Throughout the mid 60s and early 70s Amicus Productions churned out a series of wonderful little horror anthologies including: Dr. Terror's House of Horrors, Torture Garden, The House That Dripped Blood, Asylum, The Vault of Horror, From Beyond the Grave, and Tales from the Crypt.
Unlike those movies, THE SKULL is not an anthology. Instead, it is a superb exception!
Six minutes in; and, we've already gotten the back story, even before the titles roll! The opening is set in the early-19th century. We see a graveyard, with the requisite grave robbers; and, their client, a doctor (albeit a phrenologist).
Peter Cushing plays Dr. Christopher Maitland, an occult researcher and collector who comes into possession of the skull by way of a suspicious dealer in such objects. Christopher Lee portrays Sir Matthew Phillips, a friend of Dr. Maitland; and, coincidentally a former owner of the skull!
THE SKULL details the ghastly misfortunes that befall each successive owner of the skull. That is the skull of the infamous Marquis De Sade. According to the story, the Marquis De Sade was not insane, as many believed; but, was possessed by an evil spirit. And, that spirit still dwells in the skull.
Moving from the literal form seamlessly into dreams and fantasies, THE SKULL is a marvelous example of modern, psychological horror. It was years ahead of its time.
Unlike those movies, THE SKULL is not an anthology. Instead, it is a superb exception!
Six minutes in; and, we've already gotten the back story, even before the titles roll! The opening is set in the early-19th century. We see a graveyard, with the requisite grave robbers; and, their client, a doctor (albeit a phrenologist).
Peter Cushing plays Dr. Christopher Maitland, an occult researcher and collector who comes into possession of the skull by way of a suspicious dealer in such objects. Christopher Lee portrays Sir Matthew Phillips, a friend of Dr. Maitland; and, coincidentally a former owner of the skull!
THE SKULL details the ghastly misfortunes that befall each successive owner of the skull. That is the skull of the infamous Marquis De Sade. According to the story, the Marquis De Sade was not insane, as many believed; but, was possessed by an evil spirit. And, that spirit still dwells in the skull.
Moving from the literal form seamlessly into dreams and fantasies, THE SKULL is a marvelous example of modern, psychological horror. It was years ahead of its time.