The Skull (1965)

[Scott]

THE SKULL (1965) - Monsterfest on AMC played this Amicus film from England starring Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee. The movie is about a skull of Marquis de Sade which is dug up in a neat little scene at the beginning of the film. The film kinda drags but as Cushing obtains the skull, and a book covered in human skin, and later a statue of a demon while under control of the skull powers. There is a scene were Cushing is brought before an occult judge and forced to play a game of russian roulette and then sent to a red room were smoke comings out of the vents, the wall closes in on him, and the skull floats directly towards him. The sign of the cross defeats this skull in the end, but not before we get to see the wired skull float around the room a few more times.

[Ash]

That sounds absolutely terrible Scott!

[Scott]

You've been a wonderful audience ! Thank you very much.

Thats my best Elvis impersonation................

[Yaddo 42]

I swear I've seen the first thirty minutes of this one dozens of times, never made it to the end. Never stuck me as bad just slow or failing to hold my interest. But that opening always gets me interested to give it another shot.

Maybe some day I'll finish it.

[peter johnson]

See, I know I'm just a sucker for anything -- and I do mean anything -- with Lee and Cushing in it.  Hell, I even like "The Gorgon" -- and if you haven't gotten around to that one yet, Scott, believe me, you should --
The only part in this that drags for me is the endless descriptions of the demonic statues being auctioned off in the auction scene.  Apparently, these little statuettes were commissioned directly for the film from some popular sculptor du jour & were not cheap.  Hence their over-featuredness in the picture.
Otherwise, there's a lot to recommend this thing -- the shots from inside the skull/perspective, the story of possession and control by a dead skull -- "The Lost Skeleton of Cadavara!" inspiration!! -- , cheesy special effects (Glad you noted the wire-work, Scott!), and Lee and Cushing being their usual elegant, erudite selves, for God's sake.
Well, it ain't my favorite for the duo, but it'll do in a pinch.  Remember, folks, we're supposed to ENJOY bad movies at this site!  
I'm saying I like it and I approved this message --
peter johnson/denny crane

[Dave Munger]

Sounds kind of 3D with the floating skull.

[Scott]

Wooo hooo Peter Johnson. You got my vote. It wasn't a bad film, but like Yaddo said it was moving kinda slow (even for me). The beginning and end are worth a look.



Post Edited (10-29-04 18:59)

[Scott]

They didn't mention it being 3D, but I can see how it could have been used in this film Dave Munger.

[JohnL]

>They didn't mention it being 3D, but I can see how it could have been used in this
>film Dave Munger.

I couldn't find anything about this being in 3D either, but I did once see it advertised on a local channel as being at least partly in 3D. I didn't watch it because 3D doesn't work for me and movies using the red/blue coloring are too disorienting to watch without the glasses.