two. But Tallulah has way different plans for Stefanie. Bankhead's a religious fanatic and she wants to keep Powers as a permanent house guest and convert her to her rather narrow point of view, especially about sex. Her household staff consists of a pair of husband and wife crooks, Peter Vaughn and Yootha Joyce, and a mentally retarded Donald Sutherland. Powers isn't going to get any help from this bunch, she's got to rely on her own wits to survive and hope her new fiancé comes to get her.Fanatic is done slyly tongue in cheek. And for those of you who like Tallulah unfettered by any direction, Fanatic is your kind of movie. She was ill while making it, but she looks like she's enjoying herself immensely. The rest of the cast looks in awe of her.