The Skull
by Freddie Francis
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DVD details
Actor: Christopher Lee, Patrick Wymark, Peter CushingDirector: Freddie Francis
DVD: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Original Language)
Format: Anamorphic, Color, DVD-Video, NTSC, Widescreen
Picture Format: 2.35:1
Running Time: 83 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2008-06-03
Audience Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Studio: Legend Films
DVD Reviews of The Skull
DVD Review: The Skull.
Summary: 4 Stars
It's good to see that this long lost film from Amicus productions finally gets a decent dvd release. This classic British horror film from the 60's had its moments but was slightly inferior to the other great Amicus horror films that came out later during the years that followed. Whats great about this film though is it's fantastic storyline which was written by Robert Bloch and it's great cast with Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee at their best and a memorable role by Patrick Wymark as a sadistic and evil Judge in a dream sequence (watch the scene as he forces Peter Cushing's character to play Russian Roulette). The film was directed by Freddie Frances and he has such a visual flair adding a gothic look to the proceedings. Christopher Maitland (Peter Cushing excellent as usual) who is offered a skull and a fleshbound book originally belonging to none other than the Marquis de Sade for a mere ?500, at first he is skeptical of its provenance but finally agrees to buy it from Marco a shifty character (brilliantly played by Patrick Wymark) who previously stole the skull and book from Matthew Phillips (Christopher Lee) who had fallen under it's sinister spell in the past and was glad the skull and book had been stolen. Matthew tries to convince Christopher of its evil power and advises him to get rid of it as soon as possible, but Christopher being abit stubborn keeps the skull and begins to come unstuck, he also starts hallucinating and having bizarre dreams. All the performances were first rate but this is Peter Cushing's film, he is literally in every scene and gives a convincing performance of a man falling pray to evil.
I can't help thinking that this could have been a true classic if it had had a bigger budget, even though the premise of a possessed skull seemed kind of silly it still worked and was very entertaining. The new dvd doesn't have any special features, however it was shown in 2.35:1 Anamorphic Widescreen format and it looks great for its age. Colors are bright and vibrant while there are barely any signs of aging at all and the sound is in stereo while not particularly that good it still gets the job done, most of the dialogue can be heard cleanly with a few slight problems here and there, but nothing to get upset about. A good story presented here by some true horror legends that anyone should enjoy it's the type of film that doesn't need buckets of blood and gore or a psychotic maniac with a hockey mask walking around to make it entertaining or scary, Highly recommended and two thumbs up!.
DVD Review: A very good 70's British Horror flick
Summary: 4 Stars
Peter Cushing is at his clinically clean best as an ambitious and "do anything" collector of Historical Horror artifacts.
He finally lands on a horror collectors dream... the Skull of the "Marqui De Sade"
The Skull has a life force that kills at will and floats around in the midst a green fog like cloud. Once Cushings character obtains the skull all kinds of nasty horror stuff starts happening. The dream sequence is very well done. Chistopher Lee stars as the previous owner of the "Skull" who advises Peter Cushing to get rid of it at any cost.
An Amicus production. It's a very good 70's Britsh Horror Flick.
Excellent Remastering.
DVD Review: Very good movie
Summary: 5 Stars
Very good movie, with very good actors. I like this kind of films, with no effects like the modern ones, giving our mind time to act having a natural reaction infront the scary.DVD Review: Get Ahead
Summary: 4 Stars
For the life of me, I can never work out why 'the Skull' isn't better thought of across the horror world .
It's moody, it's got inclusively great performances and a kickin' soundtrack.
Cast-wise, it's nigh on untouchable; Peter Cushing plays Maitland, a fool-hardy collector of occult 'curio's' who comes to own the possessed skull of the Marquis de Sade, Patrick Wymark is brilliantly squalid as the shady antiques dealer, Marco, Christopher Lee and Peter Woodthorpe make telling cameo-appearances, and the deeply sexy (and good actress(!)) Jill Bennett plays Cushing's terrified wife, pushed to her limit by his obsession.
It's got Hammer-esque cemetery scenes, bulging-eyed insanity murders, a brilliantly trippy dream sequence where Cushing is forced to play Russian Roulette in a mad courthouse, and a devilish, grinning titular villain that floats around his front parlour very stylishly, even with a vicious letter-opener rammed in it's eye.
There may well be typically cryptic 60's drug metaphor's abounding here,(I can sense them, but I'm damned if I can coherently uncover one for you.) but that's not why 'the Skull' is so watch-able and entertaining.
It's a combination job, and with all it's component parts firing so finely, it can't do much else but work beautifully. It's an elegant film, totally out of sync with many of it's rivals and peers of the brash, boundary-pushing 1960's. Hopefully, this long overdue dvd release will redress the balance in 'the Skull's favour, and bring it to a modern audience, it's unavailability being the only reason I can see why its not being hailed.
DVD Review: At last on DVD in WIDESCREEN !
Summary: 5 Stars
Several other reviews cover just how good this Amicus release from 1965 is, so if you love Hammer, Peter Cushing, Christopher Lee, or just a good, scary film--buy THE SKULL. Atmospheric as all heck, with great cinematography and a truly unsettling score by Elisabeth Lutyens. And now, the good folks at Legend Films have contracted with Paramount to release this and a fistful of other movies for the first time on DVD! THE SKULL is in full 2:35 Widescreen color, and also included is the trailer. The print is clean and bright, sharp and clear with excellent sound. Thank you, Legend!
PS: If you like this title and others recently released by Legend, drop them a line and say thanks! They are very nice people and love the feedback!
Description of The Skull
The Skull teams up horror legends Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee in a chilling, supernatural tale of murder from beyond the grave. Based on a short story by Robert Bloch (Psycho), The Skull introduces us to Dr. Christopher Maitland (Cushing), a collector of the occult. When he is given the opportunity to purchase one of the infamous Marquis de Sade, he leaps at the chance. What he doesn't know is that his friend, Matthew Phillips (Lee) is the former owner of the skull - and quite happy to be rid of it. Possession of the Skull leads to a terrifying series of nightmarish events for Dr. Maitland as he tries to keep control of his life, and as the forces of unspeakable evil bear down upon him.Classic Horror & Monsters DVDs
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